Shopping
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Emily Sergeant -19th June 2024
Shopping delivery drivers are to wear special badges that say ‘happy to chat about the game’ this summer.
Ahead of what is set to be a busy summer of sport, with events such as Wimbledon, the Olympics, and of course, UEFA Euro 2024 – which has already kicked off, and is now well underway – in the calendar, one of the UK’s leading supermarket retailers has decided to relaunch its popular ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative over the next couple of months.
This means that Asda delivery drivers will be given the option to add a new element to their uniform, a badge with the words‘Happy to Chat about the game’, so they can let customers know they’re up for having a quick chat with them about all the sporting action whilst their shopping is being delivered.
And it’s all in a bid to help tackle loneliness.
If you’re unfamiliar with Asda’s ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative, it was first launched as a trial back in November 2020, before being made a permanent fixture after it was recognised that delivery drivers formed a lifeline for some people throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – with almost a quarter (23%) of customers admitting they were only interacting with people once a week, many of whom were delivery drivers.
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But now, the supermarket has relaunched the scheme as part of a wider campaign aiming to unite people all ages this summer, especially those who love sport.
It comes after Asda already grabbed headlines last week with the launch of its dedicated ‘Nanzones’ – including one here in Manchester, at the Eastlands store – at more than 100 stores across the UK, which are designed especially for residents over the age of 65 to gather and watch the Euros together in a safe and supportive environment, instead of being at home on their own.
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The retailer says its sport-themed twist on the ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative is all about “encouraging conversation and interaction” amongst its older customer base.
“This summer, we want to ensure we are keeping the conversations going with our older customers, especially as one of our drivers maybe the only person they interact with that day,” explained Asda’s Chief Customer Officer, David Hills, as the initiative relaunched this week.
“This badge is a symbol of our colleagues continued friendly and approachable service, which can make such a difference to those that don’t have much contact with others.
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Read more:
- Asda launches fanzone in Manchester for any over 65s set to watch the Euros alone
- 30 of the best places to watch the UEFA Euro 2024 in Manchester
- You can actually get paid £250 to watch the Euros this summer
“We want to make sure that, whether it’s in our stores, at the doorstep, or in the community, we’re here for customers this summer.”
Featured Image – Asda
Shopping
Shocked shoppers spot new ‘twist’ on classic British biscuit on supermarket shelvesEmily Sergeant
McVitie’s has quietly just launched a brand-new “twist” on one of the most classic British biscuits of all time.
And shoppers have been pretty surprised by the news.
Given that new product launches tend to be something that shops, companies, and food manufacturers shout about from the rooftops whenever they get the chance to, you can probably understand why Tesco customers have been left so shocked after spotting what is a seemingly brand-new biscuit on shop shelves.
In the absence of what appears to be any prior reference or teasing of the product at all, McVitie’s has just dropped a new cocoa-flavoured variation on the humble Rich Tea biscuit, and they can only be found in Tesco.
People have been taking to social media to share their sightings of the new choccy biccie at their local stores this week – including popular UK food-spotting accounts like @newfoodsuk and @newfoodfindsuk.
At this point, it’s quite tricky to give you much more information on the new chocolate treat, other than the fact it… exists.
That’s because a quick Google search for the biscuit’s apparent name, ‘McVitie’s Rich Tea: The Cocoa One’, provides next to nothing on what the product is all about, and it doesn’t seem to be listed on Tesco’s website yet either, which probably means you can only get your hands on them if you actually shop in store.
Also, when we nipped to the little Tesco Express next to The Manc office earlier today to see if we could find them, we sadly came away empty-handed* (read to the end of the article to see what we did find instead though), so we imagine they’re just hiding inside the bigger stores or Tesco Extra stores for the time being.
@newfoodfindsuk @McVitie’s CHOCOLATE RICH TEA?! Exclusive to @Tesco 😱🍫💰☕️ #newfoodfindsuk #chocolaterichtea
♬ Dont Stop Yobbo – Serious grooves
Just from the pictures and videos shared by shoppers online though, what we do know is that the new product must be distinguished from the already-existing popular milk chocolate-coated Rich Teas – which have been a mainstay on UK shop shelves for several years now – as there’s no actual chocolate layer on these ones.
