Online fashion retail giant Boohoo has announced it will create thousands of jobs in the North West over the next five years.
The Manchester-based company – which is known for its celebrity endorsements, and has enjoyed booming sales throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – said the new positions will come from an investment programme of £500 million to meet growing demand.
Around 5,000 jobs are expected to be created at both its head office in the Northern Quarter, and warehouse in Burnley.
The company said its plans for the future also include the purchase of additional warehouse space, and new technology to help its operations become more efficient.
Boohoo has published a report into the economic impact of the business on the UK economy.
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According to the report, Boohoo found that in the last year, it added £559.4 million to the UK economy – including more than 8,000 full-time jobs – and the business now accounts for 4.4% of the total UK clothing and footwear retail sector.
The new positions will come from an investment programme of £500 million / Credit: Boohoo Group plc
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Boohoo notably snapped up the Debenhams brand to turn it into an online-only company in the wake of the chain’s demise from the high street.
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It also took over the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton names from the failed Arcadia empire.
Boohoo’s growth and plans for the future come after a well-documented difficult two years for the company when it was revealed that some of its suppliers in Leicester had been operating in sweatshop conditions, being paid as little £3.50 per hour.
The company responded by cutting ties with hundreds of suppliers under an ‘Agenda for Change’ programme.
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Around 5,000 jobs are to be created at both its head office in Manchester and warehouse in Burnley / Credit: Boohoo Careers
Sustainability has also become a key talking point in the sector and something Boohoo CEO John Lyttle yesterday told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wake Up To Money podcast that the company is keen to focus on going forward – with shoppers opting to keep items of clothing for longer and move away from so-called “throwaway fashion”.
The success of the Boohoo brand and its vision for the future is said to be partly down to targeting under-30s who follow social media influencers and prefer to buy clothes online and on their phones.
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Major headliner pulls out of Manchester Village Pride
Daisy Jackson
One of the Manchester Village Pride headliners has had to pull out of their scheduled appearance, just one day before the celebrations begin.
Nadine Coyle was supposed to be headlining the LGBTQ+ event on Friday 27 August.
But in a statement shared by Manchester Village Pride today, they announced that the former Girls Aloud star is ‘under the weather’.
Nadine will be pulling out of her headline slot to ‘rest and recuperate’, but added that she hopes to see Manchester for Pride again soon.
Thankfully, Manchester Village Pride has already found a suitably fabulous replacement for the main stage on Friday – B*Witched.
The iconic Irish girl group will be encouraging ticket-holders to dig out their double denim and dance to hits like C’est La Vie and Rollercoaster.
In the statement shared by Manchester Village Pride, Nadine’s team said: “Nadine is so sorry to have to step out of Manchester Village Pride this year. It was her very first Pride many years ago and she loves getting to spend time with you all.
“Nadine’s voice has been under the weather and she only wants to give absolute best to you all which sadly won’t be possible this weekend as she needs time to rest and recuperate.
“We hate to do it so near the day. Nadine was really hoping she was going to be well enough and hopes she can see you in Manchester for Pride again soon.
“Thank you for being so kind and understanding and we hope you have a wonderful weekend.”
Manchester Village Pride added: “We know how excited many of you were for a massive hit of 2000s pop nostalgia, and we promised you a party. We’ve been working around the clock, and we are beyond thrilled to announce that pop royalty B*WITCHED are stepping in at the eleventh hour!”
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
The Manc -
13th August 2021 
