Shopping

Inside Manchester Arndale’s new Flying Tiger shop full of beautiful bargains

Nearly everything will give you change from a tenner

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 22nd October 2022

One of the world’s coolest retailers has finally landed in Manchester, with the opening of our very first Flying Tiger.

The Danish variety store sells everything from kitchenware to stationery to toys to fancy dress to spices – and prices are unbelievably affordable.

We’re talking greetings cards from 50p, classic board games from £4, and genuinely beautiful plant pots for a fiver.

You can get a kids’ xylophone for £5 if you like them, or embarrass them by dressing them up as a bright orange pumpkin for Halloween for £8.

For crafty types, there’s a hot glue gun for £7, as well as balls of yarn, bags of googly eyes, and a paint-by-numbers kit (stocking filler sorted).

There’s even a mini handheld sewing machine for just £6.

Outside Flying Tiger in the Arndale. Credit: The Manc Group
Fancy dress galore. Credit: The Manc Group

As if that’s not all cheap enough, there’s an actual clearance section, where prices are slashed and candle holders and picture frames are sold for as little as a quid.

It’s an absolute dream for stocking up on gifts and trinkets without breaking the bank (which, given that cost-of-living nightmare, is perfect timing).

Shoppers are taken on an IKEA-like journey, with a clear one-way system zigzagging past row upon row of treats.

Click or swipe through the gallery below to see more from Flying Tiger

Halloween items at Flying Tiger
Kids’ toys
A handheld sewing machine
A wall of slippers
Kitchen gadgets
More kitchen items
A wall of spices

Need some giant marshmallows? They’ve got it. Novelty unicorn slippers? Yep, and there are dragon ones too. Desperate for some reading glasses? You can get them at Flying Tiger for £6.

Mancs have been crying out for Flying Tiger to open a shop here for years – our mates in Sheffield and Leeds already have stores, with loads more dotted around the country (and 27 in London, naturally).

Disgrunted tweets have included this one: “WHY ISN’T THERE A FLYING TIGER STORE IN MANCHESTER it is the bane of my bloody life.”

And this one: “Manchester doesn’t have a flying tiger shop ??? Where the f*ck do you all buy nice bits for a bargain value ??? I’m cancelling the north and returning to the south immediately.”

Then once the news of its arrival was announced back in March, excited outbursts included: “a flying tiger is opening in manchester arndale gonna pee my pants.”

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And this: “this is the best thing ever, i was so sad about not having a flying tiger in manchester. literally the best shop ever.”

But anyway, it’s here now, and taking up a unit on the Arndale’s lower mall near the new Paperchase.

Its opening coincides with news that the old Topshop unit will finally be back in use, with Clarks and Gilly Hicks both moving in.

Happy shopping!

Featured image: The Manc Group

Shopping

Opening date for Britain’s first standalone Primark Home store in Manchester announced

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Primark Home

The opening date of Britain’s first standalone Primark Home store here in Manchester has been announced.

In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced earlier last month that our region had been chosen as the first place to get a dedicated Primark Home store.

Following the opening of its debut Home location in Belfast, Primark went on to confirm that the home of its first ever Great Britain site will be here in Greater Manchester – arriving at the popular Trafford Palazzo this summer.

The 11,900 sq ft, two-floor store will bring together the very best of Primark’s interiors offering, all under one roof.

Manchester shoppers can discover an expanded range of homeware and lifestyle essentials to give their home the glow-up it deserves, including high-quality essentials like cotton bedding and towels, soft furnishings, small furniture, and quirky ceramics.

The new store will feature Primark’s recently-launched ‘Edit’ – an elevated collection of home products such as chic tableware, plush towels, and luxury home fragrances.

It will also include a dedicated Travel Shop to help customers get holiday-ready all year round, with a range of stylish and practical travel essentials.

Primark is opening its first dedicated Home store in Manchester this summer / Credit: Primark Corporate

The addition of the new Primark Home at Trafford Palazzo doesn’t mean that any of the other Primark shops across Greater Manchester will be going anywhere though, so shoppers can still continue to get their Primark fix at the main Trafford Palazzo store, as well as on Market Street in Manchester city centre, and right through to the boroughs in places like Bolton, Oldham, Bury, and Wigan.

