Shopping

‘Futuristic’ new EE store with interactive gaming zone opens at the Trafford Centre

The innovative new retail concept will offer shoppers "a dynamic space to work, learn, game and play".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th September 2023

A brand-new EE ‘Experience’ store is opening its doors inside the Trafford Centre this week, and it looks pretty swanky.

The new store inside the massive Greater Manchester shopping centre is designed to “empower customers with the best connectivity and technology solutions”, according to EE, and will be showcasing a wide range of the latest connected technology – with everything from games consoles, to smart home devices up for grabs.

The innovative new retail concept is set to offer shoppers “a dynamic space to work, learn, game and play” once it opens its doors.

It’s literally being described as “futuristic”, which has definitely got us a bit intrigued.

A brand-new EE ‘Experience’ store is opening its doors inside the Trafford Centre this week / Credit: EE

Those who step foot inside the store will get the chance to explore a range of different so-called ‘experience zones’ and ‘room sets’, with each area carefully-curated to give customers “a taste of future connected living”.

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The experience zones in the Trafford Centre’s EE Experience store include a ‘Welcome Zone’ with all the latest product releases to try out, a ‘Base Camp’ with lots of comfy sofas to lounge on and sip on a complimentary tea or coffee while sampling the new tech, and a ‘Tech Live’ hub where you can spend some time trying before you buy.

The stand-out area has to be the new ‘Gaming Zone’ though, which will give shoppers the chance to discover the “latest and greatest in gaming” as it’s packed with the most up-to-date games and consoles available to play on.

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The innovative new retail concept will offer shoppers “a dynamic space to work, learn, game and play” / Credit: EE

Customers will also have the opportunity to visualise how EE’s range of connected technology could be used in their own homes as they explore the real-life room sets.

EE’s brand-new Experience store is throwing its doors open at the Trafford Centre tomorrow (21 September) at midday, with former Manchester City star and England International, Ellen White, doing the grand-opening honours – and said to be “really excited” about it too.

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There’ll be gift bags for the first 100 customers, and lots of exclusive in-store deals, offers, and entertainment throughout the day too.

Featured Image – EE

Shopping

Pets at Home to pause the sales of rabbits at all UK stores over Easter to stop ‘impulsive’ buying

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Pets at Home has announced that it will be pausing the sale and adoption of rabbits at all its UK stores over Easter.

The pet supplies retailer has more than 460 stores nationwide, selling everything from pet food and healthcare, to accessories, veterinary services, and in some cases, even the animals themselves… but once this upcoming bank holiday weekend rolls around, some of the retailer’s animals won’t be available to take home.

Over the extended weekend, from this Friday 18 through to Monday 21 April, Pets at Home’s rabbits will be going on their annual ‘Easter break’.

That’s because action is being taken by the company to help prevent impulse purchases and adoptions driven by the celebrations at this time of year.

It’s said to be part of the brand’s commitment to ‘encouraging responsible pet ownership’.

Pets at Home is pausing the sales of rabbits at all its UK stores over Easter / Credit: Supplied

Giving a little more insight into the decision, a spokesperson for Pets at Home explained: “Every year, we make the decision to temporarily halt rabbit sales over the Easter weekend, which is a deliberate action to discourage any impulsive choices about owning a rabbit, given their close association with this time of year.

“Rabbits make wonderful pets, however, they are not the ‘easy’ pet that they can often be thought of as.

“They have complex needs, including specialised dietary requirements and environments, and we always want to educate and encourage careful reflection on how those needs will be met before homing.”

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Rabbits are expected to be available to buy and adopt at Pets at Home, once again, after the bank holiday weekend is over from Tuesday 22 April.

Featured Image – Aswathy N (via Unsplash)

Shopping

You can win a ‘shopping trip of a lifetime’ with a £3,000 budget at Cheshire Oaks

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Cheshire Oaks shopping

Fancy winning a shopping trip with a £3,000 budget this summer?

In case you weren’t aware, the UK’s largest designer outlet, Cheshire Oaks, is turning 30 years old this year, and in a bid to properly mark the major milestone, has now launched an exciting search for super fans to celebrate their individual style stories and experiences from throughout the past three decades.

Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over time, having been extended on a number occasions to now boast more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space.

With over 4,000 employees and more than 21 million items sold annually across 160 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West.

63% of Brits choose to do shop in-person over online purchases, according to a new national style report recently commissioned by Cheshire Oaks.

You can win a ‘shopping trip of a lifetime’ with a £3,000 budget at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: Cheshire Oaks

So who wouldn’t want an all-expenses-paid shopping trip here then? Thankfully, ahead of its 30th anniversary, Cheshire Oaks has launched a UK-wide birthday competition and you can now get your entries in by simply heading to the outlet mall’s website here and sharing your favourite shopping memories from over the years.

You’ll also need to include experiences of how you’ve shopped with the brand through the years, and share why it’s such as special shopping destination to you.

There’s a number of fantastic prizes available, but of course, the star of the show has to be the fully-paid shopping trip for the winner and two other family members worth £3,000 – with Cheshire Oaks looking to reward fans spanning across three generations of the same family, in-keeping with the brand’s 30 year milestone.

If you aren’t quite lucky enough to bag the top prize, entering means you may be in with a chance of winning a shopping trip led by a professional stylist instead, or perhaps a complimentary family fashion photoshoot to help capture the style stories of three generations.

“As our celebrations continue to mark the brand’s 30th anniversary, we’re excited to hear about the individual style stories from three generations of our customers,” explained Kenny Murray, who is the General Manager at Cheshire Oaks.

“The last three decades has seen us evolve, grow and innovate with the times and we’re delighted to be able to share in the celebrations with our loyal customer base and give something back to those most deserving.”

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Keen to enter then? You have until the end of this week to get your entries in, as the competition closes this Sunday (20 April).

The winners will be chosen and contacted on Monday 21 April, so keep your eyes peeled.

Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks

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