STAFF helped put smiles on the faces of shoppers at Stretford Mall at the weekend.

The Chester Road shopping centre undertook a unique initiative to spread some cheer amongst its customers on Friday February 17.

Shoppers were treated to a number of surprises, as staff from the centre took part in international ‘Random Acts of Kindness Day’.

Throughout the day, the team gave away gifts to visitors to the centre, from coffee and cake at Costa, to Bluetooth headphones from O2. Toys and vouchers were also handed out to lucky shoppers.

“This is our way of saying thank you to all of our fantastic shoppers for their continued support and to provide people with a boost at the end of the week,” said Stretford Mall centre manager, Gareth Wilkins.

“Our retailers have been incredibly generous and that has certainly shown on the faces of shoppers in receipt of the treats.”

As well as the centre team performing random acts of kindness for shoppers, Gareth said he hoped that the activity had inspired those visiting Stretford Mall to do the same – pass on the kindness to strangers they meet.

“This isn’t just about us giving back to the community and our visitors,” said Gareth on Friday.

“It’s about spreading smiles and encouraging others to be kind to one another. I hope we’ve encouraged members of the public to do that today.”