It might look like a shipping yard dropped into a car park in north Manchester, but Pollard Yard is in fact a community shopping space where you can get a birthday card, a vinyl record and a tattoo all in one spot. I’m in!
This community retail location sees vendors selling their products and services directly from industrial-style shipping containers, making for a quirky and eccentric shopping experience.
Nestled betweenAncoatsand New Islington while being only a couple of minutes’ walk from Holt Town tram stop, it’s a lively hub of retail therapy which everyone can easily access.
There are a wide range of shops and small businesses perched in this small and innovative retail village and unfortunately we can’t list them all.
So here are a few highlights of the independent businesses you can visit at Pollard Yard.
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Pollard Yard – The Guide
Vinyl Fetishes
Vinyl Fetishes – Pollard Yard’s LGBTQIA+ owned music shop with its many pop offerings.The selection at Vinyl Fetishes specialises in pop releases.The vinyl racks stacked with some of the greatest musical releases on vinyl at Pollard Yard.Credit: The Manc Group
In September, Pollard Yard welcomed Vinyl Fetishes, a record shop catering towards pop and R&B records that may not be as readily available in other suppliers.
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It comes as no surprise that they’re also home to various editions of Charli XCX’s iconic ‘Brat’ album, including its extended edition and remix variants, that is until savvy shoppers like yourselves snap them up.
The owners are keen to interest more people in pop music that’s pressed onto vinyl even recently running a competition for Kylie’s new album ‘Tension II’, promising the first six customers a bottle of her very own ‘Kylie prosecco’.
The Lucky Pig Tattoo
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The Lucky Pig Tattoo shop where you can get tatted from an industrial shipping container.The cozy setup awaiting the next tattoo lover and their newest design at Pollard Yard.Credit: The Manc Group
Ever wanted a tattoo but needed reassurance from a friendly face? Well fear not, because over at The Lucky Pig Tattoo, they don’t have one friendly face but four to assist you with your next piece of body art.
Megan, Zena, T.A.K and AJ make up this tattoo parlour family and although the containers may be on the small side, they’ll always have room for some more creative visitors welcoming artists to host guest spots for a few days throughout the year.
This time last year, The Lucky Pig Tattoo gave customers the opportunity to get some spooky Snoopy designs tatted at their Halloween flash day.
The Letter Arty Shop
The seemingly never-ending card selection at The Letter Arty Shop.Pollard Yard’s answer to a celebratory occassion – The Letter Arty ShopA wide range of printed designs made right here in Pollard Yard.Credit: The Manc Group
If you suffer from decision paralysis you’re going to spend a while in The Letter Arty Shop picking out a greetings card. Their Christmas collection sees these paper greetings in foil, letterpress, typography and even 3D form.
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The latest collection from this gift accompaniment shop is titled the ‘Obvious Cards’ range and it’s as simple as putting pen to paper (sorry).
These cards are in-your-face with writing like ‘Christmas Card’, ‘Valentine’s Card’ and ‘Thank You Card’, I think you get the gist of it…
Nusole Services
A wall full of trainers looking clean and fresh at Nusole – Pollard Yard.Stacked – Trainers galore at this footwear laundry retailer in Pollard Yard.Credit: The Manc Group
This next vendor is an absolute must for keeping your kicks shiny and new and with rain forecast pretty much 90% of the time inManchesteryou’re going to need to call them up.
Marketed as a premium footwear laundry brand, this company are giving your shoes some much needed TLC, while keeping your outfit game unmatched.
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They scrub up most shoes, especially their most requested clean LV Runaways, even providing services for Manchester City youth player Jaden Heskey.
Good Thing Coffee Co.
One of the finest focaccia creations at Good Thing Coffee Co. Pollard Yard. The barista and bar set up at Pollard Yard’s coffeehouse – Good Thing Coffee Co.Additional outdoor seating for Good Thing Coffee Co. guests at Pollard Yard.Credit: The Manc Group
After some amazing deals like a focaccia sandwich for £8 or a coffee and a cake for £5.50, then this should be next on your cafe checklist.
You can fully immerse yourself in a selection of hot drinks, focaccia and sweet treats or get your order delivered to straight tp your car if you want your foodie fix on the go.
This coffee shop even hosts its own club nights at the yard! It’s a good thing this place is a coffee spot as these collaboration events can run until 12am.
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For Your Consideration…
Hoopin ‘N’ Lootin
While it seems like everyone is falling in love with american football at the moment, whether you’re watching it for the game or for the modern day Romeo and Juliet , Tight end player Travis Kelce and pop legend Taylor Swift, Hoopin ‘N’ Lootin are obsessing over another american sport, basketball.
