Christmas shoppers in Manchester were given a surprise this morning as they spotted a giant sleigh parking space installed on top of a local Aldi store.

The freshly installed parking space sports a sleigh-shaped print, and has enough space reserved for the nine trusty reindeers that pull Santa’s sleigh.

Painted in bright yellow, to safely guide Santa to land from the sky in the dead of night, the eye-catching installation measures 11 metres in length and six metres in width. Special spaces are marked out for Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

It was first spotted by Jen who posted a picture of the new installation on the Aldi Shoppers UK Facebook Page, at the Knutsford store witht the comment: ‘Just spotted this at the Aldi Knutsford store, such a nice surprise when taking the kids shopping – they loved it!’

One shopper Jen Rothwell said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes this morning! As I was heading into Aldi for some early morning shopping, I spotted this magical parking spot for Santa on the roof. It’s the kind of Christmas surprise that makes you feel like a kid again!”

Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, said: “The Knutsford locals thought they were in for an ordinary day until they spotted the magical parking space we installed on our store’s roof."

"While our middle aisle is known for surprises, this rooftop revelation was specifically crafted for Santa’s visit, aims to bring delight to our shoppers throughout the festive season.”

Christmas Retailer of the Year* Aldi has installed the rooftop parking spot for Santa to bring an extra dose of festive cheer to the local community. Shoppers can head to the Aldi Knutsford store now to get their Christmas shopping and see the magic for themselves.