Shopping
Perhaps even more than the housing market Birmingham has seen a renaissance in shopping. Central to this change has been the complete demolition of the infamously ugly and run down Bullring Market and Shopping Centre that had blighted Birmingham’s image for decades. In its place is a new multi-billion pound Bullring that is on a par with the best retail developments in Europe. The reborn Bullring covers an area of 26 football pitches and has on offer over 140 shops, with the centrepiece being the large and ultra-modern Selfridges store.
To the Digbeth side of the Bullring are still some modernised remnants of the old market where you can shop around for things like fruit and veg and cloth and fabric, while those seeking something more exotic will not be disappointed in places like Sparkbrook where the large Indian and Pakistani population have created a vibrant community full of Sari shops and general stores selling every manner of vegetable from around the world.
Right in the centre of town is also a small China Town. Although smaller than London’s by some way, the small district off Hurst Street features restaurants and a number of Chinese supermarkets selling everything from imported soy sauce to Confucian images.
Then there is the brand new Mailbox development that boasts a small Harvey Nichols as well as top brand stores such as Armani, DKNY and Hugo Boss. On top of this Birmingham has the usual shopping staples of a large House of Fraser store and plenty of all the chain names you would expect to find.
The city also has more than its fair share of large shopping malls both in the centre and outside the city. One of the biggest is the gigantic Merry Hill Centre out in the Black Country, where you could easily spend a weekend if you failed to find the exit.
In and around the trendy Custard Factory in Digbeth you will find funky retro clothes shops straight out of Covent Garden and record shops catering for the latest musical tastes. Birmingham also has a number of pretty Victorian arcades. Some are off New Street and Colmore Row and these have a range of more boutique-style shops.
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