Greater Manchester
This coverage examines the retail landscape and business dynamics across Greater Manchester, addressing trends, challenges, and opportunities in one of the UK’s most significant regional markets. Reporting focuses on store openings and closures, investment in retail spaces, local economic conditions affecting trade, strategic decisions by national and independent retailers, and the impact of regional planning and regeneration initiatives — all tailored for professionals managing retail operations, property, and strategy within the area.
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Sep- 2025 -1 SeptemberDepartment Stores
Primark opens first standalone UK Home store at Trafford Palazzo
Primark has opened its first standalone Home store in Great Britain at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester. The new store spans two floors and covers nearly 12,000 sq ft. It offers bedding, throws, storage and decorative items, alongside a mezzanine with travel products such as luggage, packing cubes and accessories. The…
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Jul- 2025 -29 JulyHealth & Beauty
Rituals opens new store at Manchester Airport
Luxury beauty and wellbeing brand Rituals has opened a new store at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2, with a second location due to follow on 28 July. The launch forms part of the brand’s continued investment in Greater Manchester and its UK expansion strategy, aimed at reaching more consumers in high-footfall…
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Jun- 2025 -13 JuneHigh Street
Primark to open standalone Home store in Manchester
Primark has announced it will open its first standalone Home store in Great Britain this summer at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester. The 11,900 sq. ft, two-floor unit is set to launch later in the season and follows the debut of the Primark Home concept in Belfast earlier this year. It…
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May- 2025 -16 MayClothing & Shoes
Next suffers shareholder rebellion over pay transparency
Next’s shareholders have pushed back against what some deemed as a lack of transparency over its staff pay after more than a fifth backed a resolution calling for more information. The vote at the retailers AGM yesterday (Thursday 15 May) saw 26.9% of shareholder votes in support of a resolution…
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1 MayClothing & Shoes
Puma to relocate UK HQ from London to Manchester
Puma is set to relocate its new UK HQ from London to Manchester, having agreed a 20,000 sq ft lease of workspace at the new Circle Square development. Located on the Oxford Road Corridor, Puma’s new HQ is in the £87m development being brought forward by Bruntwood SciTech – a…
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Apr- 2025 -7 AprilPeople Moves
Dreams appoints Feather & Black GM amid expansion plans
Dreams has appointed Sarah Morgan as general manager of Feather and Black, Dreams’ luxury brand offering. Dreams acquired Feather and Black in July 2020, as part of its long-term strategy to strengthen its premium offering. Since then, it said the brand has played an important part in Dreams’ diversification. Moving…
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1 AprilNews-In-Brief
Today’s news in brief-1/4/25
Retailers are bracing for a £5.56bn rise in costs following the implementation of recent Budget measures, including higher National Insurance contributions and an increased minimum wage. According to Retail Economics, these changes will force businesses to absorb £1.76bn in profit losses while passing £1.72bn onto consumers through price hikes. Chancellor…
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1 AprilSupermarkets
Asda launches facial recognition trial in five stores
Asda has announced that it has begun trialling Live Facial Recognition in five of its stores in Greater Manchester. The supermarket is aiming to assess if this technology can be used to improve staff and customer safety in store. The technology is integrated into Asda’s existing CCTV network and works…
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1 AprilClothing & Shoes
M&S to invest £50m in North West stores
M&S has announced a £50m investment in stores across the North West of England for the year ahead, creating 300 jobs and 100,000 total new square footage across its store estate in the area. The investment is another step forward in M&S’s store renewal and rotation programme, focused on having…
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Mar- 2025 -27 MarchHigh Street
Campaign urges Next, M&S and JD Sports to pay real living wage
The likes of Axa and Scottish Widows are backing campaign group ShareAction in its effort to make major high street retailers such as Next, M&S and JD Sports increase their staff’s pay in line with a real living wage, The Guardian has reported. News of this initiative comes as there’s…
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