A knock-off Morrisons mini-mart has appeared in Manchester city centre, opening close to The Printworks.
Inside, it looks like any other corner store – with fully loaded fridges housing innumerable flavours of Fanta and other soft drinks.
Its shelves are stacked with crisps and cereal, and all the typical things you’d expect, as well as some unique sweets and chocolate bars.
But what’s really getting people in Manchester talking is the copycat store’s signage, which looks exactly like the real deal – except for an ‘a’ in the sign where an ‘o’ should be.
It even has the logo spot on with a white circle displaying the shop’s name in green font and a tree with yellow leaves growing out of the letter ‘I’, just like the supermarket.
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The bright yellow shopfront is not hard to miss, and its soundalike moniker has caused some laughs amongst locals on social media as people recognise its cheeky attempt to pull in more customers by emulating a well-known chain.
It remains to be seen how the real Morrisons will react when they discover the news, but for now, we’re all very amused.
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It’s not the first time a shop in Greater Manchester has used a soundalike name to reel in customers, with another corner shop owner in Salford previously opting for the name Tecco Express and a red, white and blue banner.
Owner Gulfar Ahmed first opened the store in Salford in 2010 and traded successfully as Tesco’s ‘little brother’ for years until a Tesco Extra store opened its doors five minutes down the road.
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That opening put paid to Tecco Express, with Mr Ahmed telling The Mirrorat the time: “We’ve been here for too long, and everybody knows the shop. We won’t change the name – the only problem with Tesco is they’re open 24 hours, so they’re taking our customers.”
Featured image – The Manc Group
Manchester
Police provide update after stabbing of 14-year-old boy at Manchester Arndale carpark
Emily Sergeant
Police have provided an update following the stabbing of a young boy in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
At around 3:15pm this past Saturday afternoon (17 October 2026), officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a stabbing on the ninth floor of the Arndale carpark in Manchester city centre.
Emergency services attended the scene, and a 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a stab wound.
Thankfully, the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing, but an investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Detective Inspector Sam Jones, of GMP’s City of Manchester District CID, said this will ‘understandably’ cause concern, but has assured the public that police believe this to be an ‘isolated incident.
“Detectives at the scene are working extremely hard to process the scene with Crime Scene Investigators,” explained DI Jones in an update statement issued.
“The car park is expected to be closed for several hours, so we ask for your understanding and patience whilst we gather evidence to bring these offenders to justice.
“Detectives and Officers will be in the area today to speak with local businesses and members of the public to provide reassurance. This is believed to be an isolated incident with no risk to the wider public.
“Greater Manchester Police are committed to diligently investigating all knife crime and bringing offenders to justice, and we are asking for anyone with information about this incident to come forward to assist with our enquiries.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 2050 of 17/10/2026, or via the LiveChat function. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Manchester
Manchester parks are hosting loads of FREE Halloween-themed activities this month
Emily Sergeant
Parks across Manchester are set to host loads of Halloween-themed activities this month.
With October half term right around the corner and Halloween not far off either, it won’t be long before parents and carers are looking for ways to keep little Mancs occupied… luckily, Manchester City Council has unveiled a programme of free ‘spooktacular’ activities that’ll be happening at parks across the borough this month.
Manchester’s parks will ‘come alive’ this October half-term with a packed programme community-focussed free activities for children – including a range of lantern making workshops delivered by the parks’ teams.
There will also be pumpkin carving throughout the week, with everything provided to create a suitably scary masterpiece to take home, as well ‘Hidden Horror’ trails across 13 parks with lots of spooky characters to be discovered.
Other highlights included guided walks, cycling along the Yellow Brick Road in Debdale Park, helping to create a giant haunted house using recycled materials at Alexandra Park, and a Halloween Party at Grounded Cafe in Cringle Park.
Manchester parks are hosting loads of free Halloween-themed activities this October half term/ Credit: Max Burchill | Pierre Bouyer (via Unsplash)
And fireworks won’t be the only attraction on Bonfire Night either.
Activities on the day begin from 3pm with the chance for little ones to enjoy magical storytelling experiences from Z Arts, with hands-on crafting inspired by the story.
Dazzling fire performers will light up the event with a mesmerising display of flames, fiery choreography, and captivating skills, and the Lantern Parade prior to the main fireworks display is not to be missed.
Georgina Pellant -
7th July 2023 
