3.3 Retailing

3.3.1

Plain English Version

Birmingham is the biggest shopping centre in the country outside of central London. It has about 300,000 square metres of shopping floor space. Our shops are mainly around the High Street, New Street, the Bull Ring and Corporation Street. The city centre also has lots of shopping centres like the Bull Ring, the Pallasades, Priory Square, the Mailbox, Martineau Place and Pavillion Central. New shopping areas have been agreed like Phase 2 of Martineau Galleries (about 85,000 square metres), The Cube (about 7,800 square metres) and the Jewellery Box (about 5,500 square metres). Also, in the new Birmingham New Street Station, about 34,830 square metres of shopping area will be made better.

Original Document

Birmingham is ranked the largest retail centre in the country outside of central London and has about 300,000 sq m retail floor-space. Retail provision within the city centre is focused around High Street, New Street, the Bull Ring and Corporation Street. In addition, the city centre has a high proportion of managed retail floor-space including the Bull Ring, the Pallasades, Priory Square, the Mailbox, Martineau Place and Pavillion Central. There are a number of planning permissions for further retail development in the city centre such as Phase 2 of Martineau Galleries (85,000 sq m approx), The Cube (7,800 sq m approx) and the Jewellery Box (5,500 sq m approx). In addition, the Birmingham New Street Station redevelopment involves the refurbishment of approximately 34,830 sq m of retail floor-space.

2 comments


3.3.2

Plain English Version

Although Birmingham has had a lot of good new shopping areas opened, and more are planned we need to keep working at it as we are in competition with other places like Merry Hill.

The Regional Spatial Strategy says that Birmingham must have and extra 225,000 square metres of non-food retail floor-space between 2006-2021 and an additional 130,000 square meters between 2021-2026.

Original Document

Despite the recent success and pipeline development, Birmingham will need to continue to invest in the quantity and quality of its retail offer to maintain its leading position and respond to threats posed by its competitors such as the Merry Hill Shopping Centre in Dudley. The Regional Spatial Strategy requires Birmingham city centre to plan for an additional gross non food retail floor-space of 225,000 sq m between 2006-2021 and an additional 130,000 sq m between 2021-2026. This is a substantial requirement to accommodate, reflecting Birmingham’s ambitions as a global city.

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3.3.3

Plain English Version

Where should we put these new shop-units?

We could put them at the oposite end of the High Street to the Bull Ring (Dale End) — or we could look at extending the Bull Ring area southwards towards Digbeth and where the Wholesale markets are now.

Original Document

There are major issues about where such growth should be accommodated. One approach would be to consolidate around the opposite end of the High Street from the Bull Ring to create another magnet of attraction. Another would be to recognise the shift in gravity that has occurred as a result of the Bull Ring development and look at expanding the shopping area southwards.

1 comment


3.3.4

Plain English Version

Birmingham has a good number of chain stores and popular clothes shops, but not enough independent or small shops when compared to other cities. This can make the shopping areas of Birmingham feel bland.

In some cities there are several areas that specialise in different things, such as fashion, furnishings or food. These shopping areas can provide  very upmarket shopping or can provide affordable and interesting alternatives to chain stores.

The Big City Plan is a chance to see what we could do to encourage these areas, and where they should be.

Original Document

Birmingham has an excellent shopping offer in terms of mainstream fashion outlets and multiple retailers but independent and niche retailers are not strongly represented compared with some other cities. This results in a degree of blandness in the city centre’s shopping streets. A city of Birmingham’s size should have one or more areas of interesting specialist and niche shops. In some cities there are several of these areas each specialising in different things, such as fashion, furnishings or food. These shopping areas can cater for very upmarket shopping requirements or can provide affordable and interesting alternatives to the usual multiple shops. The Big City Plan provides an opportunity to think about how Birmingham can harbour and encourage these specialist areas and where they might go.

3 comments


3.3.5

Plain English Version

Developing a street market or markets around the edges of the City Centre could make the areas we’re redeveloping more lively.

Different markets could specialise in different ranges of produce, from ethnic foods to antiques. There is an opportunity for more edgy, fringe, ethnic, music or student related markets or specialist retailers that would be popular with Birmingham’s young and diverse people.

Original Document

The same applies to Birmingham’s markets. Developing a street market or markets within the fringe or transitional areas around the city core will greatly help to enliven the city streets. As with specialist retailing, different markets can specialise in different ranges of produce, from ethnic foods to antiques. There is huge scope for more edgy, fringe, ethnic, music or student related markets or specialist retailers reflecting Birmingham’s youthfulness and diversity.

2 comments


Question R1

Plain English Version

What kind of extra shops and services do we need in Birmingham in the future to make it better than other cities and to make it well-known throughout the world?

Original Document

What kind of additional shops and services are needed in Birmingham in the future to set it apart from its competitors and develop its global reputation?

6 comments


Question R2

Plain English Version

Where can we have more shops in the city centre and specialist shopping areas for particular types of product?

Original Document

Where can shopping activity expand within the city centre and niche shopping areas for particular types of product be developed?

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Question R3

Plain English Version

How can we develop more specialist shops?

Original Document

How can the city develop a larger specialist retail sector?

3 comments


Question R4

Plain English Version

Should we have street markets and if so, should we make them into a tourist attraction?

Original Document

Is there a role for street-based markets and can market streets be developed as a tourist destination?

1 comment


Question R5

Plain English Version

What should we do to the city centre’s shopping streets to make them nicer?

Original Document

What improvements should be carried out to the City Centre’s shopping streets to create a more attractive environment and enhance the city’s global reputation?

4 comments