The plush toys of the stars of Aldi’s 2021 Christmas advert officially go on sale in store and online from today.
And, as they seem to do every year, people are already queueing to buy them.
Festive shoppers keen to get their hands on the cuddly toys have been taking to social media this morning to share their place in the online queue, with many reporting that they have been placed in a queue with more than 60,000 people ahead of them.
A message on the Aldi website holding page reads: “We’re very sorry, but there are currently lots of people trying to access the Aldi website. We’ve automatically placed you in a queue, but don’t worry about refreshing – this page will update automatically as you enter the site.”
“There are 30,000 people queuing to access Aldi’s website to buy soft toys,” one Twitter user wrote.
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“Ahhh the annual Aldi waiting in an online queue, it’s almost as traditional as mince pies and sprouts,” another tweet read.
In-person queues outside Aldi stores this morning have also been reported around the UK too.
The budget supermarket retailer has certainly become known for its Christmas adverts starring everyone’s favourite character ‘Kevin the Carrot’ in recent years, and this year, it’s absolutely no different, as the release of the 2021 edition earlier this month went on to amass millions of views and thousands of comments and interactions.
If you’ve not seen the advert yet, it’s a take on Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol – renamed ‘A Christmas Carrot by Charles Chickens’ – and it features various different and excellently-named, festive food-themed characters.
Characters starring in the advert include its lead ‘Ebanana Scrooge’, ‘Marcus Radishford’, ‘Peas & Goodwill’, ‘Tiny Tom’.
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Kevin the Carrot himself also took on the role of ‘the Spirit of Christmas’.
The story follows the Christmas-loathing Ebanana, who is reminded of the joys of the festive season by the Spirit of Christmas until he eventually realises the positives of Christmas, and goes around spreading goodwill.
The plush toys of the stars of Aldi’s 2021 Christmas advert officially go on sale in store and online from today / Credit: Aldi UK & Ireland
The plush toys of each of the advert’s characters are priced at £3.99 each.
As well as all the characters from the Christmas advert, Aldi has also announced that a plush toy version of its famous and much-loved ‘Cuthbert the Caterpiller’ – who many will remember grabbed headlines after being embroiled in a legal battle earlier this year – will also be available to buy in store and online.
This year, Aldi has partnered with award-winning giving platform Neighbourly – which helps businesses make a positive impact in their communities by donating volunteer time, money, and surplus products, all in one place.
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The retailer will donate 1.8 million meals to families in need this Christmas.
During Ebanana and the Spirit of Christmas’s whistle-stop tour, they encounter a smiley red radish named Marcus Radishford / Credit: Aldi UK & Ireland
Sean McGinty – Marketing Director at Aldi UK – added: “Christmas is a time for hope, and we’re privileged to be working with Marcus, who is one of the most inspirational young people in the UK, having done so much in the past 18 months to help provide free school meals for children.”
“We hope our campaign will remind everyone of the true meaning of Christmas,” he added.
Steve Butterworth – Chief Executive at Neighbourly – said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Aldi in their year-round food redistribution programme and in their commitment to donate 1.8 million meals this Christmas.
“These donations will help a record number of families across the UK during what is expected to be the busiest year on record for local charities and causes.”
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You can watch the 2021 Aldi Christmas advert in full here.
Anthropologie set to open flagship store in Manchester’s Royal Exchange
Daisy Jackson
Beloved lifestyle and fashion store Anthropologie is finally coming to Manchester, opening a new flagship store in the beautiful Royal Exchange building.
The American brand is famed for its curated range of clothing, shoes, accessories, activewear, beauty, wellness, furniture, home décor, bridal, and loads more.
Hoardings are now up for the new Anthropologie store, just off St Ann’s Square in the heart of Manchester, and one of three new UK openings planned for this year.
Anthropologie will also be opening in Liverpool and Glasgow before the year is out.
All three new stores will stock the home and accessories ranges, as well as clothing from brands like Anthropologie’s own labels Maeve, Pilcro and Daily Practice.
Anthropologie in Manchester will span more than 5,000 sq ft and promises to ’embody the heritage of the historic building’.
It’s owned by the same parent company behind Urban Outfitters and Free People, the former of which just opened a new store at the Trafford Centre for the first time.
Matt Hilgeman, Managing Director at Anthropologie International, said: “We’re delighted to be opening in Manchester, a city that embodies the cultural energy and creativity at the heart of Anthropologie.
“Manchester is an ideal location for our continued UK expansion after Liverpool. This store represents an important milestone for Anthropologie, and we’re looking forward to welcoming the local community into a space that feels both inspiring and unique.”
Anthropologie Manchester officially opens on 26 November.
First vendors confirmed Glossop Market Hall, including two indie Manc traders
Danny Jones
The first vendors for the upcoming Glossop Market Hall have been announced, and the lineup includes two beloved Greater Manchester independent businesses.
Better still, the third is another noteworthy name from the North West.
Glossop Market Hall is scheduled to launch later this year, setting up shop in the historic town hall complex, where the High Peak Borough Council, a retail shopping arcade and various other municipal buildings have stood in various different iterations for nearly well over a century.
With the Derbyshire town set to celebrate the opening of the newly revamped market hall, those behind the new Glossop attraction have now revealed the first three names set to take up residence there.
As you can see, the biggest names already signed on to cook from one of the six kitchens is a Manchester favourite food hall in its own right: Hello Oriental.
The Pan-Asian paradise not only has a subterranean space below Circle Square, but also at The Trafford Centre, as well as a dessert spin-off in Freight Island.
Indie trader number two comes in the form of B&V Trading, who are based at Stanley Square in Sale and specialise in eco-friendly, UK-made treats, toys and essentials for four-legged friends.
After proving a hit with the locals, their small stall at nearby Altrincham Market has grown to see them open up not just a second site in the leafy Cheshire suburbs of Knutsford back in 2022, but now boast a third location in neighbouring Macclesfield.
Speaking of Macc, local gin and whisky makers, Forest Distillery – based up at the famous Cat and Fiddle Inn pub towards the Peaks – they round out the first wave of regional businesses set to pop up in Glossop Market Hall (GMH) when it finally arrives this winter.
And once again, as the update on social media reads: “This is just the beginning”.
Natives, day-trippers and tourists from all over are bound to visit this place when it opens sometime in November (exact date still TBC), and with space not only for a dedicated bar, dining space and a coffee shop, but a total of 17 retail spaces, we can’t wait to see what comes next.
GMH becomes just the latest among a growing trend of food and drink halls popping up all over our part of the country, with virtually every Greater Manchester borough now boasting at least one of their own – or, in the city centre’s case, what feels like a dozen now.
Exhibit number… not sure, we’ve lost track at this point.
Emily Sergeant -
25th November 2021 
