Shopping

Viral store POP MART announces opening date of highly-anticipated Trafford Centre store

Labubu, we're coming for you.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 6th August 2025

Viral retailer POP MART has confirmed the news that fans have been waiting with bated breath for.

You may remember that a couple of months back, it was announced that POP MART – the Chinese collectables retailer home to the phenomenon that is the Labubu – would be opening in Greater Manchester‘s biggest shopping complex, the Trafford Centre, later in the year, and now the opening date has been confirmed.

Once POP MART opens its doors, shoppers can expect to find exclusive gifts, hot products, and plenty of surprises in store… oh, and big queues too, presumably.

The new 1,400 sq ft store will feature a full range of POP MART collectables – including the most iconic IPs and blind boxes, and fans and collectors will be able to shop from limited-edition ranges and get their hands on seasonal exclusives only available at Trafford Centre.

The new store opening at Trafford Centre takes the brand’s UK presence to double figures, and forms the brand’s goal to make its popular characters ‘accessible’ to more people across the country than ever before.

“POP MART aims to celebrate entertainment and pop culture to a growing community of designer toy collectors,” commented Peter Shipman, who is the Managing Director and Head of Europe for POP MART.

“The opening of our Trafford Centre store expands our UK presence and helps to bring playful and engaging experiences to customers.

POP MART has announced the opening date of its highly-anticipated Trafford Centre store / Credit: The Manc Group

“Trafford Centre’s vibrant retail environment, strong footfall, and strategic location strengthens our opportunity to access both loyal fans and new audiences, and we look forward to seeing visitors embrace the fun collectable toys and retail experience.”

Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre, says POP MART is a ‘brilliant addition’ to the shopping centre.

Read more:

POP MART opens at the Trafford Centre next week on Saturday 16 August from 10am.

Featured Image – Supplied

Shopping

Inside the new supersized Zara store that’s just opened in the Trafford Centre

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

The new Zara has finally opened inside the Trafford Centre, and it’s even bigger and better than we could’ve imagined.

Back in April, the shopping centre signed a deal with Inditex for the new supersized Zara store that would occupy its own flagship space on Peel Avenue.

The Spanish fast fashion brand is famed for its affordable trend-led fashions which you’ll find in abundance at the new space which covers over 3,000 square meters across one single level.

It’s the very first concept store of its kind in the UK, featuring technology like you’ve never seen before. 

Images: Supplied

Customers can interact with the brand in-store or via zara.com and the Zara app, enabling real-time inventory browsing, quick product location, and online order pickup.

Created by Zara’s Architecture Studio, the space has been redesigned to offer an elevated experience and is absolutely stunning.

Designed to be your personal stylist, the store features a series of interconnected rooms where each showcases its own curated identity – so you don’t have to go far to find the perfect fit. 

Images: Supplied

To celebrate the opening, collections have even been advanced to the Trafford Centre before hitting the rails at any other Zara across the country.

From a dedicated shoe room and an adorable baby closet to an exclusive activewear department and fragrance room, there’s literally everything you could ever want to get you kitted out from head to toe. 

Say goodbye to queueing with heaps of hangers, because the changing rooms will practically deliver the clothes for you whilst you can fly through the payment process with the 37 assisted-checkouts. 

Images: Supplied

Every inch of the customer experience has been made as streamlined as possible, meaning you could be in and out in a matter of minutes without even having to speak to a member of staff.

But of course, there’ll be members of staff on hand wherever you may need from helping you find the perfect size in the changing rooms to assisting you with your returns.

It’s the best Zara we’ve ever stepped foot in, it’s like shopping in a space ship in the best way possible. 

Read more: Viral Manchester beauty brand P. Louise to open first ever flagship store in Trafford Palazzo

Featured image – Supplied

Shopping

The UK has a new cheapest supermarket for the first time in nearly two years

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Aldi has officially been dethroned, as the UK has a new cheapest supermarket for the first time in nearly two years.

We know that two years doesn’t sound like that long of a timeframe, but when you consider the fact that consumer choice company Which? names the UK’s cheapest supermarket every month based on its latest data, you begin to realise that it’s a slightly more impressive feat than it initially sounds.

For the past 21 months, Aldi has reigned supreme in the Which? rankings – claiming the title of the UK’s cheapest on a consecutive basis.

But in July 2025, Lidl has taken the crown.

As it does every month, Which? checked the prices of 76 popular branded and own-brand groceries at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets throughout July to see how they compared, with items including things like Hovis sliced bread, milk, and cheese.

For each supermarket, the company works out the average price of each item across the month, then adds those up to get each one’s average total price. 

The average price for a shop of all the 76 items in July would’ve set Lidl shoppers back £128.40, compared to £129.25 at Aldi.

Lidl
Lidl has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket / Credit: Lidl GB

The next cheapest after Lidl and Aldi was Asda, which doesn’t offer loyalty prices in the same way its competitors, but even then, the price was 9% more than at Lidl for our shopping list.

Meanwhile, the latest data found that shopping at Tesco without a loyalty card was still cheaper than shopping at Morrisons with one.

Sainsbury’s was running Nectar price promotions on 15 items on our list, while Tesco had Clubcard prices on 16, Lidl had three items with a loyalty discount, and Morrisons had More Card scheme discounts on only two items in the basket.

Aldi has been dethroned for the first time since October 2023 / Credit: Aldi UK

On the other end of the spectrum, as you might expect, was Waitrose – with the price for the 76 items here setting shoppers back £170.91 in total, which is more than £42, or 33%, more than Lidl.

Waitrose also offers some loyalty prices to members, but there were none for items on the Which? shopping list this month.

When it comes to annual grocery price inflation, this figure was found to have jumped to 5.2% in the four weeks leading up to 13 July, according to market analysis from Worldpanel by Numerator, which is the highest level since January 2024. 

Read more:

Prices are rising faster for items such as chocolate, butters and spreads, and fresh meat, and they are falling fastest for dog food, sugar, confectionery, and laundry.

Featured Image – Aldi

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