Oseyo, the largest Asian retailer in the UK, has confirmed it will be opening a huge new store in Manchester city centre.
The massive Korean supermarket chain, which already has a popular site on Manchester’s Oxford Road, has just signed a new 15-year lease for a 12,580 sq ft unit in the Manchester Arndale shopping centre.
It is known for selling a vast range of Korean and Asian foods such as Korea Fried Chicken, Kimchi Flavoured Dumplings, and corn dogs, as well as toys, stationery, houseware, and electronics.
Products span ready-to-cook meals, sauces and spices, instant pots of ramen, various styles of kimchi, a vast selection of noodles, rice, and grains, plus powders, Asian snacks, seaweed, frozen food, teas and coffees.
Endless varieties of ramyun. / Image: Oseyo
Cute cans of bubble milk tea at Oseyo. / Image: Oseyo
Elsewhere, customers can browse a large selection of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages like soju, as well as shop for K-pop gifts and Korean beauty products.
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First launched in 2015 with a small shop on London’s Tottenham Court Road, today Oseyo has multiple stores across the UK with eight London sites, a Cambridge store and, soon, two in Manchester.
Its name, translated from Korean, loosely means ‘Welcome’ – a message that is at the heart of the brand.
Isaac Kweon, Operations Coordinator at Oseyo, said: “Our new store in Manchester Arndale is our largest and most ambitious project so far in our journey, and we are excited to bring to the people of Manchester a truly global and refined shopping experience.
“With an ever growing range of exclusive products which we directly produce or import with partner brands in Korea, we aim to provide for our customers a unique experience found nowhere else.”
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Image: Oseyo
Image: Oseyo
Image: Oseyo
Steve Gray, Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, added: “We’re very excited to welcome Oseyo to Manchester Arndale as we continue to enhance our varied offer. We place great importance on creating a mix that caters to the city’s diverse taste and we are certain Oseyo will fit the bill.
“With such exciting leasing activity taking place it’s clear there is continued demand for well-placed retail units, and we are delighted to see confidence in Manchester Arndale’s long-term performance; we hope to share more exciting news soon.”
Featured image – Oseyo
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One million UK adults who have never smoked before are now vaping, new stats reveal
Emily Sergeant
More than a million UK adults who claim to have never smoked cigarettes are now vaping.
According to alarming new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), relating to people aged 16 and over, around 2.8 million men (11.3%) and 2.1 million women (8.2%) are thought to be smokers in the UK… but more than a million people, who have never smoked before, have now made the decision to start vaping instead.
People in the 25 to 34 age group were found to be the most likely to vape, according to the data, overtaking those aged 16 to 24, as it was the only age group to see a rise in e-cigarette usage.
Daily or occasional vaping is still higher than the proportion of people smoking cigarettes too, the ONS revealed, at 5.4 million, or 9.9%, versus 4.8 million (8.7%).
One million UK adults who have never smoked are now vaping / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels) | Pxhere
“Fewer than one in 10 adults now smoke,” commented David Mais, from the ONS.
“This is the lowest proportion on record and continues the long-term decline in smoking. [But] at the same time, e-cigarette use remains more common than smoking and has followed an overall upward trend since 2020.
“E-cigarette users are also getting older, with those aged 25 to 34 now overtaking 16 to 24-year-olds as the age group most likely to use them.
“This may reflect existing users getting older, growing popularity among this age group, or a combination of both.”
Overall, the prevalence of smoking dropped in all four UK nations between 2024 and 2025.
Featured Image – Elsa Olofsson (via Unsplash)
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Three Manchester motorways named in UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’
Emily Sergeant
Three motorways in and around Manchester have been named the ‘most challenging’ in the UK.
As part of MoneySuperMarket’s new Great British Motorway Report, new research has found that one in three UK motorists find motorway driving ‘stressful’ – despite more than 70 billion miles being travelled on Britain’s motorways each year.
From delays and congestion to high traffic levels, there are a number of factors that can contribute to driver stress levels.
But are some motorways more challenging for drivers than others? According to the data, yes. And three of the top 10 worst motorways in the UK are in and around Greater Manchester.
To find out which are the most challenging, MoneySuperMarket analysed everything from collision rates and roadworks, to lane closures and driver feedback in order to reveal the top 10.
Manchester is home to three of the UK’s top 10 most challenging motorways – the M602, M62, and M60, the latter of which took the top spot on the list.
Three Manchester motorways have been named in the UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’ / Credit: pxfuel
Encircling Greater Manchester and linking many of the region’s motorways, the M60 recorded the lowest overall score in the index.
Despite handling significant volumes of traffic, the M60 experienced some of the highest average delays, at 15.58 seconds per vehicle per mile, and alongside this, it saw 34 collisions in the past year alone. But despite these challenges, the M60 remains an essential route for regional connectivity, and often cannot be bypassed.
“If you’re feeling anxious, allow extra time for your journey so you don’t feel pressured to rush or make last-minute decisions,” commented Alicia Hempsted at MoneySuperMarket.
“Plan your route in advance, including where you’ll stop for breaks, as regular rest stops can help you stay alert and reduce stress on longer trips, and if you’re travelling alone, consider sharing your route with someone you trust if it helps you feel more comfortable.”
Georgina Pellant -
26th July 2023 