Supplying Mancunians with all their sporting apparel needs, stocking basketball jerseys from greats such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Where better to buy your basketball essentials from than a dedicated fan, after all shop owner Elliot even has the NBA tattooed on his thigh to commemorate his recent trip to the game in Paris last January.
So whether it’s your first time discovering this fascinating shopping site or you’ve been before, make sure you’re not a stranger to Pollard Yard, after all there really is something for everyone.
Featured Image: The Manc Group
News
Teen sentenced after deliberately driving into a female police officer in Stockport
Emily Sergeant
A teen who deliberately drove into a female police officer at a retail park Stockport earlier this year has been sentenced.
Harvey Bell was at a retail park on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle back on 25 January 2025 when he seriously injured a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer during a shocking incident – which left the officer requiring hospital treatment.
At the time, the 19-year-old from Knutsford was present while police were investigating reports of class C drug use in a car park.
Police parked in front of an Audi and the officer signalled for Bell to remain stationary and turn the engine off, but instead he reversed, and as the officer approached the front windscreen, Bell drove at the officer, knocking her to the ground.
He then proceeded to drive over her legs with both sets of wheels, before heading out of the car park at speed.
#JAILED | A man who deliberately drove into a police officer in Stockport has been jailed.
Harvey Bell (12/08/2005) has been sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute and was disqualified from driving for two years.
— Stockport Police (GMP) (@GMPStockport) June 4, 2025
Bell was subsequently arrested the following day and made no comment in his police interview, but then went on to plead guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, as well as possession of cannabis on 27 March 2025.
The teen appeared at Manchester Crown Court this week where he was sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute, and was also disqualified from driving for two years – which will take effect when he is released.
“What [Bell] did to me is permanently in the back of my mind, every call I go to, I feel the apprehension, the fear that any incident, no matter how innocuous it appears, can end with being assaulted or hurt,” the officer explained in a powerful victim impact statement read in court.
“This is an unseen result of Bell’s assault on me.”
She continued: “I know that Bell’s abhorrent behaviour is an exception, and the majority of the public we serve do not wish us harm, but assaults on police need to stop. An attack on a police officer is an attack on us all.
“Bell is a danger to society and had total disregard for my life.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
IKEA announces decision to close popular Greater Manchester site
Emily Sergeant
It’s the end of the road for one of IKEA’s popular Greater Manchester sites.
The Swedish furniture giant has announced its decision to close its ‘Plan and Order Point’ over in Stockport in a couple of weeks time.
The store – which is located in Stockport town centre’s Merseyway Shopping Centre – launched to huge success back in March 2023, and at the time, was the second of this ‘test and trial’ format to open in the UK, becoming a smaller space dedicated to kitchen and home planning, as well as ordering items.
IKEA says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ which plan to take this conceptual format in a direction to ‘better suit the needs of UK customers’.
IKEA is closing its close popular Stockport site this month / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
Since the opening of the Stockport Plan and Order Point, IKEA claims it has seen an increased demand for Click and Collect services, a desire by customers to shop a smaller selection of home furnishing accessories, as well as the ability to return goods to physical IKEA units, and this is all something which the current location is unable to offer.
Learning from this change in consumer habits, the company says its future Plan and Order Point openings – including in those in other northern cities like Hull and York – will offer these services.
IKEA says it also remains ‘committed’ to trialling new formats, such as its upcoming small stores, one of which will open in nearby Chester later this year.
Luckily for IKEA fans, the retailer has confirmed that its major Greater Manchester store in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as the neighbouring store in Warrington, will remain open as normal, offering all the services available at Stockport and more.
The Swedish furniture says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ about customer needs / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
In addition to the upcoming opening of a smaller store in Chester, IKEA has revealed that the North West continues to be an area of interest for future expansion.
“After careful evaluation, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the IKEA Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre,” explained Salma Azad, who is one of IKEA’s Area Managers.
“In the two years since opening, we’ve taken valuable learnings, including how our customers prefer to meet IKEA, and we’ll take these insights into future openings, to serve shoppers in a more impactful way.”
Thanks to last year’s Click and Collect expansion, Stockport residents can now pick up purchases from Tesco Extra Stockport and Tesco Extra Stretford, as well as the Manchester store and the upcoming small store in Chester.
Stockport Plan and Order Point’s final day of trading will be on 16 June.
Thomas Melia -
29th October 2024 
