Another addition to the ‘general store’ group is coming to Deansgate Square this summer
Store Retail Group will be opening Deansgate Square General Store to bring an award-winning, independent retail experience to the heart of the community.
One of Manchester’s most premium developments has announced the first in a line of commercial openings set for this summer.
Store Retail Group – the company behind the General Stores and Foodhall concepts, with an already large and loyal fan base of its innovative take on the neighbourhood shop at stores in Ancoats, Stretford and Sale – will be the first commercial partner to open its doors at the flagship Deansgate Square development, found at the southern end of Deansgate, and by working in partnership with landlord and developer Renaker, Store Retail Group will be opening Deansgate Square General Store to bring an award-winning, independent retail experience to the heart of the community.
As part of the development – which comprises of four towers, including the tallest residential building outside of London – Manchester-based Renaker has created the city’s only riverside square, which is surrounded by each of the new sites, all boasting floor-to-ceiling glass windows and outdoor seating areas.
Store Retail Group will take over a 4,500 sq ft space located on the turning circle adjacent to the impressive lobby space.
This is set to service over 3,000 residents, with hotel-style concierge and amenities.
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(1/3) We are pleased to announce our first commercial operator, the Deansgate Square General Store – a modern take on the classic local shop from @generalstores_. pic.twitter.com/pV9dR4bqEH
Part corner shop, part community hub, Deansgate Square General Store will combine all the very best aspects of the group’s other sites and will supply artisan coffee to takeaway, a fresh flower concept, and an ever-changing street food vendor on site too, alongside household essentials, bringing much more than just a shop to this exciting new community.
The interior – which has been designed by local studio YOUTH – will celebrate and highlight General Store’s innovative approach to retail.
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Bringing together a grocery store, coffee shop and bar, the new Deansgate location has been designed with “community, creativity and cultural purpose” in mind.
“Deansgate Square felt right for us straight away.” Mital Morar – MD of Store Retail Group – said.
“The number of residents on site makes sound commercial sense for us, as well as the opportunity to work in a close-knit community, as we do at Ancoats [so] we’re excited to be part of a new thriving neighbourhood, and to expand our presence in the city centre.
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“As a destination that will continue to evolve, we see Deansgate Square as a great, long-term investment”.
Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Renaker – in collaboration with retail agency Barker Proudlove – has worked hard to bring both a new commercial offering and public open space to residents and the wider city centre community, with each operator having been carefully selected to ensure they are local independents with a strong track record and foot print in the city.
“Deansgate Square represents the first scheme to be delivered within the wider Great Jackson Street Masterplan.” James Sidlow – Senior Development Manager at Renaker – added.
“A key component in the success of this will be the diverse and engaging offering at ground level, carefully aligned to the requirements of the residents, locals and visitors to the city alike, creating an entirely new destination.
“We are delighted to announce news of these agreements [as] we’ve long admired how General Store create beating hearts at the centre of their neighbourhoods [and] we hope they, along with the host of other well-loved Manchester brands still to be announced, will bring all this and more to Deansgate Square”.
Some news to share! Good day for it too ☀️
Whilst we gear up to open in MediaCity imminently, contractors are about to descend on our next General Store.
You can find more information ahead of the opening of Deansgate Square General Store via the General Stores website here, and the Deansgate Square website.
Business
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Emily Sergeant -
31st March 2021 
