Cheshire Oaks is already the UK’s largest designer outlet, but it’s been getting even bigger and better this past year.
Since originally opening back in 1995, the iconic shopping destination has gone from strength to strength over the past 30 years, having been extended on a number occasions to now boast more than 400,000 sq ft of retail space.
With over 4,000 employees and more than 21 million items sold annually across 140 stores and 19 food outlets, it’s safe to say Cheshire Oaks stands as the go-to destination in North West – and if it wasn’t already a shopper’s paradise enough as it is, 12 businesses have either opened their doors or had a refurb at the Designer Outlet within this past year.
If you were thinking of planning a trip to Cheshire Oaks, then now couldn’t be a more ideal time, so let us bring you up to speed on everything you may have missed.
We popped over recently to check out all the new openings.
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Nike
There’s not much we need to say about Nike, really.
It’s already a world-famous sportswear brand, and has been a popular presence at Cheshire Oaks for a good number of years now, but late last year in October, the store had itself a show-stopping upsized refit, and is now the largest Nike outlet in the UK, so it’s well worth a visit.
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PANGAIA
This is an exciting one, as this is the only Pangaia outlet store in the UK.
Opening its doors at Cheshire Oaks in early November last year, PANGAIA is an ethical clothing and lifestyle brand that designs products for ‘living in’, and prides itself of producing products with smart technology and using as many sustainable materials as possible.
Lindt
Lindt was already a go-to destination for chocolate lovers at Cheshire Oaks, but last summer, it moved to a bigger – and many would say, better – new location at the outlet, and has been satisfying the sweet tooth of thousands of shoppers this year.
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The new location has an ice cream window, and was even one of the first few stores to get the limited-edition Dubai Pistachio Chocolate when it first released.
Nike, Joe & The Juice, and Lindt are three of the brands to open new or bigger stores at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: The Manc Group
Joe & the Juice
You may remember that Joe & The Juice opened its doors in Manchester city centre early this year, and it was a huge deal, with juice and Tunacado-loving fans lining the streets to become one of the first to step inside – but before that, the viral brand actually arrived at Cheshire Oaks fist.
Joe & The Juice opened at Cheshire Oaks last August, making it the brand’s first outlet location at the time, and it’s the perfect place to stop off for a bite to eat.
Gail’s
Another viral brand to open its first-ever outlet location at Cheshire Oaks last year was Gail’s Bakery, bringing its artisan bakes into the heart of the shopping experience and providing customers with a comforting place to refuel.
The opening of Gail’s at Cheshire Oaks last October was one of a number of other North West openings, including several in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
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Crocs
Arguably no brand has had a bigger resurgence these past couple of years than Crocs, which is why it was such a big deal that the first dedicated Crocs store to open in the UK since its return to the country was at Cheshire Oaks last summer.
Opening its doors in June 2024, Cheshire Oaks’ Crocs store is the perfect place to hit up if you’re looking for a pair of your own.
Viral bakery chain Gail’s, and English luxury clothing brand Sunspel have also opened doors / Credit: The Manc Group
Barbour
Barbour is a family-owned British heritage brand that was established in the North East of England all the way back in 1894, and since then, has gone on to become a beloved part of the country’s fashion landscape.
So it was only right that Barbour got to move into an even bigger and better store at Cheshire Oaks last summer.
Abercrombie & Fitch
We may have already talked about one brand’s big resurgence, but Abercrombie & Fitch is another global label that’s also been enjoying renewed popularity in recent years – so it only made sense that it would open an outlet location at Cheshire Oaks.
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The American fashion brand known for its trendy, collegiate-inspired casualwear and accessories opened last November.
Sunspel
Founded in Nottingham back in 1860, Sunspel is an English luxury clothing brand that’s best known for boxer shorts, t-shirts, and polo shirts, and it opened its first and only outlet location over at Cheshire Oaks last August.
