The opening date of a massive new M&S store with a “market-style” foodhall at the Trafford Centre has officially been confirmed.
After it was revealed all the way back in January that the retailer would be relocating from its old unit and taking over the former Debenhams site inside the Greater Manchester shopping mall, the date that the brand-new M&S ‘mega store’ will finally open its doors at the Trafford Centre has now officially been confirmed.
And it’ll be in business just in time for Christmas, so shoppers can get stuck in to buying all their festive food and gifts before the big day arrives.
Opening 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.
A massive new M&S store is opening inside the old Debenhams site at the Trafford Centre this month / Credit: M&S
Shoppers are being told to prepare themselves for an even bigger and better store, with “spacious and stylish” new Clothing, Home, and Beauty departments, a brand-new M&S Cafe, and the star of the show being the all-new foodhall.
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Aiming to “appeal to local families”, customers at the new Trafford Centre store will be able to browse in “wider, brighter aisles” and with “a clear line of sight across the store”.
The new market-style foodhall will stock the full M&S Food range, and there’ll also be free designated car parking to make shopping “more convenient”.
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The new M&S Trafford Centre store will open on Thursday 30 November.
Speaking ahead of the new store opening, Store Manager Laura Smith, who’s worked for M&S for 25 years now, said: “We are really excited to announce that the new M&S Trafford Centre store will open on November 30th, and I can’t wait to welcome the local community to visit the store later this month to see it all for themselves.
“Whether you’re looking for a big family food shop, the latest autumn / winter styles from our Clothing, Home and Beauty departments, or a mid-shop pit stop in our amazing new M&S Café, we’ve got you covered.”
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There’ll be a huge ‘market-style’ foodhall, new cafe, clothing department, and more / Credit: Trafford Centre
The opening of the new Trafford Centre store comes after M&S has also opened a number of other new foodhalls this year as part of its aim to deliver 100 “bigger, better food stores”.
180 new jobs will also be created by the opening of the new store, with staff at M&S’ existing Trafford Centre store transferring over to the new location once it opens at the end of the month.
Featured Image – M&S
Shopping
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you’re still struggling to come up with a New Year’s resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you’re at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third-party app, Recycle at Boots, uses a ‘Scan2Recycle‘ system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can’t usually be recycled at home, such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you’ve followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store at your nearest location, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you’re also an eco-warrior.
There’s even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs, which gives customers 100 Advantage Points when they spend £5 in-store.
Brilliant.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood, with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Manchester Market Street – 32 Market Street, M1 1PL
Salford Regent Park – Regents Park, M5 3TP
Manchester Didsbury – 736-740 Wilmslow Road, M20 2DW
The Trafford Centre – 10 Peel Avenue, M17 8BD
Trafford Retail Park – Neary Way, M41 7FN
If you’re up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
Tesco reveals what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2025
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal combination was in 2025, and some newbies have taken the top spots.
We all know meal deals are a classic lunch option for hungry office workers and for those looking for something quick to grab on the go, and it’s fair to say Tesco’s is one of the most popular on the market – but which combination was the most popular over the past 12 months? Which meal deal was the most commonly-picked from supermarket shelves in 2025?
Well, after last year saw a change in both the main and snack categories, this time around they have stayed the same and it’s actually the drink option where we see a change.
For the second year running, the Tesco Chicken Club Sandwich was the most popular choice of main, while the Tesco Egg Protein Pot took the top snack title.
Tesco has revealed what the UK’s most popular meal deal was in 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group
It’s time, however, to wave goodbye to the Coca-Cola (500ml) bottle, which has taken the title of the nation’s favourite meal deal drink for the past three years now, and say hello to the nation’s new favourite drink… a can of Red Bull.
When it comes to the North West’s favourite combo, the snack and drink choices remain the same to the rest of the UK’s, but the main is slightly different, as we favour a Tesco Just Ham Sandwich instead.
As always, the meal deal statistics for 2025 were revealed as part of Tesco’s annual ‘Clubcard Unpacked’ series, which is basically like ‘Spotify Wrapped’ but for Clubcard customers, giving loyalty card members a unique insight into what they shopped for and how much they saved over the last year.
The series also gives Clubcard holders the chance to find out what their personal favourite meal deal combination was in 2025, and see how that compares to the rest of the nation.
You’ll just need to open your Tesco Clubcard app on your mobile to find out, or you can head to the Tesco website here and login to your account.
Results are available now for a limited time only.
As well as getting to find out their own most-bought meal deal items, this year’s video also shows Clubcard members further insights into how they shopped at Tesco last year – from their most frequently-purchased products, to how many points they saved and spent.
Emily Sergeant -
14th November 2023 
