Favourite shopping spots across Birmingham

National World - LocalTV

Where do people go shopping in Birmingham – and what do they think the city still needs? We asked residents which high streets they visit, what draws them in, and what they feel is missing. From safety to shop variety, here’s what they had to say about the future of retail in Birmingham.

Transcript

00:00Birmingham doesn't lack options when it comes to shopping.

00:04Huge centres like the bullring pulling crowds,

00:07but there are also arcades, markets and independent shops

00:11took into every corner of the city.

00:13But not every area is thriving.

00:15As rents climb and more shops shut down,

00:18shoppers are making tougher choices,

00:20not just about what they buy, but where they buy it.

00:23And it's not always the flashy storefronts or big brands that win out.

00:27Sometimes it's the places that feel like they've still got character

00:30or simply still exist.

00:36I mean, I've lived here for like all my life.

00:39So I always come to boring.

00:41I always like pop into the shops and stuff.

00:44I think it's just because it's so convenient.

00:47I mean, you've pretty much got everything that you could possibly want.

00:50So I think that really helps with coming back and stuff.

00:54I shop the most in Selfridges.

00:58It's so real, yeah.

00:59Really?

01:00Not necessarily buy anything from there, but like have a browse in there.

01:03Yeah.

01:04Mine's just any clothes shops.

01:06Just because I like clothes.

01:10I go to the city centre because it allows a very good amount of selection to pick from.

01:17I'm going to the city centre and today I'm going to buy a pair of shoes.

01:21This area because it's convenient to the station.

01:25Morely, Selfridges head towards there because there's the variety.

01:29You should go to the food court first because there's a nicer section there.

01:33What actually makes a good shopping area stand out?

01:37It's not just the stock on the shelves.

01:39It's the atmosphere, the people, the sense of place.

01:42Is it clean?

01:43Is it safe?

01:44Is it somewhere you take your nan or your kids?

01:46Or do you just rush in and out with your guard up?

01:49These are the basics you'd hope for anywhere, but not every area in Birmingham delivers.

01:54Some feel tired, empty or overlooked.

01:57And when that happens, people stop turning up.

01:59We ask shoppers what they think the city's retail spices are missing

02:03and what would genuinely make them better.

02:06I'd say probably sometimes a bit more variety out here

02:09because a lot of the stuff is all in the ball ring,

02:11whereas down the new street and around Grand Central

02:14probably could be a bit more variety than the same shops you can see everywhere.

02:18I think more youth spaces.

02:21I think there's a lot of youth in Birmingham

02:25and sometimes we get a lot of bad press

02:29because there's a lot of different things that can happen.

02:32But I think if there was more like communal spaces

02:35where young people can go and, you know, chill out

02:37and just have safe spaces for young people,

02:39I think that would really help.

02:41Just like the morale of the spirit at Birmingham,

02:44I think that would really help.

02:46Yeah, I think that's quite a good answer actually.

02:49I wouldn't know how to answer that.

02:51I don't know if I'd be able to answer that one

02:53because I don't potentially know it well enough.

02:56It's got everything I need.

02:58Nice to know these.

02:59Yeah.

03:00Nice to know these.

03:01Yeah.

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