Fresh from opening at the Bluewater mall in Kent this month, Chinese lifestyle retailer Miniso is moving up to Manchester Trafford Centre to open its biggest store in the Northeast of England.

The ground floor location, close to John Lewis, will open on 5 July at noon. The 2,700 sq ft space becomes Miniso’s 28th store in the UK and the second in Manchester, “following the success of the Arndale store” that opened in 2023.

Key items for the opening are Sanrio Blind Boxes and plushies to affordable homewares and accessories including cushions, water bottles, and stationery sets.

For K-pop fans, the Trafford Centre location will showcase the latest BT21 merchandise, featuring the characters created by the band members. 

Its mascot PenPen will be at the opening where the first 400 customers in the store making a minimum purchase of £5 will receive a complimentary goody bag valued at £25.

It said this expansion follows the successful openings of other shopping centre locations such as Trinity Leeds, Metrocentre Gateshead, Victoria Centre Nottingham, and Derbion in Derby.

Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, commented: “Miniso promises to bring a unique and joyful in-store experience to our visitors, and will be a fantastic addition to our dynamic brand lineup at the Trafford Centre.”