| The UKs second city has shopping opportunities | | | | New Street Railway Station re-development. As |
| rivalled only by the capital, London. In recent | | | | such for many people arriving at New Street |
| years Birmingham has completely re-invigorated | | | | station by train they have to pass through the |
| its city centre shopping areas and boasts over | | | | Pallasades to get out on to New Street itself. The |
| 1000 shops all within 20 minutes of each other. If | | | | only large stores located here is a branch of |
| that doesn't sound impressive to you please bear | | | | Argos and the main Woolworths for the city. The |
| in mind that it includes a recently opened | | | | Pavilions is on the High Street and has some forty |
| Selfridges that is the size of many DIY | | | | stores in it. The two largest stores here are HMV |
| warehouse stores. The city has several main | | | | and Virgin which dominate the entrance to this |
| shopping centres or malls, retail and whole-sale | | | | shopping centre. There are also entrances from |
| markets, Victorian arcades as well as a wealth of | | | | the centre into Waterstones and Marks and |
| street shopping. The three main shopping streets | | | | Spencer's, which join on to the centre. Other |
| are New Street, which runs from the Council | | | | shopping centres include, Priory Square which is |
| House to the Rotunda; the High Street which | | | | between the High Street and Corporation Street |
| starts at the Rotunda and Corporation Street, | | | | at Bull Street. This has many small and funky |
| which is off New Street. Major shops found on | | | | independent stores alongside a few market stalls |
| these streets include; Boots - High Street, Marks | | | | selling mainly clothes. The only major retailer here |
| & Spencer - High Street, Waterstones - New | | | | is Argos. City Plaza is between the cathedral and |
| Street and House of Fraser - Corporation Street. | | | | Corporation Street. It has a few designer shops |
| With a history as a draper store going back to | | | | alongside several hair and beauty salons. |
| 1851, The House of Fraser on Corporation Street | | | | Birmingham has several Victorian and Edwardian |
| is still known locally by its original name of | | | | arcades which are worth visiting if only to see the |
| Rackhams. | | | | splendour with which they were built, never mind |
| In terms of shopping in Birmingham the jewel in | | | | the shops inside them. The main one not to miss |
| the crown has to be the new Bullring Shopping | | | | is Great Western Arcade. Built in 1876, its design |
| Centre. Once an area derided even by local | | | | was influenced by the Crystal Palace in the Great |
| residents the new Bullring, which opened in 2003, | | | | Exhibition of 1851. With 40 retail outlets the |
| has been completely modernised into a glass | | | | arcade is between Colmore Row and Temple |
| enclosed shopping centre to rival any in the world. | | | | Row. The south Eastern Arcade leads on to |
| Here you can shop in over 140 stores, with all the | | | | Martineau Place, which is a small, out-door area, in |
| fashion, jewellery, electrical and house-hold names | | | | between Corporation Street and the High Street. |
| imaginable represented, in this shopping centre | | | | Here there are entrances to the main Birmingham |
| that is big enough to accommodate 26 football | | | | branches of W H Smiths, Boots and BHS as well |
| pitches over its four floors. The two largest | | | | as a selection of smaller shops. |
| occupants are Selfridges and Dabenham's whose | | | | Apart from Farmers' Markets and the licensed |
| stores spread over all four floors of the centre. | | | | street traders in the city centre, Birmingham has |
| Approaching the Bullring you can see the shape | | | | four markets. The Wholesale Market covers an |
| and size of Selfridges by its iconic 21st century | | | | area of 31 hectares and has over 200 trading |
| design and construction. Finding the Bullring is easy, | | | | units. The market mainly supplies local retailers |
| simply look for the Rotunda tower block on New | | | | with horticulture, fish, meat and poultry. Along |
| Street and then the bronze bull statue that's | | | | with the redevelopment of the Bullring shopping |
| where it starts. The centre opens daily at 09:30 | | | | centre, the Bullring markets were also |
| (09:00 on Saturdays) and closes at 20:00, except | | | | re-developed; all of the Bullring markets are |
| Sundays when it is open 11:00 to 17:00. | | | | located around the shopping centre. The Indoor |
| As the city has developed over the last ten | | | | Market - has 140 stalls and whilst being famous |
| years several other smaller shopping centres have | | | | for selling fish, you can buy just about anything |
| opened around the city. The Mailbox was once | | | | here for the home or yourself. The Indoor |
| the city's mail sorting depot, on Royal Mail Street. | | | | market is open daily from 09:00 to 17:30 except |
| Transformed and opened in 2000 it is now the | | | | Sundays. The Rag Market, as the name implies, |
| home to a select 50 outlets of the very highest | | | | comprises 350 stalls and a few shops selling all |
| quality. It not only contains designer fashion shops | | | | manner of materials and clothes making |
| but also; bars, restaurants, hotels and a complex | | | | accessories. The Rag market is open Tuesday, |
| of flats, or rather urban living. Names that you'll | | | | Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at the same |
| find here include; Armani, Ralph Lauren and | | | | times as the Open Market. Birmingham was first |
| Harvey Nichols. The Mailbox is not on the main | | | | granted a market charter in 1166, since when the |
| shopping routes in the city, to get to it walk along | | | | Open Market in the Bull Ring has been a |
| Navigation Street, which is to the east side of | | | | permanent fixture. Like the nearby indoor market |
| New Street railway station. | | | | it sells a range of goods to meet everyone's |
| Two older shopping centres in Birmingham are the | | | | needs in its 130 stalls. The market works |
| Pallasades and the Pavilions. The Pallasades was | | | | Tuesday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:00. |
| originally opened in the 1960s and was part of the | | | | |