Disney Store Near Liverpool: Trafford Centre Opening Info 2026

Key Points

• Disney Store is set to open its doors within Selfridges Manchester Trafford on Monday, 14 September 2026.
• Opening time will be 10am with Disney Store Key Ceremony that includes “ibb-Bobb-Bo” door opening ceremony.
• It will carry authorized products from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars brands in an “immersive shopping experience”.
• Members of Selfridges Unlocked program, spending over £50, have a chance to get free Stitch Mystery Soft Toy Keyring while supplies last.
• Working hours will be from 10am-10pm on Monday-Friday, 10am-9pm on Saturday and 11.30am-6pm on Sunday.
• The coming back of Disney Store to Manchester was announced by Patrick Sager, the Global General Manager of Disney Store and VP of Retail Marketing.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 01, 2026 – A new Disney Store is set to open less than an hour’s drive from Liverpool, inside Selfridges Manchester Trafford at the Trafford Centre, with an official launch on Monday, 14 September 2026. The retailer has confirmed the store will open at 10am with the traditional Disney Store Key Ceremony, during which cast members will unlock the doors using the signature “ibb-Bobb-Bo” chant, a ritual long associated with Disney Store openings worldwide.

When and where will the Disney Store open near Liverpool?

The Disney Store will open at Selfridges Manchester Trafford, located within the Trafford Centre shopping complex in Greater Manchester, on Monday, 14 September 2026. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, the store is positioned as a dedicated destination for Disney fans across Manchester and the wider North West region, including those living less than an hour’s drive from Liverpool. The Manchester Evening News added that the launch marks the reintroduction of a dedicated Disney Store presence to Manchester, this time housed within the Selfridges department store at the Trafford Centre.

Secret Manchester noted that the countdown is now underway for local fans, with the 14 September date confirmed for the brand-new space inside Selfridges Manchester Trafford. The store’s location within Selfridges places it inside one of the UK’s most prominent luxury department stores, at a major retail destination that draws visitors from across the North of England.

What will the Disney Store at Trafford Centre offer shoppers?

The new Disney Store at Selfridges Manchester Trafford is being promoted as an “immersive shopping experience” where customers can browse official merchandise spanning Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. According to the Liverpool Echo, the store will allow fans of all ages to explore a wide range of licensed products from these franchises under one roof. Secret Manchester similarly described the offering as covering Disney, Pixar, MARVEL and Star Wars products, positioning the store as a hub for core Disney-owned entertainment brands.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the Trafford Centre shop is characterised as a “dedicated destination” for Disney enthusiasts in Manchester and the surrounding North West region, signalling that the retailer is targeting repeat visits from local fans rather than one-off tourist traffic alone. No detailed floorplan or product list has been released, but the language used in announcements suggests a focus on experiential retail consistent with recent Disney Store concepts in other markets.

How will Disney and Selfridges celebrate the store opening?

To mark the opening, Disney and Selfridges have planned a launch-day promotion tied to the retailer’s loyalty scheme. As reported by Secret Manchester, shoppers who spend £50 or more via Selfridges Unlocked – the free loyalty programme – will receive a Disney Store Stitch Mystery Soft Toy Keyring, while stocks last. This incentive is designed to drive footfall on the first day and encourage early adoption of the Selfridges Unlocked programme among Disney shoppers.

The Manchester Evening News confirmed that the store will officially open with the Disney Store Key Ceremony at 10am on 14 September, reinforcing the event-style nature of the launch. The ceremony, which includes cast members chanting “ibb-Bobb-Bo” as they turn the key, is a long-standing Disney Store tradition intended to create a sense of occasion for families and collectors arriving for opening day.

What are the opening hours for the Disney Store at Selfridges Trafford?

The Disney Store at Selfridges Manchester Trafford will operate within Selfridges’ standard Trafford Centre trading hours. According to the Liverpool Echo, the store’s opening times are as follows: Monday to Friday, 10am to 10pm; Saturday, 10am to 9pm; and Sunday, 11.30am to 6pm. These hours align with typical weekend and weekday patterns at the Trafford Centre, where many retailers extend closing times on weekdays and reduce Sunday hours in line with UK trading regulations.

The Liverpool Echo noted that further information can be found on the Selfridges website, indicating that any changes to hours – for example during holidays or special events – would be communicated through Selfridges’ own channels rather than Disney’s standalone platforms.

What have Disney and Selfridges said about the new store?

Patrick Sager, Global General Manager of Disney Store and Vice President of Retail Marketing at Disney Store, has been quoted across multiple outlets confirming the Manchester opening. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Sager said: “We’re delighted to be bringing Disney Store back to Manchester with a brand-new space at Selfridges Manchester Trafford, which will open on 14th September.” The Manchester Evening News carried a similar quote, attributing to Sager the statement: “We’re thrilled to be reintroducing the Disney Store to Manchester with a fresh new at Selfges Manchester, which open on September 14,” noting his title as Global General Manager and VP Retail Marketing at Disney Store.

