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.
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.
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.
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.”
The huge new Sports Direct store in the Manchester Arndale is open now.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Shopping
12 exciting new openings you NEED to know about at Cheshire Oaks over this past year
Emily Sergeant
Cheshire Oaks is already the UK’s largest designer outlet, but it’s been getting even bigger and better this past year.
Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over the past 30 years, 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 140 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West – and if it wasn’t already a shopper’s paradise enough as it is, 12 businesses have either opened their doors or had a refurb at the Designer Outlet within this past year.
If you were thinking of planning a trip to Cheshire Oaks, then now couldn’t be a more ideal time, so let us bring you up to speed on everything you may have missed.
We popped over recently to check out all the new openings.
Nike
There’s not much we need to say about Nike, really.
It’s already a world-famous sportswear brand, and has been a popular presence at Cheshire Oaks for a good number of years now, but late last year in October, the store had itself a show-stopping upsized refit, and is now the largest Nike outlet in the UK, so it’s well worth a visit.
PANGAIA
This is an exciting one, as this is the only Pangaia outlet store in the UK.
Opening its doors at Cheshire Oaks in early November last year, PANGAIA is an ethical clothing and lifestyle brand that designs products for ‘living in’, and prides itself of producing products with smart technology and using as many sustainable materials as possible.
Lindt
Lindt was already a go-to destination for chocolate lovers at Cheshire Oaks, but last summer, it moved to a bigger – and many would say, better – new location at the outlet, and has been satisfying the sweet tooth of thousands of shoppers this year.
The new location has an ice cream window, and was even one of the first few stores to get the limited-edition Dubai Pistachio Chocolate when it first released.
Nike, Joe & The Juice, and Lindt are three of the brands to open new or bigger stores at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: The Manc Group
Joe & the Juice
You may remember that Joe & The Juice opened its doors in Manchester city centre early this year, and it was a huge deal, with juice and Tunacado-loving fans lining the streets to become one of the first to step inside – but before that, the viral brand actually arrived at Cheshire Oaks fist.
Joe & The Juice opened at Cheshire Oaks last August, making it the brand’s first outlet location at the time, and it’s the perfect place to stop off for a bite to eat.
Gail’s
Another viral brand to open its first-ever outlet location at Cheshire Oaks last year was Gail’s Bakery, bringing its artisan bakes into the heart of the shopping experience and providing customers with a comforting place to refuel.
The opening of Gail’s at Cheshire Oaks last October was one of a number of other North West openings, including several in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Crocs
Arguably no brand has had a bigger resurgence these past couple of years than Crocs, which is why it was such a big deal that the first dedicated Crocs store to open in the UK since its return to the country was at Cheshire Oaks last summer.
Opening its doors in June 2024, Cheshire Oaks’ Crocs store is the perfect place to hit up if you’re looking for a pair of your own.
Viral bakery chain Gail’s, and English luxury clothing brand Sunspel have also opened doors / Credit: The Manc Group
Barbour
Barbour is a family-owned British heritage brand that was established in the North East of England all the way back in 1894, and since then, has gone on to become a beloved part of the country’s fashion landscape.
So it was only right that Barbour got to move into an even bigger and better store at Cheshire Oaks last summer.
Abercrombie & Fitch
We may have already talked about one brand’s big resurgence, but Abercrombie & Fitch is another global label that’s also been enjoying renewed popularity in recent years – so it only made sense that it would open an outlet location at Cheshire Oaks.
The American fashion brand known for its trendy, collegiate-inspired casualwear and accessories opened last November.
Sunspel
Founded in Nottingham back in 1860, Sunspel is an English luxury clothing brand that’s best known for boxer shorts, t-shirts, and polo shirts, and it opened its first and only outlet location over at Cheshire Oaks last August.
You can also shop inside new Abercrombie & Fitch, ESPA, and Crocs stores / Credit: The Manc Group
ESPA
A staple in spas nationwide, ESPA is a well-loved luxury skincare brand producing products that go beyond the everyday skincare regimen to nourish and nurture your skin – but up until April of this year, you could only ever find the products online or in spas themselves.
That was until ESPA opened its first-ever – and to this day, only – physical store at Cheshire Oaks, and it’s so stunning inside.
Kids Around
Cheshire Oaks isn’t just a Designer Outlet for grown-ups, its a kids’ shopping paradise too.
That’s why Kids Around opened its doors last June with a ‘unique experience’ bringing together the most beautiful high-end children’s fashion collections – with brands such as Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo Kids, Hugo Boss, and Chloé to choose from.
Chit ‘n’ Chaat
Chit ‘n’ Chaat is an absolute Manchester institution at this point – no arguments there.
The beloved Indian street food restaurant is Manchester born and bred, and already has a number of popular locations in places like Cheadle, Rusholme, Deansgate Square, and most-recently the Trafford Centre, but in case you didn’t know, it also opened a new site at Cheshire Oaks earlier this year in April too.
So if you’re looking for a place to stuff your face before shopping till you drop, then stop off here for a proper Indian feast.
You can find out more and plan your next trip to Cheshire Oaks by heading to the Designer Outlet’s website here.
Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks
Shopping
Inside Great Britain’s first EVER Primark Home store
Daisy Jackson
Primark has opened its first standalone Primark Home store in Great Britain, packed full of interiors and lifestyle bits at bargain prices.
The much-loved affordable retailer will throw open the doors to Primark Home at Trafford Palazzo this Friday, selling everything from bathroom bits and kitchenware, to soft furnishings, bedroom decor and LOADS of pumpkins
Whether you’re building a fun and feminine bedroom with fluffy pillows and slogan cushions, or a sleek living space with a boucle storage bench and hanging plants.
There are plenty of items for gifting and little treats too, like hot water bottles, candles and scented diffusers.
Autumn has hit Primark Home hard – expect pumpkin cushions, pumpkin and maple scented candles, garlands made of pale frosted leaves, burnt orange throw cushions and even ceramic vases with 3D pumpkins. It’s all known as the ‘harvest range’.
The huge new space is broken down by room. In the bedroom section you’ll find throw blankets, full bedding sets, fluffy rugs and wooden coat hangers.
For bathroom, there are pop-up laundry baskets, soft towel sets, gorgeous ceramic soap dispensers and matching toothbrush holders, and even aesthetic toilet brushes.
Primark Home is opening this weekend at Trafford PalazzoSeasonal items like pumpkins are rifeSlogan cushions in Primark HomeBathroom bits at Primark Home
Kitchen bits include serving platters, tea towels, crockery, glassware and storage jars.
You’ll even find a full travel section where you can pick up luggage, packing cubes, travel pillows, eye masks, wireless headphones, and phone cases.
There are themed collections too, like the Hello Kitty and Friends x Primark range, Disney’s Stitch x Primark, and even a Wednesday x Primark range of gothic bedding and accessories.
While everything is typically priced at the lower end, as per Primark’s niche, there is a new Primark Edit range of more high-end, luxury homewares including crockery, bath robes, and fragrances.
From Friday 5 September to Sunday 7 September, Trafford Palazzo will host a series of events designed to inspire your home life and to celebrate the arrival of Primark Home.
The full schedule of events at Trafford Palazzo
Adult Evening Workshop at EL&N: Make a Macramé Wall Hanging | Friday 5 September | 7pm-9pm
Interior Talks with Bradley Dreha | Saturday 6 September | 12pm – 12:30pm | 2:00pm-2:30pm
Small Business Pop-ups | Saturday 6 September and Sunday 7 September |12pm – 4pm
Daisy Jackson -
24th March 2023 
