Back in the day, vending machines used to be for one thing – snacks.
But nowadays – especially in countries like Japan – you can buy just about anything from one of the huge gadgets.
Hot meals, groceries, cocktails, milk, gifts, toiletries, you name it, you can buy it without setting foot in a shop or speaking to a single human.
It was only a matter of time until Manchester got in on the vending machine action, and there are some very high-tech options springing up around the Arndale.
The first that caught our eye in this huge shopping centre is a robot machine selling candy floss creations.
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At the touch of a few buttons and depositing £5.20 of your hard-earned cash, a robotic arm will spin sugar into flowers, love hearts, and stars, in an array of pretty pastel colours, before politely handing it back to you through a cat flap.
Located right in the corner of the Manchester Arndale’s food court (bewilderingly close to the toilets), this flashing neon attraction is definitely about as cute as vending machines come.
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But it’s not alone.
Down in the main shopping area, just outside Next, stands another pink machine, this time filled with beauty products.
A vending machine selling false lashes in the Manchester ArndaleA vending machine selling false lashes in the Manchester Arndale
There are false eyelashes disguised as cheese and onion crisps, lipglosses dangling on a keychain, eyebrow gels, lip oils, and false lashes in just about every shape, size, colour and volume you could think of.
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They’re cheaper than a lot of lashes too, with pairs starting at £3.
Right next to this is another machine where you can rent a power bank for charging your phone.
Not too long ago there was a cupcake vending machine right outside Wilko (RIP), but in all the months it was there I never once saw it operating.
It’s now been replaced by a Marvel arcade machine.
A toy vending machineAnd a false nails vending machine next to it
But just around the corner opposite one of Manchester’s many Subways is another row of pastel-hued flashing vending machines.
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One sells items for as much as £23. And what do you get for that? A toy.
This one is the ECTOYS Robo Shop, where you can buy collectable characters like Hello Kitty, Shinwoo and Farmer Bob, plus adorable pandas undertaking different activities.
And just next to that is another beauty-focused vending machine, this one specalising in press-on nails.
Prices for the false talons range from £4.99 to £8.99.
Liam Gallagher-founded clothing brand closes flagship Manchester store
Thomas Melia
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A Manchester high street fashion staple, originally founded by one half of Britpop duo Oasis, has announced its closure this week.
Pretty Green has beensitting prettyon Manchester‘s King Street since 2009, but it’s with a heavy heart that the brand had to announce the closure of its flagship store via social media this week.
The predominantly-male clothing brand is known for its combination of pop culture and fashion, mostly for streetwear-inspired pieces that have contributed to its large following, as well as seeing success due to the vintage nods and homages embedded in its designs and overall style.
In a statement released on Instagram at the start of this week, the brand revealed: “Thank you to everyone who has supported the store over the years.
“We leave with great memories, having met some of our idols, alongside lifelong friends and fans.”
Closure of the only Manchester store has come with the news of the brand’s ’15th Anniversary’ collection and winter range, which are being launched both online and in the Sheffield store.
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has visited the Manchester store on multiple occasions, with one of the most recent trips being 2021 where he surprised fans in store while waiting upstairs with his close family and friends.
As part of the new ’15th Anniversary’ collection, fans can live out their dreams of playing at Knebworth as they can rock the infamous Oasis khaki green parka, listed as ‘Multi-colour 15th Anniversary Deansgate Parka’.
Pretty Green has been owned by JD Sports since 2019, before it was acquired by large fashion marketing company Frasers Group in 2023, which also manages House of Fraser alongside a long list of other fashion chains.
We’re fully aware that there are far more important global issues going on right now… but can we just go all ‘grammar police’ on Sainsbury’s for a second?
It’s absolutely no secret by now that the festive season is around the corner, and this means the shelves at every retail store across the UK are getting filled up thick and fast with Christmas decorations, food, cards, and so much more as the weeks go on.
But a quick run-of-the-mill trip to the supermarket in Bolton town centre the other weekend ended up turning into a need to call the grammar police.
As well as all the festive feasting treats, the supermarket’s partner homeware brand, Habitat – which often has outlets inside Sainsbury’s stores nationwide, as well as being an online retailer in its own right – has also released its extended lineup of Christmas decorations for the 2024 season, and of course, ornaments for the tree are a big part of this.
A shocked Sainsbury’s shopper has spotted a glaring grammatical error on a Christmas decoration / Credit: Sainsbury’s & Habitat
It’s pretty common to see decorations that mark milestone occasions adorning people’s trees, for example the first Christmas you spend in a new home, as an engaged or married couple, or with a new family member.
So, of course, Habitat has jumped on this trend and decided to release a range of £1 ceramic keepsake decorations – with one for 2024 marriages, new homes, new pets, and… ‘babies’.
While you may look at the decoration initially and not bat an eyelid, as reading the phrase ‘Babies 1st Christmas’ etched on the front does sound correct, it only takes a moment of realisation to notice that ‘babies’ is the plural form of the word, when it should be written as ‘baby’s’ with an apostrophe of possession instead.
It leaves many (me, mainly me) wondering “how did that get signed off?”.
A misspelled Habitat Christmas Decoration at Sainsbury’s in Bolton / Credit: The Manc Group
Not content with just moving on from the matter, we decided to fire a quick email over to Sainsbury’s and Habitat to see what they had to say for themselves, and to be fair, they did give us a pretty hilarious, pun-filled response to explain things, and also confirmed that the product with the incorrect spelling has now been removed from sale.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “We want our festive decorations to be tree-mendous, so we’re sorry for the spelling slip-up.
“Customers can still pick up a big bauble with the correct spelling.”
Daisy Jackson -
17th February 2024 
