For those who are in desperate need of some self-care ahead of the frantic festive season, Amaranth has all the deals you need.
You can get a Dr Hauschka ‘one hour to myself’ facial for just £39 (normally £55).
ADVERTISEMENT
Or book in for a 30 minute consultation with a nutritional therapist, with up to £20 to spend on supplements, for only £15.
All their Black Friday deals will run until the end of November – you can book by calling 0161 518 1334.
The Royal Exchange building
L’Occitane
Perfect for Christmas shopping (or for a bit of pampering for yourself), L’Occitane is a much-loved brand for beauty and fragrance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Its shop on the Market Street side of the Royal Exchange is knocking 20% off all its full-priced products this weekend.
The deal runs from November 25 to 28.
The Body Shop
The deals are running for ages at The Body Shop, with prices slashed for almost a fortnight.
There’s 50% off Black Friday collections between November 18 and 30.
Up until November 23, you can get a free gift when you spend £35.
ADVERTISEMENT
And there’s 20% off for all Love Your Body Club members, which is free to subscribe to, right up until November 30.
French Connection
French Connection is discounting products right across its fashion and home collections.
There’s 20% off the lot – including things that are already on sale.
The offer’s running until November 29, and there’s a chance to win your Black Friday spend in store.
Yards Store
This menswear shop on Old Bank Street stocks massive brands like Carhartt, Patagonia, Paul Smith, Barbour and Fjallraven.
ADVERTISEMENT
Now’s a good time to start browsing if you’ve not already visited – it’s 20% off in store.
The deal has already started.
Lululemon
For activewear that will last through countless workouts, Lululemon is always a good bet.
The shop, which faces out onto St Ann’s Square, is running big discounts for Black Friday.
You can get up to 30% off in store on the day itself.
Featured image: The Royal Exchange
Shopping
Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Featured Images — Charles Bowring (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group
Shopping
Jellycat launches new Manchester store, with exclusive characters
Daisy Jackson
Jellycat has launched a shiny new store, this time in Manchester city centre – and they brought exclusive new characters with them.
The beloved soft toy brand has unveiled its newest location within Selfridges on Exchange Square, filled with all the adorable plushie animals and objects you already know and love, plus some new friends that are exclusive to Manchester.
Making their debut in our city are Salty Steve and Vinny Vinegar, two adorable smiling condiment bottles, plus Clemont Lemon, a sunny yellow soft toy, and Charlie Chip in his flat cap.
As part of the iconic Fish & Chips range, Mancs will also be able to take home Lily Fish, Cosy Chips, and Dot and Peggy Mushy Peas.
The Jellycat Fish & Chips van became a social media sensation after launching in London.
Inside the adorable space are larger-than-life oversized Jellycat favourites including Amuseables Cosy Chips, and Chip Seagull, perfect for a photo opportunity.
Vinny VinegarClemont LemonCharlie ChipLily FishInside the new Jellycat storeEggetha Egg & Lance Soldier
Jane Sharrocks, Store Director at Selfridges Manchester Exchange Square said: “We’re thrilled to welcome the Jellycat General Store to Selfridges Exchange Square.
“We know our customers are huge Jellycat fans so we can’t wait to bring this iconic destination to our store.
“This launch means that our customers can purchase the characters from the exclusive Fish & Chips collection for the first time outside of Selfridges London which is so exciting.
“With so many Jellycat favourites, it’s going to be hard to choose which ones to take home!”
The new Jellycat store is open today – Monday 17 February – at Selfridges Manchester Exchange Square.
Daisy Jackson -
25th November 2021 
