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
A major free styling event is coming to Cheshire Oaks, with big discounts, colour analysis, and styling masterclasses
Daisy Jackson
Cheshire Oaks will be hosting a major fashion event over the bank holiday weekend, helping us all to get inspired and fall in love with our spring wardrobes.
The Spring Womenswear Fashion Event will feature everything from styling masterclasses to huge in-store discounts, along with a range of freebies and giveaways.
Some of the top womenswear brands at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet will be getting involved, along with fashion experts – and it’s all totally free to attend.
There’ll be live events like colour analysis to help you find your colour profile, plus workshops on styling outfits multiple ways, building capsule wardrobes, and shopping sustainably.
Whether you’re looking for insider advice or just a bit of inspiration for your shopping trip, you’ll find it here.
Personal stylists Laura Davies, Rachael Hughes, and Olivia Roseanna will be on hand to lead workshops and fashion showcases across the three-day weekend.
The Cheshire Oaks Spring Womenswear Fashion Event. Credit: The Manc Group
That will include a summer runway experience with JOSEPH, a capsule wardrobe masterclass, and a showcase to help you understand the transformative power of accessories.
Kate Harrison will also be at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet that day, with colour analysis sessions and a workshop on how the colour we wear can change our moods.
Then brands including Jigsaw and Whistles will show off the spring summer trends and give tips on how to style them.
And once you’re suitably inspired, you can hit the shops to pick up some new pieces, with plenty of stores offering major additional discounts.
Credit: Supplied
That includes an extra 20% off at Whistles, Mint Velvet Hobbs, Phase Eight, Jigsaw, Joseph, Calvin Klein, and Monsoon, plus other deals at Abercrombie & Fitch, Paul Smith, and Tommy Hilfiger.
Dune will be handing out fizz in store, plus giveaways when you spend £100 or more in store, and you can enter a raffle to win a Radley hamper of products when you spend £80.
The Spring Womenswear Fashion Event will take place at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet between 2 and 4 May – find out more HERE.
Aldi is looking for curious kids to become its first-ever ‘toy tester’
Emily Sergeant
Curious kids, this one’s for you… Aldi is currently looking for little ones to become its first-ever wooden toy tester.
With the sun showing its face more regularly now, and the temperatures heating up by the day, summer is very much on its way, and it won’t be long before the mini Mancs are getting to spend more time playing outdoors than in – which is why Aldi is now on the lookout for one lucky child to become its official Wooden Toy Tester.
The supermarket retailer is calling on children across the country – including here in Greater Manchester – to apply by explaining why they should be chosen and what make-believe dish they would cook up in their very own toy kitchen.
The successful winner will receive a selection of Aldi’s latest wooden toys for free to make sure they have everything they need to feel like they’re the head chef of their own garden.
Aldi is looking for curious kids to become its first-ever ‘toy tester’ / Credit: Aldi
All Aldi is asking in return is a short review of each of the toys, rating them on performance and fun factor to help guide the supermarket’s Buying Team on future product development.
In previous years, Aldi’s wooden toy launches have been so popular that the retailer has had to put a ‘two per shopper’ limit on purchases, so as you can imagine, this makes this adorable new job role even more in-demand.
“The nation’s love for our wooden toy range is undeniable, and our littlest shoppers are our most important critics,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK.
“We’re excited to appoint our first ever Wooden Toy Tester, to capture their experience and find out what makes the perfect playtime set-up, guaranteeing lots of giggles and fun.”
Fancy it then? For a chance to win the role of a lifetime, little hopefuls simply need to send a one-minute-long video to [email protected] with their name, age, location, what makes them the perfect fit for the role, and what dish they wood make in their wooden kitchen.
Applications close on 5 May, and Aldi’s Summer Wooden Toy range will be available in stores from 17 May.
Daisy Jackson -
24th March 2023 
