Meet Eighth Day – the co-operative making sustainable beauty accessible to students
This independent shop offers the Northwest’s largest selection of vegan, organic and Fairtrade goodies, meaning you no longer have to hunt for sustainable options or spend excessive amounts on online deliveries.
In the heart of the bustling student quarter on Oxford Road, a very different kind of venue has taken root: An independently owned, eco-friendly food shop and cafe.
Despite an emphasis on the importance of veganism and sustainability in the modern era, this way of living is not always the most accessible or affordable.
But that might be about to change.
Enter Eighth Day – a venue that’s striving to bring an eco-friendly lifestyle to the forefront of Manchester.
This independent shop offers the largest selection of vegan, organic and Fairtrade goodies in the North West, meaning you no longer have to hunt for sustainable options or spend excessive amounts on online deliveries.
Their range includes a variety of food, zero-waste products, herbal supplements, and natural cosmetics; they even offer vegan alcohol to enjoy at student parties or evening meals.
Eighth Day originally opened in the 70s as a clothing store and craft exchange but transitioned into a wholefood shop as both customer and staff interests in vegetarianism grew.
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One of their newest additions to their extensive range of products is natural, sustainable beauty products, which have risen to attention in 2020.
Eighth Day are also stockists of cosmetic brand Lamazuna – who offer zero-waste, vegan and cruelty-free bodycare products.
Their eco-friendly take on essential items like shampoo, conditioner, facial cleanser and toothpaste are free from packaging and toxins that can hurt the environment, meaning you can now extend your sustainable lifestyle into your beauty routine.
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There’s also sustainable feminine hygiene products for sale – including menstrual cups and reusable tampons, which massively helps to reduce plastic waste whilst providing a sustainable (and student budget-friendly) solution to period problems.
Sustainable, eco-friendly beauty products are still a new phenomenon that are difficult to track down without paying an arm and a leg for, but Eighth Day are successfully bringing these within reach and budget of Manchester’s students.
There’s a vegetarian café on site, too – serving freshly made healthy meals and cakes for you to indulge in.
Takeout is available if eating-out isn’t your thing during the pandemic – and the café will be going 100% plant based on October 5.
— On The Eighth Day Cafe & Shop (@EighthDayVeg) August 14, 2020
Eighth Day can be found at 111 Oxford Road and is open from 9:30am – 5:30pm every Monday ’til Saturday.
You can also order any of their products and meals for delivery or collection from their website.
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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)
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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.
Daisy Bradbury -
2nd October 2020 
