Sports Direct has confirmed it will open a new flagship store in the former BHS site in Manchester Arndale.
The sportswear giant is moving into the five-floor unit formerly occupied by the department store.
BHS shut down its Manchester store in 2016 when the company crashed into administration, and its former home in the Arndale has been mostly vacant ever since.
Now, Sports Direct has signed a 15-year lease on the 58,500 sq ft unit and will relocate from its existing location in the shopping centre, doubling its footprint.
The old BHS store in Manchester city centre will be taken over by Sports Direct. Credit: Google Maps
Due to open late this year, the new shop will incorporate several Sports Direct brands, like USC, Game, Evans Cycles and Belong Esports Arena.
ADVERTISEMENT
The sportswear brand has had a presence in the Arndale since 2009, selling everything from athletics equipment to camping gear.
It also sells the latest football kits, tapping into Manchester’s huge football industry.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sports Direct’s current store in the Arndale. Credit: Manchester Arndale
Other brands that have moved into the Arndale in recent months include Debenhams.com, Tommy Hilfiger, Kurt Geiger, Kick Game and Canada Goose.
Scott Linard, portfolio director at M&G Real Estate, said: “Despite the challenges faced by the retail industry over the past few years, Manchester Arndale has remained resilient throughout the pandemic, completing 25 new leases throughout 2020 and 2021.
ADVERTISEMENT
Paperchase has recently joined the Arndale. Credit: The Manc Group
“We are therefore delighted that Sports Direct have not only chosen to commit its long-term future to the centre, but also double the size of its store.
“This demonstrates the confidence that major retailers have in Manchester Arndale as every year it attracts millions of visitors from across the North West and beyond thanks to its prime city centre location, excellent transport links, and its eclectic mix of leisure operators, F&B providers, and international brands.
“Sports Direct is a key driver of footfall for the centre, as it appeals to Manchester’s love of sport and especially to the younger demographic in the city.
“This latest letting is set to be the start of an action-packed year for Manchester Arndale as we look forward to growing our diverse mix of tenants to ensure it remains the North West’s premier shopping destination.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The new Sports Direct store will open at the Arndale, on the corner of Market Street and High Street, at the end of 2022.
Featured image: Supplied
Shopping
Tesco is trialling personalised Clubcard prices giving shoppers even cheaper offers
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has started trialling personalised Clubcard offers which give customers tailored prices based on their purchases.
The supermarket‘s Clubcard loyalty scheme has more than 20 million people signed-up nationwide, making it one of the most popular of its kind on the market, by far – but over the coming weeks, prices could begin to get cheaper for some than they already are as part of the new ‘Your Clubcard Prices’ scheme being trialled.
The scheme, which is being launched nationwide to a select group of people, will see shoppers sent new personalised offers every Wednesday, on top of all other existing deals.
These will be sent via the Tesco Clubcard app, and added automatically at the checkout.
Tesco is trialling personalised Clubcard prices giving shoppers even cheaper offers / Credit: The Manc Group
At this moment in time, it’s believed to be unclear how many people are a part of the trial, and also how long the trial will last for.
What we do know, however, is that customers will be able to use their personalised offers multiple times for a total of seven days in larger Tesco stores, but at present, they unfortunately can’t be used in Express locations.
“We are constantly looking for ways to make Clubcard work harder for our customers,” a Tesco spokesperson explained.
“We are currently offering Your Clubcard Prices to a trial group of our Clubcard members, giving them offers on products they regularly buy at Tesco, in addition to the thousands of Clubcard Prices available to all Clubcard members each week.”
The news that Tesco is trialling personalised Clubcard offers comes after the retailer was advised by leading consumer watchdog, Which?, last February to make prices clearer for customers.
It also comes after the UK’s cheapest supermarket of 2024 has was revealed.
Featured Image – Tesco
Shopping
New survey reveals one in three shoppers admits to stealing at self-checkouts
Emily Sergeant
Almost 40% of UK shoppers have failed to scan at least one item when using self-checkouts, new research has revealed.
Self-checkouts started to become popular in the UK in the 1990s, and since then have evolved to meet consumer demands and solve the problem of queueing, especially taking on a life of their own in supermarkets from the 2010s onwards… but now, some exclusive new research for The Grocer has revealed that could be causing more hassle than they’re worth.
A national survey of more than 1,000 shoppers found that only 63% said they ‘never’ failed to scan an item when using self-checkouts, which leaves almost two in five who do so at least occasionally.
A third (32%) also admitted to having weighed loose items incorrectly, while 38% said they had put through an incorrect loose item.
Experts say these statistics show that “a new breed of shoplifter” has been created.
A new survey has revealed that one in three shoppers admits to stealing at self-checkouts / Credit: Aldi
“You’re creating opportunities for people who otherwise wouldn’t even think about shoplifting,” commented Matt Hopkins, who is an associate professor in criminology at the University of Leicester,
When it comes to the biggest culprits of failing to scan items at self-checkouts, the survey revealed that the under 35 age group, and men overall, came out as the most common, but it’s unclear whether this could be blamed on system error, missing barcodes, or rushing shoppers, instead of being intentional.
Surprisingly though, despite public perception and a recent headline-grabbing move by supermarket chain Booths to remove self-service checkouts from all but a select few of its busiest stores, this new research also shows that shoppers actually prefer to use self-checkouts (54.2%), over staffed checkouts (29.8%).
“In a short space of time, the self-checkout option has gone from zero to an accepted norm – and now to an active preference for many,” commented Lucia Juliano, the UK head of research and client success at Harris Interactive.
The speed and relative freedom provided by self-checkouts were the main advantages of using them, according to shoppers, with 56% choosing to use them because they’re faster.
52% cited the fact that self-checkouts allow them to ‘go at [their] own pace’.
Juliano did, however, comment that shoppers’ preference for self-checkouts may only be a reality “when there are no tech issues during the transaction”, which is said to be the “biggest bugbear by far” according to the survey.