Sports Direct has opened its brand-new, high-tech store inside the Manchester Arndale today – and it’s seriously impressive.
The five-storey flagship shop for the sports retailer is packed with interactive features, from fitness challenges to a bra-fitting studio.
The high-tech space has gadgets that will do everything from accurately measuring your foot size to testing your strength.
There’s even a bank of gaming PCs and consoles on the top floor, as a Belong Gaming Arena opens within the new Sports Direct shop.
Here, gamers can buy a single pass or sign up for unlimited play time for £15 a month, grabbing drinks from a slushy machine and snacks from a shop area.
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Sports Direct has taken over what was once the BHS department store within Manchester Arndale, a 50,000 sq ft site that’s been largely empty since 2016. It’s moved across from its previous unit just around the corner.
The display at the entrance. Credit: The Manc Group
Shoppers are immediately greeted by a DJ booth, a mirrored ceiling and rack after rack of sportswear.
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Brands including Adidas, Nike and Puma are all stocked, as expected, alongside other Frasers Group brands like Jack Wills and USC.
Game has a huge presence up on the top floor, where shoppers can also get their clothing purchases customised.
Click or swipe through the gallery below to see more from Manchester’s new Sports Direct store
Sports Direct Manchester Arndale. Credit: The Manc GroupThe bra studio. Credit: The Manc GroupThe Belong Gaming Arena. Credit: The Manc GroupA wall of balls. Credit: The Manc GroupThe putting challenge. Credit: The Manc GroupDiving mannequins. Credit: The Manc GroupManchester City kits. Credit: The Manc GroupAnother challenge in Sports Direct Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupGame. Credit: The Manc GroupPS5s in Sports Direct Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupSpecialist boxing clothing. Credit: The Manc GroupYou can get items customised in store. Credit: The Manc GroupHockey equipment. Credit: The Manc GroupA strength challenge. Credit: The Manc GroupJack Wills. Credit: The Manc GroupThe women’s floor. Credit: The Manc Group
There’s kit on sale for every sport from hiking to running to skateboarding to hockey to cycling to fishing to boxing to tennis to rugby to golf to swimming, plus a huge astroturfed area dedicated to football.
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In the football zone, you can try on a massive range of football boots while sitting in dugout-inspired seats, with rival mannequins dressed in City and United kits propped up on rotating plinths.
It’s not just about the shopping in here either. Sports Direct has brought a whole load of interactive games and challenges to Manchester.
You can test your golf skills at a Putting Challenge, flex your footwork at a miniature sit-down football pitch, and show off your upper body strength by doing dead hangs from a bar for as long as possible.
The bra studio features a unique multi-brand bra finder tool, which can suggest the right size and shape for your sport, whatever brand you go for.
Sports Direct’s Chief Executive Michael Murray said: “Manchester is a significant location for the group, and we’re excited to be opening our next flagship in the city.”
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The huge new Sports Direct store in the Manchester Arndale is open now.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Shopping
Aldi launches UK’s cheapest Valentine’s dine-in meal deal for just £2.99 per person
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched the UK’s cheapest dine-in meal deal ahead of Valentine’s Day, and prices start at just £2.99 per person.
With only a week of January left, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner now, and that means restaurants across Greater Manchester are likely already getting booked up by couples keen to celebrate their love on the special day.
But for those keen to keep things on a budget, there’s always the supermarket meal deal, of course.
M&S tend to be the heavy-hitters when it comes to Valentine’s dine-in deals, with other retailers like Tesco, Morrisons, and Sainsbury’s also proving popular in recent years too, and many having already announced their menus for 2025 too – but now, there’s a new rival on the block and, apparently, it’s the cheapest you can get.
Aldi says its Valentine’s Day range is “a match made in heaven” for those looking to host date night at home this year.
Aldi is launching the UK’s cheapest Valentine’s meal deal for just £2.99 per person / Credit: Simon Hadley (via Aldi UK)
With prices starting from just £2.99 per person, there’s everything from succulent seafood and steaks, to delicious desserts and drinks on the lineup this year – with shoppers guaranteed to be “pulling on those heart strings, not the purse strings”.
The cheapest meal deal combination on the menu this year includes Aldi’s Specially Selected Heart Shaped Pizza, available in either classic margherita or spicy pepperoni, for just £2.99, which pairs perfectly with the Valentine’s Day Mini Heart Shaped Garlic Bread topped with mozzarella cheese for £1.49, and finished off with the sweet treat of Pink Mini Heart Pancakes, also for £1.49.
If you stick to just these three food courses, then this combo will only set you back £5.97 all together, but you can also choose to add bubbles onto the deal for under a fiver too.
A sneak peak at some of the options on the menu this year / Credit: Aldi
Some of the other options for mains include the Nduja-style Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts, two different Specially Selected Heart Shaped Pasta dishes, Duck Breasts with Plum & Hoisin Sauce, Gastro Wagyu Pies, and even Wagyu lasagnes, as well as plenty of choice for vegetarians and vegans.
Options for starters and sides this year include things like Gastro Wagyu Triple Cooked Chips, and two different Specially Selected Mac & Cheese dishes.
And when it comes to desserts, those with a sweet tooth can choose from options such as the Tear and Share Cookie with a milk chocolate dip, Specially Selected Cheesecake Slices, and even a new Vegan Caramelised Biscuit Heart Sponge Pudding to finish things off.
After fans all over the world were invited to create their own jersey designs using artificial intelligence back in December, with literally thousands of entries being submitted, the club now has its shortlist and it’s the fans who have the power to pick the winner.
Inviting Cityzens to have the final say this week, the intake has now been whittled down to just 10 different options – but which one tickles your fancy, Blues?…
There are no traditional red/yellow and black striped numbers to pick from this time around – both this year’s away kit and the 23/24 strips have had that covered of late – but there are some pretty classic combos that have been put together.
Alternatively, there are plenty more adventurous creations that have made the cut thus far.
Put together using Puma’s creator software, this initiative has launched alongside the club’s first fully-fledged generative AI goalkeeper kit which will debut this weekend.
Designed by goalkeeping duo Ederson and Stefan Ortega, as well as rising youngster Rico Lewis, the limited edition creation will be available exclusively in-store from the official City Stores at Etihad and Manchester Arndale.
Our limited edition PUMA AI Creator goalkeeper shirt, available as a CityStore (Stadium & Arndale) exclusive tomorrow, 25th January.
What do you make of it and, more importantly, which of the third kits do you like the look of best?
Fans have until 23:59 GMT on Wednesday, 29 January to pick their favourite but you best be happy with your decision because it will be the matchday third kit for a full year.
The winner will be chosen this summer ahead of not the upcoming campaign but the following season.
You can cast your ballot and choose your future City third kit HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
24th March 2023 