Secret Manchester also quoted Sager’s remark about bringing Disney Store back to Manchester with a new space at Selfridges Manchester Trafford opening on 14 September, reinforcing the consistency of the message across regional and specialist media. No additional comments from Selfridges executives were included in the initial wave of coverage, with the public statements focused on Disney’s retail leadership.

How does this fit into wider Disney and Selfridges activity in the UK?

The Manchester opening sits within a broader pattern of Disney retail activity in the UK, including a high-profile festive collaboration with Selfridges. As reported by The Walt Disney Company EMEA, Selfridges and Disney unveiled “A Most Magical Christmas” in late 2025, transforming Selfridges stores in London, Birmingham and Manchester, as well as Selfridges.com, into immersive Disney-themed environments with exclusive product collections and interactive windows. That partnership included an 11-metre Disney castle façade at Selfridges’ Oxford Street flagship and more than 80 brand collaborations across multiple categories, indicating an established working relationship between the two companies ahead of the Trafford Centre store launch.

Regional retail reporting has also highlighted that the Disney Store is making a “big comeback” to the Trafford Centre after a period without a dedicated Disney Store presence in the complex. The Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Echo both noted that the Disney Store is set to make a big comeback with a new set-up inside Selfridges, alongside other new arrivals such as Ted Baker and The Entertainer at the Trafford Centre. Retail Boss described Selfridges as a premier British department store chain renowned for luxury shopping and “retail theatre”, and recorded the 2025 Disney partnership as part of Selfridges’ recent brand activity.

Background to the Disney Store development at Selfridges Manchester Trafford

The Disney Store’s return to the Trafford Centre via Selfridges follows several years in which the shopping destination did not host a dedicated Disney Store unit. Previous reporting by the Manchester Evening News and Liverpool Echo indicated that the Disney Store was set to make a big comeback to the Trafford Centre after around five years without a standalone Disney Store presence in the complex. During that period, Disney’s physical retail footprint in the UK contracted, with a number of standalone Disney Store locations closing as the company shifted focus towards online sales and selective flagship sites.

The decision to re-enter the Trafford Centre market through Selfridges reflects a wider industry trend in which entertainment brands embed dedicated spaces inside established department stores rather than operating large standalone units. Selfridges’ existing collaboration with Disney on “A Most Magical Christmas” provided a tested framework for integrating Disney branding, product ranges and experiential elements within the department store environment. By situating the new Disney Store inside Selfridges Manchester Trafford, both companies can leverage existing footfall at the Trafford Centre while sharing operational overheads associated with staffing, security and facilities management.

Regional retail analysts have noted that the Trafford Centre has been actively refreshing its tenant mix, with new arrivals including Ted Baker and The Entertainer alongside the Disney Store at Selfridges. The Entertainer, in particular, is opening a full-range specialist toy store at the Trafford Centre in September 2026, restoring a dedicated toy offer to the centre for the first time since 2018. This clustering of family-oriented retail – toys, children’s fashion and entertainment merchandise – is consistent with the Trafford Centre’s positioning as a destination for leisure shopping in the North West.

Prediction: How could the Disney Store at Selfridges Trafford affect shoppers and the local retail market?

The opening of the Disney Store at Selfridges Manchester Trafford is likely to affect several groups in the North West, particularly families, collectors and tourists who travel to the Trafford Centre for leisure shopping. For families living within an hour’s drive of the site – including those in Liverpool, as highlighted by the Liverpool Echo – the store provides a nearby physical location to purchase official Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars merchandise without travelling to London or relying solely on online orders. The presence of launch-day incentives such as the Stitch Mystery Soft Toy Keyring for Selfridges Unlocked members may encourage first-time sign-ups to the loyalty scheme and increase average spend among visiting households.

For the Trafford Centre and Selfridges, the Disney Store adds a branded anchor within the toy and entertainment category, complementing the simultaneous arrival of The Entertainer’s full-range toy store. Retail Gazette and Completely Retail News have reported that The Entertainer expects its Trafford Centre branch to compete with its Bluewater flagship for top sales rankings, suggesting that the centre is positioning itself as a key northern hub for toy and family retail. The Disney Store’s integration within Selfridges could draw additional footfall into the department store, potentially increasing cross-shopping with adjacent categories such as children’s clothing, homeware and seasonal gift ranges.

In the longer term, the success of this location may influence Disney’s decisions about further physical retail expansion in the UK, particularly in regional cities where standalone stores have previously closed. If the Selfridges Manchester Trafford site performs strongly, it could encourage similar embedded Disney Store concepts in other Selfridges locations or partner department stores, shaping how entertainment brands approach bricks-and-mortar retail in an increasingly digital market. For local shoppers, the most immediate effect will be greater access to official merchandise and event-style retail experiences within a short drive of Liverpool and across Greater Manchester.