You can also shop inside new Abercrombie & Fitch, ESPA, and Crocs stores / Credit: The Manc Group
ESPA
A staple in spas nationwide, ESPA is a well-loved luxury skincare brand producing products that go beyond the everyday skincare regimen to nourish and nurture your skin – but up until April of this year, you could only ever find the products online or in spas themselves.
That was until ESPA opened its first-ever – and to this day, only – physical store at Cheshire Oaks, and it’s so stunning inside.
Kids Around
Cheshire Oaks isn’t just a Designer Outlet for grown-ups, its a kids’ shopping paradise too.
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That’s why Kids Around opened its doors last June with a ‘unique experience’ bringing together the most beautiful high-end children’s fashion collections – with brands such as Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Kenzo Kids, Hugo Boss, and Chloé to choose from.
Chit ‘n’ Chaat
Chit ‘n’ Chaat is an absolute Manchester institution at this point – no arguments there.
The beloved Indian street food restaurant is Manchester born and bred, and already has a number of popular locations in places like Cheadle, Rusholme, Deansgate Square, and most-recently the Trafford Centre, but in case you didn’t know, it also opened a new site at Cheshire Oaks earlier this year in April too.
So if you’re looking for a place to stuff your face before shopping till you drop, then stop off here for a proper Indian feast.
You can find out more and plan your next trip to Cheshire Oaks by heading to the Designer Outlet’s website here.
Featured Image – Cheshire Oaks
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Free pints and live craft experiences coming to a Manchester pub for one night only
Daisy Jackson
A pop-up pub takeover is opening its doors in Manchester, where you can get your hands on a free pint as well as some amazing craft experiences.
The Uncommon Inn is being operated by premium Italian lager brand Poretti, who want to help us Brits break out of our daily routines.
Matt & Phreds on Tib Street will welcome The Uncommon Inn on Thursday 22 October, from 4pm to 8pm, giving visitors the chance to discover unusual creative skills and watch artisans at work, with a free pint in hand.
It comes after research commissioned by Poretti found that 61% of UK adults feel they are living on autopilot, while a quarter have not tried a new creative pursuit in five years or more.
Free pints and live craft experiences are coming to a Manchester pub for one night only / Credit: Supplied
The study also found that adults have an average of just 90 minutes of genuine personal time each day, with 58% spending that time watching television and 35% scrolling through social media.
Exhaustion and financial constraints came out as the main barriers preventing people from trying new things.
The Uncommon Inn has been designed to offer an alternative, bringing together a collective of specialist makers to showcase their skills in a familiar pub setting.
Visitors to the Manchester event can watch Giulio Miglietta embroidering personalised beer mats, using a vintage Singer sewing machine dating back to the early 1900s, alongside live hand-engraving and bespoke jewellery-style crafting using recycled silver.
The Uncommon Inn is being operated by premium Italian lager brand Poretti / Credit: Supplied
Other demonstrations include 3D body-casting by sculptor Ami of Angelcasts and personalised, hand-engraved glassware from Leigh Calligraphy. Sabira of Sken Studios will also demonstrate how recycled silver can be turned into bespoke bottle openers.
Guests will be able to enjoy complimentary pints of Poretti while watching the makers at work.
Caitlin Maley, Senior Brand Manager at Poretti, said: “Modern life moves at an overwhelming pace, and it’s all too easy to fall into autopilot mode where routine replaces curiosity.
“We believe in celebrating intentional craft, rare skills, and authentic human connection – values that are at the core of our brewing heritage.
“We created The Uncommon Inn to turn an ordinary pub visit into an inspiring journey. By bringing together our Masters of Crafts, from chainstitch embroiderers to live engravers and musicians, we’re inviting pubgoers to slow down, pick up a new skill, and enjoy a pint crafted with genuine passion.”
The Uncommon Inn is at Matt & Phreds in Manchester on Thursday 22 October, from 4pm until 8pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Festive food village announced at magical Manchester light trail
Lydia Mastrolonardo
There’s just one month to go until Manchester’s most spectacular festive light trail returns – and they’ve just announced details of the Christmas Village and six new food traders.
