Shopping

New Ginny the Guinea Pig Cake now available at Asda

The supermarket's new creation is already going down a storm.

The Manc The Manc - 30th July 2021

The trend of supermarkets launching alliterative animal sweet treats is still alive and well it seems.

We’ve had Colin the Caterpillar from M&S and his nemesis Cuthbert the Caterpillar from Aldi – who were embroiled in a copyright war earlier this year.

We’ve had Percy Pig – who has gone beyond bags of sweets and enjoyed forays into ice cream and party sprinkles.

And we’ve even had Sid the Sausage Dog – a foot-long Dachshund-faced chocolate cake.

But now, there’s a new face in the aisles. And it’s causing quite the commotion.

Asda has announced the launch of Ginny the Guinea Pig – a party-hat wearing rodent made out of soft Madeira sponge layered with fruity raspberry jam and frosting.

People have gone absolutely bonkers for it.

The cake popped up on New Foods UK earlier this week and social media users have been falling over themselves to tag their pals – with the comments section threatening to burst at 46,000 responses.

So if you want to grab a Ginny the Guinea Pig Cake, it might be worth heading to Asda ASAP.

It’s available for a tenner and serves 12.

You can find out more information online here.

Featured image: ASDA

Shopping

The UK has a new cheapest supermarket for the first time in nearly two years

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Aldi has officially been dethroned, as the UK has a new cheapest supermarket for the first time in nearly two years.

We know that two years doesn’t sound like that long of a timeframe, but when you consider the fact that consumer choice company Which? names the UK’s cheapest supermarket every month based on its latest data, you begin to realise that it’s a slightly more impressive feat than it initially sounds.

For the past 21 months, Aldi has reigned supreme in the Which? rankings – claiming the title of the UK’s cheapest on a consecutive basis.

But in July 2025, Lidl has taken the crown.

As it does every month, Which? checked the prices of 76 popular branded and own-brand groceries at eight of the UK’s biggest supermarkets throughout July to see how they compared, with items including things like Hovis sliced bread, milk, and cheese.

For each supermarket, the company works out the average price of each item across the month, then adds those up to get each one’s average total price. 

The average price for a shop of all the 76 items in July would’ve set Lidl shoppers back £128.40, compared to £129.25 at Aldi.

Lidl
Lidl has been named the UK’s cheapest supermarket / Credit: Lidl GB

The next cheapest after Lidl and Aldi was Asda, which doesn’t offer loyalty prices in the same way its competitors, but even then, the price was 9% more than at Lidl for our shopping list.

Meanwhile, the latest data found that shopping at Tesco without a loyalty card was still cheaper than shopping at Morrisons with one.

Sainsbury’s was running Nectar price promotions on 15 items on our list, while Tesco had Clubcard prices on 16, Lidl had three items with a loyalty discount, and Morrisons had More Card scheme discounts on only two items in the basket.

Aldi has been dethroned for the first time since October 2023 / Credit: Aldi UK

On the other end of the spectrum, as you might expect, was Waitrose – with the price for the 76 items here setting shoppers back £170.91 in total, which is more than £42, or 33%, more than Lidl.

Waitrose also offers some loyalty prices to members, but there were none for items on the Which? shopping list this month.

When it comes to annual grocery price inflation, this figure was found to have jumped to 5.2% in the four weeks leading up to 13 July, according to market analysis from Worldpanel by Numerator, which is the highest level since January 2024. 

Read more:

Prices are rising faster for items such as chocolate, butters and spreads, and fresh meat, and they are falling fastest for dog food, sugar, confectionery, and laundry.

Featured Image – Aldi

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.”

Read more:

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

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