Thunder Egg, a Northern Quarter institution, has announced its sad closure after almost two decades in the neighbourhood.
The boutique gift shop and fashion retailer is known for its colourful, kitsch and quirky products, whether you’re after some bold knitwear or some statement costume jewellery.
Brands stocked here include loads of different British brands, like Daisy Street clothing, Ohh Deer art prints, and Little Moose jewellery.
As the Northern Quarter has changed rapidly on all sides, Thunder Egg has been a constant ever since its launch onto Oldham Street in 2018.
When it opened, its neighbours included Dry Bar, Magma, and a lot of adult-only sex shops – all of which have now closed for good.
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And now Thunder Egg will also be bidding farewell to its flagship store in the Northern Quarter (though you’ll still be able to shop their collections inside Afflecks and online).
In a statement shared online, Thunder Egg said that the ‘considerable rise in interest’ from large retail names moving into the Northern Quarter would drive rents so high that the increase would be ‘too big to swallow’.
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Thunder Egg will be closing its Northern Quarter flagship store
They also cited ‘rocketing’ business rates, plus ‘relentless’ theft, and increasing online competition from cheap retailers.
Thunder Egg said that with their lease coming to an end this year, the time is right to depart.
They wrote: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank every single person, from customers to past & present staff, for making the last 2 decades in this location so magical!
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“We are devastated to be leaving this space, but you can read more about why we’ve made the decision to on the 2nd image. We have nothing but fond memories here.”
Explaining the closure of their flagship store, they added: “It is with great sadness that we are announcing that our current flagship branch of Thunder Egg on Oldham Street will be closing after 20 years.
“Our current lease was coming to an end this year and surviving as a small independent business in the UK is HARD right now.
You can still shop Thunder Egg in Afflecks
“There has been a considerable rise in interest from large national & international retail names for shop spaces in the Northern Quarter in recent years. The proposed rent increase that would come with renewing our lease here was just too big to swallow this time.
“Business rates are rocketing, theft is relentless, competition from cheap online retailers is growing… all of the above combined together to push us into our decision to depart.”
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Thunder Egg is set to remain open for at least the next couple of months, with no official closing date announced just yet – so get down to Oldham Street and show them some love.
Manchester Storm’s ‘own and loan’ scheme returns for 2026/27
Danny Jones
Manchester Storm have relaunched their much-loved ‘own and loan’ programme once again ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Having gone from a cult favourite option for die-hards to an increasingly popular choice among their growing number of supporters, it’s a great way for fans to get their hands on what could go on to be priceless collectables.
Set up over a decade and a half ago, the initiative has gone on to be replicated by multiple clubs in the Elite Ice Hockey League, across the country, and indeed beyond.
For anyone unclear on what exactly this scheme means for them, here’s all you need to know.
The own and loan sponsorship is essentially an opportunity not only to support the club and your favourite player, but to essentially reserve a valuable piece of match-worn memorabilia.
Put simply, fans can buy a squad member’s jersey and then loan it back to them for the season.
The shirt – be it home, away, created for cup tournaments or a special limited-edition sweater (of which MCR Storm have designed many over the years) – will then be worn throughout the course of the campaign before being given back to the owner, i.e. you.
Not just simply buying the shirt, but helping back the team’s talent, it’s one of the most direct ways people can contribute to the club.
The Greater Manchester side pioneered the push for this initiative here in the UK in the early 2010s, and with the local side now set to return to the AO Arena, where their journey began way back in 1995, you can expect plenty to mark the comeback with a special sponsored jersey.
Anyone who purchases an away strip will have their name featured throughout home games for the duration of the season – not a bad gift or way to secure a potential future collectors’ item.
You can see every player available to sponsor and find out all the information you need right HERE.
For regular matchgoers at the ‘Storm Shelter’, we’re sure it’ll be bittersweet to say goodbye to Planet Ice Altrincham, but just how excited are you about heading home to the AO Arena later this year?
Daisy Jackson -
16th March 2026 
