Retail shops across Manchester are preparing to open for the first time since March this morning (15 June).
Non-essential stores have been gathering dust for the best part of three months due to the ongoing pandemic, but the government has given owners the green light to welcome back customers from today – provided they make premises “COVID-ready.”
Shoppers heading out to the likes of the Trafford Centre and Market Street today will need to prepare for a rather different experience.
A wide variety of social distancing measures will be intact across all stores, including floor markings, one-way systems, till screens and contactless payments.
Large queues are expected.
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Those travelling to shops today via train, tram or bus must also wear a mask – with face coverings mandatory on public transport from 15 June.
Masks are not compulsory in stores.
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Many big brand names are back in action from this morning, and whilst a large number of stores have confirmed they’ll be operating as early as 9am, opening times do vary depending on branch, so be sure to visit their website to confirm.
Here’s a list of the major stores reopening in Manchester from 15 June.
Wikipedia
Stores currently open in The Trafford Centre include:
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Abercrombie & Fitch
Beaverbrooks
Bodyshop
Clarks
Ernest Jones
F Hinds
Foot Asylum
Footlocker
Game
Goldsmiths
H&M
Hollister
Hugo Boss
Indulge Fragrances
Jack and Jones
Kids Cavern
Lovisa
Lush
Marks & Spencer
Michael Kors
Miss Selfridge
Nespresso
Next
North Face
Pandora
Primark
River Island
Samsung
Scotts
Selfridges
Skechers
Sunglass Hut
Superdry
Ted Baker
Tessuti
Timberland
Timepiece Watch Repairs
Topman
Topshop
Vans
WHSmith
Zara
According to the Trafford Centre website, KFC, McDonald’s and Spud U Like will also be open for click & collect and takeaway services.
Steven Haslington / Geograph
In the Arndale Centre, the current list of stores set to open as as follows:
Archies
Auntie Anne’s
Beaverbrooks
Bobo Tea
Body Shop
Boost Juice Bar
Boots
Build-A-Bear
Burton
Card Factory
Chisholm Hunter
Deichmann
Dorothy Perkins
Dune
EE
EE – Market Street
Eurochange
Evans
Five Guys
Footasylum
Footlocker
Fuel Juice
G Star
Game
Gap
H&M
Holland & Barrett
HMV
Home Sense
Hollister
Hotel Chocolat
Imzi
In Time Watch Services
iSmash
Jack & Jones
JD Sports
Kenji
KFC
Over the Rainbow
Lego
Lindt
Luke
Lush
MCR Souvenir (Post Office)
Metrobank
Miss Selfridge
Mobile Technicians
Natwest
Newspoint
Next
O2
Pandora
Pastiche Couture
Paul’s Hair World
Pret a Manger
Rituals
River Island
Ryman
Samsung – Market St
Scotts
Shoezone
Sock Shop
Subway (Winter Garden)
Superdrug
Specsavers
Starbucks
Swatch
Tablites
Tessuti
The Fragrance Shop
The Perfume Shop
Timberland
Timpsons
TK Maxx
Topshop/Topman
Trespass
TSB
Vans
Vision Express
Waterstones
WH Smith
Wilko
Yankee Candle
Yours
Zamblya Wellness
New Cathedral Street Stores:
Burberry
Hugo Boss
Michael Kors
Paul Smith
Ralph Lauren
Ted Baker
Zara
Reiss
Anthony O’Neil / Geograph
Several stores in The Royal Exchange are also reopening, including:
Scribbler
Jenny Jones Jewellery
Swiss Watch Shop
Nigel Rayment boutique
Designer Exchange
Amaranth natural health & beauty
The Body Shop
The Whisky Store
Fjallraven
Michael’s coffeehouse in the Arcade is offering drinks to go, whilst Vertigo plant-based eatery and TGI Fridays are currently working with delivery partners. The Remedy Kitchen is already open for collection and Meal Plans.
News
Government sets up taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England
Emily Sergeant
A taskforce aiming to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care in England has been set up by the Government.
The new Maternity and Neonatal taskforce – which is chaired by the Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting – will tackle ‘deep-rooted inequalities’ and deliver urgent action on the recommendations of the independent national investigation into maternity and neonatal services in England.
This means that women, babies, and families will receive safer and higher-quality care from the NHS in the long run.
According to the Government, the expert panel includes families, senior NHS leaders, royal colleges, campaigners, academics, and third sector representatives.
The Government has set up a taskforce to deliver ‘urgent action’ on maternity care / Credit: Jimmy Conover (via Unsplash)
As part of the selection process, the Government has been working closely with harmed and bereaved families to ensure their personal experiences were reflected, and those who have been chosen collectively have the clinical expertise, lived experience, and sector know-how to deliver the changes so desperately needed for families.
Starting next week, the Secretary of State will chair regular roundtables with the new taskforce – with the first priority to agree its Terms of Reference.
The taskforce will also address recent developments in maternity and neonatal care, including recommendations from the Thirlwall Inquiry, and the independent review into maternity services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
📢 National maternity and neonatal investigation to be launched
Too many families have suffered preventable harm.
The investigation will urgently look at services with specific issues and the entire maternity system, making sure each family receives safe and compassionate care. pic.twitter.com/J8XkwGM9dN
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 23, 2025
The taskforce will also be supported by a wider range of experts – as part of ‘expert reference groups’ – that the Government says will bring ‘a broader range’ of perspectives.
“Every woman and baby deserve safe, compassionate care during pregnancy and birth, and the very best start in life,” commented Duncan Burton, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for England.
“Although NHS maternity and neonatal teams work incredibly hard to support women and families every day, we know there is more we must urgently do to improve care and experience.
“I look forward to working with members of the taskforce to improve safety and deliver the best possible outcomes and experience for women, babies, families, and colleagues working in these services.”
Featured Image – Credit: Aditya Romansa (via Unsplash)
News
Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.
🗓️ On 1 & 22 March, we’ll complete follow-up work following our £7.9m track upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly.
🛤️ Morning journeys will be disrupted on those days, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep you moving.
This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.
These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.
All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.
Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.
The Manc -
15th June 2020 
