It’s been a long time coming… but the brand-new M&S at the Trafford Centre has finally opened its doors to the public.
And the first look images of the place prove it’s just as swanky as we were expecting.
In case you hadn’t heard, after it was revealed all the way back in January that M&S would be relocating from its old unit and taking over the former Debenhams site inside the Greater Manchester shopping centre, the retailer’s brand-new Trafford Centre store welcomed its first customers yesterday.
The new ‘mega store’ officially threw open its doors yesterday (30 November) at 10am, and it’s all just in time for Christmas, so shoppers can get stuck in to buying all their festive food and gifts before the big day arrives.
The brand-new M&S at the Trafford Centre has finally opened its doors / Credit: Supplied
Having opened as part of M&S‘ ongoing plans and wider investment to regenerate vacant sites in major UK shopping centres, the new M&S Trafford Centre store spans across a whopping 98,000 sq ft of commercial space.
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Promising shoppers “an even bigger and better store”, there’s huge new “spacious and stylish” Clothing, Home, and Beauty departments, as well as a brand-new M&S Cafe, and the star of the show being the all-new “market style” Food Hall – which stocks the full M&S Food range, and has “wider and brighter aisles”, with free designated car parking to make shopping “more convenient”.
Percy Pig was on-hand to welcome shoppers to the new store, with the first 200 customers through the door handed ‘golden tickets’.
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Every golden ticket holder was guaranteed a win. whether that be a free bag of Percy Pigs, freshly-baked cookies from the new M&S Bakery, or something even bigger – with one lucky customer even bagging a £200 M&S voucher to take home.
It promises shoppers “an even bigger and better store” / Credit: Supplied
180 new jobs have been created by the opening of the new store, and staff at M&S’ former Trafford Centre store have also transferred over to the new location.
The store is led by Store Manager, Laura Smith, along with a team of 420 M&S colleagues.
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Soaking up the opening day celebrations, Laura said: “We are thrilled to officially open our brand-new store in the Trafford Centre. The last few weeks have been so exciting for us all as we’ve seen the store take shape, and I’d like to thank everyone in the team for all their hard work to make sure everything is ready for our customers today.
“The store is an exciting investment in the future of M&S in Trafford, and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all the new features that the store has to offer.”
The new M&S Trafford Centre store is now open from 8am-10pm Monday to Friday, 8am-9pm on Saturday, and 12-6pm on Sunday.
Featured Image – Supplied
Shopping
Major Canadian lifestyle brand Garage to open in Manchester Arndale AND Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
A major lifestyle and activewear brand, Garage, is finally coming to Manchester – and they’re not stopping at one store.
The Canadian fashion group will be opening two locations in the city, with one at Manchester Arndale and another opening at a later date at The Trafford Centre.
Montreal-born and loved by women globally for its off-duty essentials and active lifestyle pieces, Garage will be opening inside Manchester Arndale this summer.
It already has a whopping 231 stores across North America, making its UK debut down south just earlier this year.
And it’s expanding fast, thanks to its die-hard Gen Z following and monthly drops of new pieces.
Garage has recently celebrated 50 years of business, creating a huge range of activewear, swimwear, and elevated essentials that take you from barre to brunch to bar.
Garage will land at Manchester Arndale this July, with the Trafford Centre store opening later on this year.
Garage is heading to Manchester Arndale this July
Scott Linard, Portfolio Manager for M&G Real Estate, said: “We are delighted that GARAGE has selected Manchester Arndale for one of its first North West locations. Following recent openings, this addition further enhances our retail offer and complements our existing tenant mix.
“Our strategy remains focused on curating a strong lineup of best-in-class brands to meet the evolving demands of visitors from Manchester and beyond.”
Steve Gray, Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, said: “Bringing GARAGE to Manchester Arndale is a fantastic addition to our growing fashion line-up.
“The brand has built a strong reputation internationally, and we’re proud to be the destination chosen for its first store in the North West.”
Manchester United home kit for 2026/27 ‘leaked’ online in unboxing video
Danny Jones
Manchester United’s new home kit for the 2026/27 campaign has reportedly been leaked online in a YouTuber’s unboxing video ahead of next season.
We know fake shirts and dupes can be pretty accurate these days, but it looks very much like this could be the real deal.
Shared by dedicated football kit reviewer, ‘Retro Man‘, who has seemingly revealed the latest Man United jersey, this unveiling lines up with the previously rumoured designs circulated on social media.
A Red Devil himself, the creator has teased previous releases that turned out to be true in the past, so we’ll leave it up to all of you to decide how bona fide you think this supposed home strip is. Ever-reliable footy fashion peers, Footy Headlines, have also shared these images:
Uploaded to the channel on 25 April, Retro Man did a full overview of the United 26/27 home shirt, highlighting key features such as a red-forward collar with black and white accents.
That same trim is repeated on the ends of the sleeves – reminiscent of the 2011/12 iteration, only differing in the more crew neck style – and the back of the neck now simply reads “UNITED”.
It is worth noting that this is specifically the replica shirt that most fans will purchase.
Should it prove to be the genuine article, this will be the 11th Manchester United kit by adidas since they returned as manufacturers over a decade ago, a.k.a. the start of the Louis van Gaal era.
Retro Man has since posted another video showing off what he claims to be the ‘authentic’ version, too; you can check it out in more detail down below.
Looks pretty legit…
As you can see, the official player edition that will be worn on the pitch by actual United squad members (though they are still available to purchase by the public) appears to hold some key distinctions.
Besides some differences around the panelling and stitching, there is also a noticeable textured section along large sections of the interwoven fabric as part of the brand’s breathable and trademark ‘Climacool’ technology.
Elsewhere, the badge itself also looks to have a more embossed/raised finish. If this is the real deal, what do you make of it?
This isn’t the only United kit that’s caught some attention of late, either:
Emily Sergeant -
1st December 2023 
