Shopping

Aldi on Market Street is closed and Mancs say ‘that’s ruined my f***in day’

'Just say you hate me and want me dead'

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 11th August 2026

Aldi on Market Street is something of a Manchester legend, and often for the wrong reasons.

Easily one of the busiest, noisiest, most overwhelming places in the city centre, it’s nevertheless a lifeline for those who live and work in town.

Where else are you buying an aubergine and a tin of spaghetti hoops on the busiest shopping street in the North West, on a not-quite-payday-yet budget?

So you can imagine the small panic that’s rippled around Manchester when shoppers have arrived to the Market Street Aldi to find it closed.

Huge sheets of brown paper have been tacked into the windows and the shutters pulled firmly down for the last couple of weeks, leaving people to face the walk to the Aldi in Ancoats or – worse – Lidl on Piccadilly Gardens.

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One person (whose username is, fittingly, Anxious Pirate) posted on Reddit: “Freaking out, what’s happened to Aldi Arndale?”

Meanwhile, a Tiktok video said: “Great Ancoats Street Aldi is going to be rammed. Niche but I’m sure others will feel my pain.”

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Aldi on Market Street is currently closed
Aldi on Market Street is currently closed
Aldi on Market Street is currently closed

In the comment section, one person asked: “I need to know why this wasn’t a bbc breaking news update”

Another said: “That’s just ruined my f**kin day.”

And someone else joked: “Just say you hate me and want me dead fgs.”

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The good news is that the Aldi on Market Street hasn’t closed for good, and is just one of 25 stores undergoing a much-needed refurb.

The bad news is that’s going to take a while – the Manchester city centre Aldi isn’t set to reopen until 28 August.

Hang in there, Manchester.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Manchester Storm announce partnership with USAsports including NHL pop-ups and more

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Storm USAsports NHL merch pop-up stand

Manchester Storm have announced a landmark new deal with USAsports, a dedicated home for British fans of North American sporting disciplines and global merchandising suppliers, which will see various exciting events this upcoming season.

Confirming the collaboration ahead of the pending 2026/27 campaign, this crossover will involve everything from special pop-up events to player sponsorships and much more.

With MCR Storm getting close to their long-awaited AO Arena return after nearly two and a half decades, many supporters are taking matchday membership back up, and it looks like this year is the perfect time for merch hunters, too.

Revealing the partnership on social media this Tuesday, 11 August, the two brands outlined various plans laid out over the next few months.

USAsports specialise in officially licensed NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB clothing, and while you may have seen the odd jersey here and there at various Greater Manchester locations, they are now gearing up to work with Manchester Storm to deliver better exposure.

Whether you’re just a die-hard member of the Storm Shelter or an ex-pat who still follows an NHL franchise overseas, kit collecting and the fascination surrounding limited edition team jumpers is a big part of ice hockey fandom and culture not just here in the UK but around the world.

Sharing their own announcement, they wrote: “Manchester Storm are thrilled to announce a new partnership with USAsports for the 2026/27 Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) season as the club embarks on an exciting new chapter at the AO Arena.

“As part of the partnership, USAsports will sponsor a Manchester Storm player throughout the season and deliver multiple NHL Pop-Up Shop events at Storm home games during the forthcoming campaign.”

On the subject of sponsorship, commercial entities are the only people who will be given the opportunity to back big players this term, as Storm are once again bringing back their ‘own-and-loan’ scheme.

Speaking on working closely with their new partners, the club’s General Manager, Ryan Finnerty, added: “We’re delighted to have USAsports on board for the 2026/27 season.

“Their passion for the fan experience really stood out to us, and their NHL Pop-Up Shops throughout the season will be a fantastic addition to game days at the AO Arena.

“We’re looking forward to working together throughout what promises to be a very exciting season.”

As casual fans here at The Manc, we’ll admit that watching the growing buzz around the resurgent ice hockey team, especially ahead of their Manchester city centre ‘homecoming’, has got us amped to dive deeper into the sport when it gets back underway next month. We’re not the only ones, either…

Manchester Storm have already set a new record before they’ve even returned ‘home’
They face Sheffield Steelers on Sunday, 6 September.

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Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Manchester Storm)

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New Mayor Bev Craig announces £20m fund to ‘revitalise’ Greater Manchester high streets

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The new Mayor of Greater Manchester has unveiled plans to ‘breathe new life’ into local high streets with a landmark £20 million fund.

Bev Craig says Greater Manchester has enjoyed a decade of rapid economic growth, ‘outstripping’ every other city region in the UK in the process, but now she wants to make sure that everyone can ‘see and feel’ the benefits of that growth where they live.  

The new £20m Good Growth High Streets Fund will be made available to local businesses, business groups, and voluntary and community organisations across Greater Manchester to improve their high streets, and will primarily back ideas that can ‘make a real difference’ to good economic growth and restore local pride. 

The new fund forms part of the Our High Streets campaign – which will run throughout her first mayoral term to ’empower’ local communities to revitalise where they live, shop, and socialise.  

New Mayor Bev Craig has announced a £20m fund to ‘revitalise’ Greater Manchester high streets / Credit: GMCA | Jonny Gios (via Unsplash)

To drive forward this work, Bev is calling on local businesses and groups to join a new High Streets Taskforce, which will help design the ‘ambitious’ plans for the fund and put them into practice across the city region. 

Bev launched her high street plans in Middleton yesterday, where she said the ‘passion and ambition’ of local people and the independent business community are already leading to a transformation of the town centre, and there’s potential of even more to come.  

“Our high streets are the beating hearts of our communities, and people want to feel pride about where they live,” commented Mayor Bev Craig.

“They are rightly worried and frustrated when they see derelict pubs, boarded-up shops, and dodgy operators, and independent traders moving away. They want to see practical support for local businesses now and that’s why I’m taking action.

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“Our new £20 million Good Growth High Streets Fund is all about restoring pride in a vibrant high street, backing our neighbourhoods, and spreading the rewards of good economic growth everywhere.”

The Good Growth High Streets Fund will open for applications later this year.

Featured Image – GMCA

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