“The opening of Primark Home at Trafford Palazzo is an incredibly exciting moment for us,” commented Mark Whittaker, who is the Managing Director at Peel Retail and Leisure. 

“Not only because we are the first destination in Great Britain to do so, but the opening is going to be adding a leading concept to our already unique mixture of immersive shopping and leisure experiences.

“Primark Home will have something for everyone, and we look forward to the store opening in summer.”

The store will bring together the very best of Primark’s interiors offering, all under one roof / Credit: Primark Corporate

Ceara Doyle, who is the Store Manager at Primark Trafford Palazzo, added: “It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing the Primark Home concept to Trafford, and I know there’s already lots of anticipation locally for opening day.

“We’re busy working behind the scenes to bring the new space to life, alongside a refresh of our main Trafford store, and we can’t wait to welcome shoppers through the doors.”

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Primark Home store will officially be opening down at Trafford Palazzo on Friday 29 August, and launch day plans are set to be announced it due course so keep your eyes peeled.

Featured Image – Primark Corporate

Shopping

Cult favourite clothing brand Clints has dropped the lineup for the first-ever music festival

Danny Jones Danny Jones CLINTS streetwear festival Manchester info

Popular Manchester street and footwear brand, Clints Inc., has now revealed the lineup for its first-ever music and culture festival to mark five whole years in fashion – and it’s looking big.

The highly sought-after clothing and sneaker make started out from a bedroom in Moston and is now a premium label in British urban, skating, UK grime and hip-hop culture, having been worn by many famous names and welcoming even more through the door of their Deansgate shop.

Located in the ABC Buildings on Quay Street next to Spinningfields, the flagship Clints store opened back in 2022 and is much more than a place to buy some new drip: it’s a place that showcases art, music, and a whole sub-sect of shopping beyond just skate silhouettes and trendy trainers.

As hack as it might sound to some, wearing this brand comes along with immersing yourself in the wider style and scene; the very same scene being celebrated in tandem with their fifth birthday.

Up until recently, details were still scarce, but now the debut Clints Fest lineup has dropped, and there are some big names on board.

Set to take place at Barton Aerodrome, a.k.a. City Airport, over in Eccles, the live performers confirmed for 2025 span multiple genres, spotlighting both music veterans and up-and-coming artists from all over.

Legendary DJ, producer and MC Mike Skinner – most famously for his music with The Streets – tops the bill, alongside Tottenham-born rapper and grime artist, Chip (formerly known as ‘Chipmunk’).

There’s plenty of local love on show too, with Manchester R’n’B, jazz and soul singer, Victoria Jane, also set to perform, among many other acts from around the region and beyond.

Other names include the equally soulful hip-hop and rap star, Kofi Stone, as well as fellow Manc and rising DJ, Sammy V, plus plenty more.

On the launch of the event, Founder Junior Clint said: “We’ve built Clints on the back of our supporters embracing the DIY spirit. This festival is the ultimate expression of that ethos. Housing both music legends with upcoming artists is our ambition with Clints Fest, and we can’t wait to deliver it.”

mike skinner
Mike Skinner
who is playing clints fest 2025?
Chip, formerly known as Chipmunk
Credit: Simon Crompton Reid/John V Edwards (via Wikimedia Commons)

Clints Fest (the inaugural one, at that) will take place on Saturday, 6 September, over in the Salford suburb of Barton-upon-Irwell, kicking off from 12pm and wrapping up around 10:30pm. 

You can expect the festival to be packed to the rafters with die-hard followers of all things Clints and streetwear; here’s hoping this is just the first of many.

While the pre-sale and the first phase window for early access have both fully sold out, the second phase has now gone live, with general admission tickets available from £45.

You can grab yours HERE.

clints manchester shop
clints inc.
manchester streetwear
Credit: The Manc Group

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/CLINTS Inc (via Instagram)

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