A number of essential retail and hospitality outlets have remained open in two of the region’s largest shopping centres under Tier 4 restrictions.
Greater Manchester was placed into Tier 4 restrictions following the second official review of the UK government’s system last Wednesday, which has seen all Greater Manchester residents told to “stay at home” and not leave / be outside of their home except for specific purposes.
All hospitality and non-essential retail has thus closed – except for takeaway, drive-through or delivery services – as well as all indoor leisure and entertainment venues having closed too.
But a selection of businesses in Manchester Arndale and the Trafford Centre have remained open.
This “partial opening” of the two shopping centres is permitted under Tier 4 restrictions to provide visitors with a range of services deemed essential.
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Manchester Arndale
Manchester Arndale is currently open to provide access to a number of essential retail services.
Additionally, a selection of retailers have also chosen to provide a Click & Collect service, and a number of food outlets are also offering takeaway and delivery services in line with Tier 4 regulations, with the mall asking shoppers to consume takeaway food and drink outside the centre as sitting inside the centre is not permitted.
Shoppers are encouraged to check the website of the stores they wish to visit as opening times may vary.
In line with government guidelines, visitors are required to wear face coverings upon entry to the centre, and in all stores and communal areas throughout, except fo those with medical conditions and disabilities who are exempt to the rule, along with children under the age of 11.
Customers will also be required to wear face coverings when ordering takeaway food and drink from shops.
The list of shops and hospitality businesses currently open in Manchester Arndale are:
Aldi
Apple (Click & Collect)
Argos (Click & Collect)
Arndale Market
Boots
Cafe Nero (Takeaway Only)
Chopstix (Takeaway Only)
Costa Market Street & Winter Garden (Takeaway Only)
Currys PC World (Click & Collect)
Euro Change Lower & Upper Mall
Five Guys (Takeaway Only)
Greggs Lower & Upper Mall (Takeaway Only)
Hasty Tasty (Takeaway Only)
Holland & Barrett
i Smash
Krispy Kreme (Takeaway Only)
KFC (Takeaway Only)
Lush (Click & Collect)
McDonalds (Takeaway Only)
Metro Bank
Nespresso (Click & Collect)
Newspoint
Next (Click & Collect)
Over the Rainbow
Pandora (Click & Collect)
Post Office
Poundland
Rymans
Specsavers
Starbucks (Takeaway Only)
Subway Upper Mall (Takeaway Only)
Superdrug
Timpson
Taco Bell (Takeaway Only)
Vision Express
Vodafone (Takeaway Only)
WH Smith
Wilko
You can find more information via the Manchester Arndale website here.
Manchester Arndale
Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre is also “partially open” as Greater Manchester kicks off the new year in Tier 4.
The shopping centre will be giving customers access to essential services including pharmacies, opticians and the M&S Foodhall, and several food outlets will also be staying open to offer takeaway, as well as Click & Collect, and virtual services.
Mirroring that of Manchester Arndale and according to government regulations, face coverings must be worn at all times – unless exempt – and all food and drink must be consumed outside the centre.
Opening times of each store may vary.
A statement on the Trafford Centre website writes: “We’ve always put the safety of visitors and staff first and we’d like to say an enormous thank you to our customers for doing their part and our amazing staff for keeping The Trafford Centre clean and safe.”
The list of shops and hospitality businesses currently open in the Trafford Centre are:
Boots
M&S Food
Superdrug
Holland and Barrett
Vision Express
Optical Express
WHSmith
Archie’s
Barburrito
Burger King
Costa
Five Guys
Frankie & Benny’s
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Greggs
Haute Dolci
KFC
Krispy Kreme
McDonalds
Millies
Pizza Hut
Slim Chickens
Starbucks
Tampopo
Tru Street
Three entrances to the Trafford Centre will remain open in Tier 4 – the lower entrance next to Debenhams, the entrance next to Namco Funscape, and the lower entrance next to John Lewis.
You can find more information via the Trafford Centre website here.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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New ‘postboxes of the future’ are being rolled out across the UK
Danny Jones
The Royal Mail is starting to roll out its line of so-called “postboxes of the future” across the UK this year, including right here in Greater Manchester.
It has been dubbed the most important and noticeable transformation to the classic British postbox in its entire 175-year history.
The national postal service teased the modern-day upgrade earlier this year, but the revolutionary new upgrade was officially announced this week, with Royal Mail ushering in a new era of digitally-driven units that should make many lives a lot easier – at least in theory.
Although they might look pretty identical to the iconic red boxes since before the turn of the 19th century have used up and down the country, there are marked differences between the new and the old ones.
Credit: Royal Mail
The biggest change made to the Royal Mail’s soon-to-be standard design is a digitally activated drop-down drawer, which will be able to fit parcels as big as a shoebox, hopefully saving us Brits on a fair few trips to the post office.
