British heritage brand Fred Perry is set to launch a new flagship store in on the ground floor of Manchester’s iconic Afflecks building.
Fred Perry – a brand adopted by generations of subcultures for over 60 years, with the Laurel Wreath remaining a symbol of “individuality and belonging” – is already a presence here in Manchester city centre, with a shop just off King Street.
But now the brand is set to relocate its retail unit and showroom to occupy a larger 2820 sq ft space in the double corner of Afflecks building on the junction of Oldham Street and Church Street.
“We’re delighted to be moving to the Northern Quarter,” said Fred Perry’s Managing Director, Richard Gilmore.
“The area has no shortage of strong associations to ground-breaking music and subcultural style – something we continue to champion – [but] our retail spaces aren’t just shops, and we’re looking forward to sharing what we do with the Manchester community as part of an exciting continuation of Fred Perry and Afflecks’ mutual commitment to heritage and innovation.
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“We now have a space we can be truly proud of in Manchester”.
Fred Perry | Afflecks
The new Fred Perry site – which is expected to open this summer – forms part of Oldham Street’s revival as a key destination for lifestyle and fashion retailers thats’ been happening in recent years. Having already attracted brands like Ace and Tate and Carharrt, as well as independent boutiques, Afflecks’ building managers, Bruntwood Works, have a vision is to invest in Afflecks’ presence on Oldham Street, with iconic names like Fred Perry complementing the small, independent traders within the building itself.
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Inspired by its new home at the heart of Manchester’s alternative cultural neighbourhood, the design of the Fred Perry store will appropriately take its cues from the theme of ‘Past, Present and Future’.
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“Fred Perry is a true icon, and we’re delighted to be welcoming them to the ground floor of our famous Afflecks building,” said Chris Middleton, Senior Retail Manager at Bruntwood Works.
“The addition of this much-loved brand will bolster the retail community in the Northern Quarter neighbourhood, building on Oldham Street’s offering as a lifestyle-led shopping destination [and] it feels particularly exciting to be announcing the news after what has been a challenging twelve months for retail,
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“We look forward to a bright future for Manchester City Centre.“
You can find more information ahead of the store’s opening this summer via the Afflecks website here.
Style
Manchester United home kit for 2026/27 ‘leaked’ online in unboxing video
Danny Jones
Manchester United’s new home kit for the 2026/27 campaign has reportedly been leaked online in a YouTuber’s unboxing video ahead of next season.
We know fake shirts and dupes can be pretty accurate these days, but it looks very much like this could be the real deal.
Shared by dedicated football kit reviewer, ‘Retro Man‘, who has seemingly revealed the latest Man United jersey, this unveiling lines up with the previously rumoured designs circulated on social media.
A Red Devil himself, the creator has teased previous releases that turned out to be true in the past, so we’ll leave it up to all of you to decide how bona fide you think this supposed home strip is. Ever-reliable footy fashion peers, Footy Headlines, have also shared these images:
Uploaded to the channel on 25 April, Retro Man did a full overview of the United 26/27 home shirt, highlighting key features such as a red-forward collar with black and white accents.
That same trim is repeated on the ends of the sleeves – reminiscent of the 2011/12 iteration, only differing in the more crew neck style – and the back of the neck now simply reads “UNITED”.
It is worth noting that this is specifically the replica shirt that most fans will purchase.
Should it prove to be the genuine article, this will be the 11th Manchester United kit by adidas since they returned as manufacturers over a decade ago, a.k.a. the start of the Louis van Gaal era.
Retro Man has since posted another video showing off what he claims to be the ‘authentic’ version, too; you can check it out in more detail down below.
Looks pretty legit…
As you can see, the official player edition that will be worn on the pitch by actual United squad members (though they are still available to purchase by the public) appears to hold some key distinctions.
Besides some differences around the panelling and stitching, there is also a noticeable textured section along large sections of the interwoven fabric as part of the brand’s breathable and trademark ‘Climacool’ technology.
Elsewhere, the badge itself also looks to have a more embossed/raised finish. If this is the real deal, what do you make of it?
This isn’t the only United kit that’s caught some attention of late, either:
Featured Images — Retro Man (screenshots via YouTube)
Style
Claire’s is closing down stores in the UK and Ireland with more than 1,300 jobs set to be lost
Danny Jones
In another hit to domestic shoppers, Claire’s Accessories is closing down en masse across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration once again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire’s will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay of British high streets up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire’s closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded way back in 1961 over in the United States, Claire’s has operated across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they’ve struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They most recently filed for bankruptcy in the US this past August (2025), with their Belgian, Spanish, and Dutch divisions having already called it quits.
Manchester location(s) have changed a lot over time, but now they’re on the way out (Credit: Arndale)
For many, the outcome isn’t all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Emily Sergeant -
12th March 2021 
