Yesterday I had the pleasure of travelling to the Manchester Trafford Center. The photo above is not mine, courtesy of Bing images. I haven’t been to the shopping center for maybe 3 years, not kidding, partly because of the pandemic. There has been closures of many shops. It was busy but I remained distant and wore my mask.
The first mission was to eat when arriving. The Tampopo eastern cuisine restaraunt was selected. The food chosen was a vegan share meal. I also had a side of noodles, cooked well and tasty. I also noticed that the restaurant offered 20% off for students, yes, you heard that correctly! I used that and it took roughly £6 off the total. There was also a queue to get in, but that was common at all restaraunts walked past. After your food you are given a small phone device to leave a review, I gave 5 stars in all categories, because again, the service was friendly, fast, efficient, tasty, it catered to vegans and had student discount. I would recommend checking this out.

I want to tell you about two brands that are both new too me and relatively new in general. First we have Rituals. The shops specialises in well-being and beauty products.
“Rituals takes inspiration from the impressive power of natural ingredients, as well as ancient Eastern beauty and wellness traditions. At the brand’s core, is the belief that happiness can be found in the smallest of things. In a hectic and sometimes overwhelming world, simply taking the time to enjoy a warm bath, a cup of tea or a relaxing massage can take on a special significance. It is our passion to transform daily routines into meaningful moments. Rituals celebrates everyday luxury, sustainable measures and the art of slowing down. At Rituals, we go beyond just products, we live and breathe well-being through our insightful articles, yoga videos, delicious healthy recipes and guided meditations, shared via our social channels, magazine and app.”

I was in search of soap and instead discovered hand washes that smelt absolutely fantastic. I was treated kindly by staff and given multiple samples and could request samples of anything. What did I choose? After sampling many hand washes, hand balms and shower gels in a variety of ‘flavours’ including jasmine, sandalwood (not a fan) and rosemary, I ended up choosing eucalyptus and rosemary hand wash and the same scent hand balm. The image on the left of the white can was a FREE gift with my first purchase of a white rice and cherry blossom foaming shower gel. I had sampled some and had not been keen but as it was free I took it. I did have to sign up, but I had a pleasant experience in store and did not hesitate.
I will be returning as a shopper to Ritual. Great products that smell great, excellent customer service and treatment – how it should be, although that is why I love the Trafford Centre Manchester, all staff are lovely and friendly. It was also surprisingly cheap for the hand wash and balm, total just under £20.
Next we have The Couture Club. It sounds and looks expensive and I guess it is, but there was a sale on which I did not realise. I managed to buy joggers with the accompanying hoodie for £37 which included the current sale offer. Without a sale the price would of been around £45 for the hoodie and around £40 for the joggers, so total of £85 if the clothes weren’t on sale; a huge saving of £48. That is not too expensive in my opinion, because it looks good, and the quality is excellent. I went in hoping to find trousers as I’d had no luck finding my size in a few other shops. You know the average size for clothes has increased so those who are the correct weight have to struggle to find the right size. 40inch waist? Size 20 shoes? Seriously, it’s like they are preparing for giants.

So, I found some white joggers with a very soft texture that look like night wear, sort of like pyjamas. I guess they can be worn everyday use, but I will use them to relax in. Sort of like a spa or sauna robe. The accompanying hoodie is likewise great. I didn’t need to try them on, they fit me fine and they are the small size, with options of xs, s, m, l, xl… basically normal sizes and none of this European number nonsense. The shops sells men and women clothing, another reason I enjoyed it, it isn’t obvious when you go in either, remaining rather gender neutral and being hip and modern at the same time.

The service in the shops was quick but not as personal. I don’t deduct points on this occasion. There were a few shops where being left alone was preferable and this is one of them. I don’t like help when choosing clothes or washing products unless it’s personal like Ritual.
I will return to the Couture Club in the future and recommend it to anyone wanting modern and high quality clothing. Despite the high cost, you should check it out, who knows, they could have another sale on.
So that concludes the two new brands that I recommend, not new to the market, but relatively new to the Trafford Centre Manchester and new to me. I really am glad to have found Rituals after discovering them on the Trafford Centre website.
Other shops I visited that are worth mentioning (not mentioning all of them) included a soap shop called Lush from which I bought a small but costly bar of soap for £5.50. I do consider that expensive when I could buy a pack of 4 Imperial Leather for £10. I also visited The Pen Shop, where I was gifted a lovely Cross turquoise fountain pen.
I had a lovely day and it is long deserved given the last 18 months. I also consider it a day out to celebrate my recent graduation in law.
So, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post on my day out!
Stay safe, take care and lots of positivity to you all.