Pop culture and lifestyle brand MINISO connects with West Midlands shoppers via latest UK store
MINISO will today open its latest UK store at Merry Hill Shopping Centre, Dudley. Located in a 260 m2 unit next to Foot Locker, this will showcase MINISO’s signature mix of the retailer’s best selling vinyl plush blind boxes and plushies, beauty and lifestyle accessories, as well as its new Star Wars collection.
Shoppers can also discover exclusive merchandise from brands including Hello Kitty & Friends, Disney, Sylvanian Families and Pokémon.
To celebrate the opening, the first 200 customers who spend a minimum of £5 will receive a special goody bag, while stock lasts. Visitors can expect a live drummer performance, PenPen mascot meet and greet, and other surprises.
Saad Usman, Chief Operating Officer at MINISO UK, says: “Opening at Merry Hill allows us to connect with the West Midlands community in a thriving retail hub. We’re bringing a vibrant, playful shopping experience where customers of all ages can discover fun, creativity, and everyday inspiration to this dynamic place. We can’t wait to welcome you!”
Jonathan Poole, Centre Manager at Merry Hill, says: "We're delighted to welcome MINISO to Merry Hill, another globally recognised brand that brings a new fresh and fun shopping experience for our visitors. Known for its best-selling blind boxes, collectibles and extensive toy offering, MINISO brings its latest collaborations with Sanrio, Disney, Pokémon, and Care Bears to Merry Hill. Alongside recent additions such as Carnival Golf & Games and Ben & Jerry's, this latest opening reflects our ongoing commitment to curating a vibrant and diverse experience for our customers to enjoy. There’s never been a better time to visit Merry Hill."
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Physical stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