Heaton Park will soon light up forNorthern Lights Manchester, and the list of foodies making up this year’s Christmas Village has just been revealed.
With everything from chargrilled souvlaki to handmade pies and hot fruit crumble on the menu, there’s bound to be something for everyone.
Brand new for 2026 is Chicken Hut, serving up the crispiest chicken tenders you’ve ever had, plus Greek Traditional Souvlaki bringing all of those delicious mediterranean flavours, The Lids & Co supplying mouthwatering customisable pies, and The Otley Burger Company, which was recently crowned the UK’s best food truck.
The above savoury offerings will be joined by the returning well-known and loved, The Sausage Factory, serving festive bratwurst, currywurst, and proper local Bury Black Pudding sausage.
If you’re after a sweet treat, they have enlisted Crumble & Custard to supply a range of warming fruit crumbles with creamy custard, while Crepes & Coffee will be providing all of the desserts you could desire, along with gorgeous hot chocolates providing the final nail in the food coma coffin.
If after all that you need a sit down, a pint or a mulled wine, the Bees Knees Tavern is the place to go.
Emma St. Croix, Senior Marketing Manager at From The Fields, said: “There’s something very festive about finishing a trip through Christmases past with a hot crumble and custard.
The linup for Northern Lights’ festive food village has been announcedThe Bees Knees pub will returnYou can warm up here after your walk around the Heaton Park light trail
“Food is a big part of the night out at Northern Lights, and we’re excited to welcome six new traders plus The Sausage Factory and the Bees Knees Tavern from last year.With the Ferris wheel in the Christmas Village and a whole new trail across Heaton Park, there’s plenty to explore this year. We’re just over a month from opening and can’t wait to see everyone back.”
As for the trail itself – Heaton Park is to be transformed into a toy box of memories, with 15 brand-new installations, inspired by the toys and traditions that would have topped Christmas wish lists in the past.
Whether you fancy a trip down memory lane or you just fancy a wintery trip out, one thing is for certain, this is one Christmas experience you don’t want to miss out on.
First, visitors will have the opportunity to wander along the colourful path, as part of the Walkway of Wonder, where bright stained-glass panels glow like windows in an old fairytale. Then back to the sixties you go, down Lava Lamp Lane, where glowing blobs of colour mesmerisingly float across the ground and into the trees – which may even be enough to inspire you to dig out that old lava lamp you once had collecting dust on your shelf.
If you once considered yourself a pro at Scalextric, the Retro Racers installation may bring back some memories, where visitors will be able to send lights shooting around a giant racetrack.
Northern Lights Manchester will return next monthNorthern Lights Manchester is taking over Heaton Park
By this point you may need a bit of warming up – head on past the giant nutcrackers and get cosy by the fire pits beneath the festoon lights, for some marshmallow toasting.
Don’t be alarmed if you see giant candy canes marching along Candy Cane Crossing, like Manchester’s biggest peppermint dream, before you reach O Christmas Tree which would make the perfect spot for a photo.
I’m sure we all remember THE Christmas catalogue – the one many of us spent hours flicking thorough and circling our desired gifts? Well, this year pupils from a local primary school have filled its pages with their own fantastic drawings of classic toys.
Finally, you will find that the Lakehouse winds itself into cuckoo-clock as the trail comes to a close.
It is important to note the route is fully accessible, with dedicated neuro-inclusive evenings when visitor numbers are reduced by 75% and audio levels are lowered throughout.
Event information
Dates: 19 November – 31 December 2026
Location: Heaton Park, Manchester
Opening times:
4:30pm – 8:15pm (19–26 November)
4:15pm – 8:15pm (27 November – 31 December)
Northern Lights Manchester tickets
Unsurprisingly, tickets are selling quickly, with over 100,000 of you expected to attend this year – don’t hang about.
Under 2s go free
Child tickets (3-16 years) from £13.50
Adult tickets from £19.50
Family tickets from £60
Click HERE to book your tickets. Use the code LIGHTS20 for 20% off until 31 October 2026
Emily Sergeant -
28th August 2025 