You will be able to scan a barcode via the updated Royal Mail app to activate the drawer for larger items; meanwhile, there will be a separate slot for letters and smaller packages.
Additionally, the new range of high-tech postboxes will also be solar-powered, helping the public limited company chase its ‘green’ targets.
Now owned by parent firm International Distribution Services (IDS) – who also oversee Parcelforce Worldwide – following the UK government’s approval of its historic sale to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský at the end of 2024, the group as a whole is undergoing a significant overhaul.
Britain’s new solar postboxes were first trialled back in April in four towns located throughout the Hertfordshire region: Letchworth Garden City, Ware and Hertford. A fifth was later installed in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, too.
Despite being quickly considered a success on the whole, the initial design featured an entirely black top, with polls of civilians and Royal Mail themselves agreeing that keeping them red all over was more in keeping with the brand.
It’s like the old school phone box, isn’t it? We can’t picture it any other way.
📮Attention Postbox Lovers 📮
Royal Mail is upgrading postboxes to accept parcels. They'll gaining a new slot and a solar panel on top
Speaking in a statement, the Royal Mail‘s managing director of ‘out-of-home and commercial excellence’, Jack Clarkson, said: “We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before.
“This trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of second-hand marketplaces. There are 115,000 postboxes in the UK located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, making them by far the most convenient network of parcel drop-off points in the UK.
“Our message is clear – if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
The new generation postboxes are now being made permanent in the same locations, with Edinburgh, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester next.
Keep your eyes peeled on the streets as they’ll soon be making a debut in your area.
Rugby Football League to merge second and third divisions from next year
Danny Jones
The Rugby Football League (RFL) has officially announced that it will be combining the Championship and League One divisions next year as part of a larger restructuring.
Besides the push for phasing out automatic promotion and relegation with the top flight, these will be among the biggest changes in the RFL since the creation of the Super League.
Revealing their plans earlier this week, the rugby authority confirmed that the second and third-tier divisions will be merging, with the changes set to be implemented from 2026 onwards.
You can see the statement in full down below, which has been met with a mix of
Confirmed in a lengthier statement online this past Wednesday, 27 August, the update reads: “The RFL Board have confirmed that the Betfred Championship and League One competitions will be combined in a single division outside the Betfred Super League (BSL) in 2026.
“This follows the decision to expand Super League from 12 clubs to 14, subject to conditions – which was taken by the existing Super League clubs last month.
“A number of fixture formats are being developed following consultation with the Championship and League One clubs, but there will be no final announcement until after the number and identity of clubs in each of the two expanded competitions is confirmed, on Thursday, October 16.
“However, the reversion to a single division outside Super League means the Middle Eights that had been scheduled for the end of the 2025 season, as a means of determining promotion and relegation between Championship and League One, will no longer take place.”
It’s also worth noting that these changes will also see the proposed Super 8s end-of-season fixtures scrapped, as the 12 teams set to compete in the playoff-style tournament are obviously now being combined into one league moving forward.
The Super 8s competition that would involve the top four League One clubs and the bottom four Championship clubs has been abandoned by the Rugby Football League.
It is highly expected that the Championship and League One will merge into one big division of 21 teams next season… pic.twitter.com/WDkshjYTS2
As detailed in the latest communication from the RFL, the League One champions’ prize of £25,000, as well as the usual trophy and medals promised at the start of the season, are still up for grabs; the Championship Play-Offs will still also take place as scheduled.
The winners of the Betfred Championship Grand Final are to receive £100k and 0.25 club grading points.
Commenting on the impending overhaul, Rugby League Commercial Chair Nigel Wood OBE – who headed up the latest strategic review – said: “Following the decision of the Betfred Super League clubs that the elite competition should expand to 14 clubs in 2026, subject to conditions, this is a logical and equally exciting next step.
“The Championship and L1 clubs have been extensively consulted and were virtually unanimous that the two divisional structure for the part-time game wasn’t working as well as it ought, particularly League One – and it is a great credit to the Championship clubs that they recognised that position.”
Reiterating the belief that this is the best way to support and promote “historic and ambitious clubs” outside of the BSL, helping boost attendances, finances and hopefully future investment. It remains a touchy subject for some, though.
The RFL merging divisions may not yet even matter for some.
Speaking of clubs looking for further backing, questions remain over the vetting process for investors and the ‘fit and proper persons tests’ in both rugby and football, especially with the ongoing crisis at Salford Red Devils.
With all that being said, while everyone will have the chance to win the new Championship and perhaps Super League promotion, the likes of Salford are just trying to stay afloat.
Regardless, what do you make of the RFL merging the Championship and League, and do you think it’s the right step for the future of rugby league?
The Manc -
4th January 2021 