Instead, the biscuit itself is cocoa-flavoured, so it’s basically everything you know and love about the Rich Tea, only chocolate-ier (if that’s a word).
“A cocoa twist on the classic” is how McVitie’s have described it on the branding.
We can also see that, as mentioned, the new biscuits are exclusive to Tesco at the moment, where a pack will set you back £1.25 each with a Clubcard or £1.80 without.
We bet they’ll be rolled out in other supermarkets and shops sometime in the near future though, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.
Read more:
- McVitie’s has released new cola bottle-flavoured Jaffa Cakes and fans are divided
- Cadbury is bringing back a legendary discontinued chocolate bar after 20 years
- Nestlé makes ‘difficult decision’ to axe popular nostalgic chocolate biscuit bars
* While we may not have got our hands on a packet of the new McVitie’s Rich Tea: The Cocoa One, we were pretty chuffed to walk away with a bar of the new and now-viral Cadbury Top Deck instead – which grabbed headlines earlier this week as it’s been resurrected from the 90s, and is now on sale at Tesco for the Clubcard price of £1.25.
** Correction – we ended up finding the biscuits in the slightly-bigger Tesco store on Market Street in Manchester city centre instead… what a day.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Shopping
A major Jurassic World exhibition with life-sized dinosaurs is coming to Manchester next monthEmily Sergeant
A major Jurassic World exhibition that’s been mesmerising visitors all over the world is arriving here in Manchester next month.
After initially launching in Melbourne, and then going on to open its gates to excited dinosaur fans innumerous other cities globally, such as Toronto,Chicago,Paris,Shanghai, Berlin, and more, it’s fair to say that Jurassic World: The Exhibitionhas become a global success.
Based on the beloved blockbuster film franchise, this official award-winning experience is one of the fastest-selling exhibitions in history, and has welcomed more than eight million visitors since first opening.
Tickets to the exhibition‘s run down at the Excel Arena in London back in 2022 were snapped up super quick and ended up selling out in no time at all – but thankfully, for any Greater Manchester residents who weren’t lucky enough to get to experience it for themselves, the dino mania is all set to arrive here up north in a couple of weeks time.
Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be officially roaring into the Trafford Centre for a limited time only from Friday 26 July.
Billed as being a “family-friendly exhibit of massive proportions”, Manc visitors will be able to walk through the iconic Jurassic World gates, explore some richly-themed environments, and encounter a life-sized Brachiosaurus, Velociraptors, and the most fearsome dinosaur of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex.
You’ll be able to imagine what it would’ve been like to roam amongst these breathtaking creatures, and even interact with baby dinosaurs like Bumpy from the popular animated series, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous– which is currently streaming on Netflix.
And if all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, the Manchester event will even feature some additional fan-favourite dinosaurs fromJurassic World that haven’t been at previous exhibitions too, so this means you can also look forward to seeing the armoured adult Ankylosaurus, and the ferocious Carnotaurus.
Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director atTraffordCentre, said the arrival of Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Greater Manchester will be “hugely exciting”.
“This experience promises a roarsome day out for all the family,” he added.
Ron Tan, who is the Executive Chairman & Group CEO of NEON – the immersive events company bringing the exhibition to the UK for only the second time – said he is “ecstatic” to be back in the UK with another “exceptional experience” and to be showcasing new dinosaurs to awe visitors in Manchester and beyond.
He added: “We look forward to welcoming huge crowds to come experience this prehistoric worldlikenoother.”
Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be opening at the Trafford Centre, on the Peel 7 car park opposite John Lewis, for a limited time from Friday 26 July, and tickets are now officially on sale – starting from just £13 for children ages three up to 14.
Read more:
- Dozens of life-sized animatronic dinosaurs are descending on Heaton Park again this summer
- You can have a picnic inside an empty Grade II-listed Manchester swimming pool
- Loads of the UK’s best culture and heritage sites will be FREE to visit this autumn
Family and group tickets are also available, as well as specially-priced tickets for senior citizens and students.
Grab yours here.
Featured Image – Jurassic World: The Exhibition
