Stockport’s brand-new M&S Food Hall has finally opened its doors, and some new images have been released so shoppers can have a sneak peak inside.
It’s been a long time coming – but after it was announced earlier this year that the Greater Manchester town would see the return of M&S after the retailer notably-closed its large department store inside the Merseyway Shopping Centre back in 2021, Stockport‘s brand-new M&S Food Hall opened its doors for the first time yesterday.
Staff were joined by the retailer’s iconic mascot Percy Pig to do the honours of cutting the ribbon, and welcoming the over 300 dedicated local customers who’d started queuing from 7am to get the first look inside the store.
The new 16,000 sq ft “market-style” Food Hall is located on Stockport Retail Park.
Inside the new store, shoppers will find fresh produce displays “brimming with great quality”, a show-stopping bakery with fresh bread, pastries, and sweet treats that are all baked daily, and impressive array of fine cheeses from across Europe at a dedicated cheese counter.
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There’s also an M&S Wine Shop inside the store – with an award-winning selection of drinks to match and sommeliers on hand to tell you more.
Stockport’s brand-new M&S Food Hall has finally opened its doors / Credit: Supplied
The reason there were hundreds of shoppers queued up outside so early in the morning yesterday was because the first 200 people to step foot inside the new store were handed special ‘golden tickets’, with every ticket guaranteeing a win, whether the win be a free bag of Percy Pigs, freshly baked cookies, or something even bigger.
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And to mark the occasion of the new opening, one lucky customer even won a £200 M&S voucher
“We are thrilled to open our brand-new Food Hall in Stockport,” Store Manager Anna Priest said at the grand opening yesterday.
It’s among the first of 20 new M&S stores that are due to open across the UK in 2023 / Credit: Supplied
“The last few weeks have been spent putting the finishing touches to our new store and I’m exceptionally proud of my amazing team who have all worked so hard to make sure everything is ready for our big opening day.
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“The store is an exciting investment in the future of M&S in Stockport, and I can’t wait for our customers to explore all the new features that the store has to offer.”
A major Manchester attraction is now offering 50% off kids tickets all autumn
Emily Sergeant
A major Manchester attraction is now offering 50% off kids tickets all autumn.
Autumn in Greater Manchester may be a thing of beauty, but if one thing’s for certain, the weather to get out there and appreciate the season it isn’t always the most reliable. That’s why many parents, guardians, and carers are often on the lookout for indoor activities to take the kids to when the heavens open – even better if the don’t break the bank too much.
Luckily, families looking for an affordable day out over the next couple of weeks can make the most of a new offer from a popular attraction, with 50% off child one-day tickets when purchased alongside a full-price adult ticket.
The offer gives families the chance to enjoy an underwater adventure for less at either SEA LIFE Manchester inside Trafford Palazzo, or a tad further afield SEA LIFE Blackpool.
At SEA LIFE Manchester, families can explore more than 30 display tanks and discover over 5,000 sea creatures – from sharks and rays in the immersive Ocean Tunnel, to colourful jellyfish and inquisitive sea turtles at Turtle Beach.
Meanwhile, over at SEA LIFE Blackpool, there’s a newly transformed ocean tank – which reopened early this summer following a £1.4 million refurbishment.
The 500,000-litre Jurassic-themed habitat is home to more than 50 creatures, including blacktip reef sharks, nurse sharks, stingrays, and green sea turtles.
Fancy it then? The half-price offer is currently live and runs up until 15 October 2026, with up to three discounted child tickets per booking.
The offer can only be redeemed when you book tickets online here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Shopping
Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
15th June 2023 
