Two increasingly popular clothing brands, UN:IK and bound, are joining forces to bring a week-long celebration of independent business and indie fashion culture to Manchester with an exciting pop-up which opens this week.
From this Friday (27 October) until Saturday, 4 November, the UN:IK x bound hybrid pop-up shop will be open throughout the day in one of the city centre’s newest mini-districts and tourist traps Road, Circle Square over on Oxford Road.
Already home to various exciting and similarly thriving independent bars and restaurants, as well as growing gig venue Canvas, the area will soon play host to the new pop-up event where shoppers can check out lines from both burgeoning brands.
They can do all this whilst also enjoying complimentary treats not only from Manc favourite dessert spot, Gooey, but the likes of Allpress and Companio, as well as some cheeky free booze from Sly Dog Rum and another local fave, Shindigger. You had us at free.
The pop-up itself kicks off on Friday with an exclusive preview for friends, family and special guests from 4pm onwards, where there will be free coffee courtesy of Allpress and pastries from artisan bakery Companio, not to mention a few pizza slices from Nell’s.
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However, the week-long event as a whole promises plenty of freebies for everyone, as well as performances from resident NAM DJs such as Stell’s Selections, Mezrec’s and Didds; Neil Summers, Disco Stu, Enos, Shadev.
Once again, there will be a range of beverages (both alcoholic and soft ) served by Shindigger, Laid Bear, Intune CBD and Seven Brothers, and when the pop-up opens to the public on Saturday, customers can grab their free coffee and a famous Gooey cookie on the house. We’d go for that alone, to be honest.
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While the collaboration officially ends next Saturday, there’s plenty of time to stop by and make the most of the limited-time-only showcase and on Tuesday, 31 October, shoppers can enjoy a special Halloween-themed event taking place with Sly Dog Rum and Shindigger — and more cookie, of course.
The UN:IK and bound pop-up’s closing Party will take place on Friday, 3 November, which will be soundtracked by the local DJs mentioned above, along with the freebies we’ve already mentioned.
In the time between Friday and then, however, all visitors can get their hands on a free coffee at the very least, as well as a co-branded coffee bag by bound x Allpress available to purchase in-store.
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There will also be a special Mele x Club Bad release for UN:IK Clothing, as well as three new in-house brands on show at the store, not to mention an exclusive sale rail of existing lines.
It doesn’t stop there either; a range of different cuisines throughout the week is yet to be unveiled (we’d put our money on some tasty snacks from NAM since they’re already attached), as well as more local DJs supplying sounds and free gifts being handed out.
The pop-up will be open from 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday and from 11am-4pm on Sunday, but the venue will still open later on the days of the special events. See you there.
Featured Image — UN:IK Clothing/Circle Square (via Instagram)/bound
Shopping
Northern Rail have announced their latest flash sale with train tickets available from just £2
Danny Jones
Finally, we’ve got some good news on the train lines once again, as Northern Rail has just announced the return of their fantastic flash sale, which sees literally millions of discounted tickets made available to the general public.
With the last promotion from Northern having delighted Brits up and down the country, the train company are once again offering affordable tickets, with prices starting from just £2.
The only catch is that you’ve got just a few days to make the most of the savings.
Confirming the flash sale across the Northern Assist social media accounts, the rail operator has now detailed both start and end dates, as well as the valid travel dates.
The 2025 Northern flash sale began at 8am this Tuesday, 30 September, with thousands of train journeys having already been booked.
A full list of all the routes with cut-price tickets on until Thursday, 2 October can be found HERE.
According to Northern, the top destinations with the most tickets available in Northern’s Flash Sale are as follows:
Manchester and Manchester Airport
Leeds
Bolton
Preston
Manchester Airport
Blackpool North
Shipley
Rochdale
Stockport
Bradford
Sheffield
Wigan Wallgate
Hebden Bridge
Blackburn
Meadowhall
Liverpool Lime Street
Skipton
Wilmslow
Doncaster
Ilkley
Hull
Wakefield Westgate
Although it remains an ever-essential network and the UK’s second-largest national rail service, the PR around Northern isn’t always positive when it comes to efficiency, quality and reliability.
Their estimated 2,650 daily lines across more than 500 stations often come under fire, especially in comparison to public transport down towards the capital.
With all that being said, the arrival of the latest Northern flash sale is a much-needed plus for the firm.
Commenting on this week’s flash sale, Northern’s commercial and customer director, Alex Hornby, said: “With three million tickets up for grabs, there’s something for everyone in Northern’s Flash Sale.
For our existing customers, it’s the perfect opportunity to visit somewhere new, and hopefully, we can encourage those who don’t currently use the train to give it a try.
We believe the Flash Sale will inspire everyone to explore everything our fantastic region has to offer, from bustling cities to the countryside and stunning coastlines. Customers will need to book early to avoid disappointment – once they’re gone, they’re gone!” You can grab your tickets online NOW.
Once again, the Northern Rail flash sale runs for just three days and closes this Thursday, 2 October, with tickets valid for travel strictly between Monday, 6 October and Friday, 24 October 2025.
Tickets can be bought on Northern’s app, online, at ticket offices and on ticket machines in stations managed by Northern – please make sure to check terms and conditions.
Featured Images — Publicity picture/El Pollock (via Geograph)
Shopping
Co-op opens new store dedicated entirely to ‘food on the go’ in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Bit of a sucker for a meal deal? Well Co-op has probably just launched your perfect concept then.
The supermarket has grown its brand-new ‘on the go’ micro store format with the opening of a new site right here in Greater Manchester, located in the ever-growing Stamford Quarter over in Altrincham.
Co-op’s ‘on the go’ concept is dedicated to serving food to take away and eat on the go by offering breakfast, lunch, and tea in a range of exciting new formats – from traditional meal deals, right through to the inclusion of a hot food counter and deli-inspired selections.
According to the retailer, the new Altrincham store has ‘taken cues’ from around the world to meet consumer demand for fast, high-quality food all throughout the day.
Co-op has opened a new store dedicated entirely to ‘food on the go’ in Greater Manchester / Credit: Richard Grange (Supplied)
Open right from 7am through to 7pm, breakfast is served first and foremost, before transitioning to lunch and then onto tea – or dinner, if you’re fancy – with the quick and convenient online home delivery also available all day long too.
After 7pm, this is when the store makes the move to online trading only, which most-importantly includes Co-op’s Irresistible Pizzas delivery service, where the pizzas are cooked and delivered in the community in minutes via Co-op’s partners Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats.
Co-op says it has grand plans to roll-out this new format of store in other high footfall locations across the UK.
The new micro store serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as delivery food / Credit: Richard Grange (Supplied)
“The whole team is excited to launch our new concept store in the Stamford Quarter,” commented Gary Williams, who is the Director of Store Optimisation at the Co-op.
“We continually look for new ways to get closer to our customers and deliver added convenience, and our new concept brings together an innovative blend of food-to-go propositions, with freshly prepared products designed to stand out in this vibrant and thriving community.
“Whether in store or online, we cater to ‘on-the-go’ meals throughout the day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner you will find delicious products, quick service, quality and value, and all in a great convenient location.”
Danny Jones -
27th October 2023 
