Birmingham Retail

[GI_Chris]

It is even worse with all the scaffolding around the old beatties building, will be worth the pain but makes the street even narrower by the bus stops.. horrible!

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

Originally Posted by Bel Ludovic

Parkinson is spot-on with his comments on retail and Birmingham's lack of 'grit' - i.e. independent traders that give a place character.

If you/he are referring to the city centre then yes, if you look at the suburbs then there is plenty of grit and independents taking the chance but the truth is, I can remember when there were many more small independent shops in the city centre which closed, several moved to premises outside of the centre as I would guess the rents and rates were way too expensive and it was at a time when Birmingham city centre was NOT a nice place to be, let us not forget the many years of gritty griminess that existed prior to Brindley Place catalyst, Birmingham has plenty of 'grit' still but the shops are tiny oasis-es spread out over a huge area, personally now that the city centre is on the up I would like to see incentives for some of these suburban independents to condense into the city centre to create a more unique shopping experience and maybe even have a user friendly list for every visitor to the city in the form of a pamphlet or alike to give clear directions to all the independent shops and maybe highlight some of the larger stores such as Selfridges and Mailbox shops, I have friends from far away that have been to the city who never get past the Bullring and that is no exaggeration. A website would be a start, like "Shop in Birmingham" - list all the interesting shops and what they sell and then provide directions, contact details etc, and I don't mean a yellow pages.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

I recently tried to buy something so simple as record cleaner and cloth for vinyl..

I started off at Richer Sounds who were out of stock, they told me Norman Field Hi Fi had sadly closed down and directed me to a huge sound system and club lighting place at the very bottom of Hurst Street (which I never knew existed ), I stopped off at the Retro clothes shop to double check directions on the way (again didn't know it was there), they hadn't sold it for years but directed me to a large vintage record shop of Bromsgrove Street (didn't know that one either) who said to either use washing up liquid (er no thanks) or try Maplin Electronics on Temple Street or Hard To Find, I tried Hard To Find and they had practically every kind of record cleaner know to man. A leaflet highlighting all these shops would have been nice rather than me rushing around like a mad hare.

[SimonTheSoundMan]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth Kinoke

I recently tried to buy something so simple as record cleaner and cloth for vinyl..

I started off at Richer Sounds who were out of stock, they told me Norman Field Hi Fi had sadly closed down and directed me to a huge sound system and club lighting place at the very bottom of Hurst Street (which I never knew existed ), I stopped off at the Retro clothes shop to double check directions on the way (again didn't know it was there), they hadn't sold it for years but directed me to a large vintage record shop of Bromsgrove Street (didn't know that one either) who said to either use washing up liquid (er no thanks) or try Maplin Electronics on Temple Street or Hard To Find, I tried Hard To Find and they had practically every kind of record cleaner know to man. A leaflet highlighting all these shops would have been nice rather than me rushing around like a mad hare.

Try Sevenoaks Sound and Vision.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

For a long time, I have seen Birminaghm city centre as a no mans land or a hollow concrete core, people abandoned it in the 80's and early 90's for other city centres and their local town centres it was for many years effectively running on minimum power although I always found good shops but it was a real hunt and aided by people who were in touch with shopping in general, it was an unpleasant shopping experience for some with the decaying Bullring etc, now this has been turned around in spectacular fashion we need to bring back a bit of soul to the city but then do people really want independent shops anymore? I do but my tastes are a little more eclectic than the average person, if only the Palisades shops could be shoved out to Corporation Street it would make so much sense, couldn't th ecouncil help by offering subsidies for owners of the long time vacant premises and incentives for the Palisades shops to fill them just to clear New Street once and for all, that would be a start.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

Originally Posted by SimonTheSoundMan

Try Sevenoaks Sound and Vision.

Cheers, I have it now but what a hunt, I guess the point I was making is that these shops exist but they are so far off the radar it creates a deceptive image of the city centre.

[Brum X]

I walked through the MAILBOX today, and i have to admit that their are quite a few empty units on the ground floor and a few on the upper floor. This situation will be much improved in a few months when HARVEY NICHOLLS has around 2 or 3 of these empty units.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

The Retro shop I stumbled across by chance half way down Hurst Street would fit perfectly into one of these units, I think it might be th eone that closed from the Custard Factory because of high rent/rates?

[FLD]

Btw, it's "Bullring" now, not "Bull Ring"!!!!!

[blahblah]

From BBC News

HMV seeks to revitalise business

Shares in music and book retailer HMV Group have fallen 15% after the firm issued a profit warning as it launched a "radical" review of the business.
HMV said sales had deteriorated further since the start of 2007 and that annual profits would be lower than expected.

The retailer is likely to close loss-making stores following a review of its entire estate of 421 HMV outlets and 329 Waterstone's book stores.

I wonder if that means that one of the 2 big Waterstones' in Brum could close? There are 2 HMV's in Brum too, with that little one next to Woolies in the Pallasades.

[Scazmattaz]

Originally Posted by blahblah

From BBC News



I wonder if that means that one of the 2 big Waterstones' in Brum could close? There are 2 HMV's in Brum too, with that little one next to Woolies in the Pallasades.

The Pallasades HMV is going to close, as is Woolworths, Foot Locker (basically all the MSUs on that side!!) aswell as New Look when this flagship opens. Prime opportunity so someone to put some significant investment in it!!

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by blahblah

From BBC News



I wonder if that means that one of the 2 big Waterstones' in Brum could close? There are 2 HMV's in Brum too, with that little one next to Woolies in the Pallasades.

HMV have been doing poorly for ages, as have Virgin - Virgin have been kept afload by cash from the Virgin group.

[Biosonic]

Brum needs to collect its indes together so they become a shopping destination in their own right.

Then it will all fall into place

[Engels]

We need an equivalent of the Corn Exchange in Leeds. I can't think we have an equivalent old building or perhaps old square that would be appropriate though. Shame really as that really adds something to Leeds retail mix.

[Draly]

There are 3 HMVs in Birmingham
1 in the Pavillions
1 in the Bullring
1 in the Pallasades
The most likely to close is the Pallasades, even though they probably pay more rent for the Bullring store.
Before the Bullring there were two stores, and before the store in the Pallasades was the video store on New Street.

Maybe they could take the Borders route and stick the books and multimedia items in one store.


Regarding little boutique stores, there are a few in the side streets of Kings Heath High Street by the Somerfield.

[blahblah]

Originally Posted by Draly

There are 3 HMVs in Birmingham
1 in the Pavillions
1 in the Bullring
1 in the Pallasades
The most likely to close is the Pallasades, even though they probably pay more rent for the Bullring store.
Before the Bullring there were two stores, and before the store in the Pallasades was the video store on New Street.

Maybe they could take the Borders route and stick the books and multimedia items in one store.


Regarding little boutique stores, there are a few in the side streets of Kings Heath High Street by the Somerfield.

Bit of useless information. Did you know that Tim Waterstone, who I think is still a big shareholder in HMV/Waterstones used to work for WHSmith? He set Waterstone's up after he got the sack!

Be interesting if Waterstone's ends up selling stationery, CD's DVD's etc. They've already started selling magazines too.

Tim Waterstone nearly bought WHSmith itself about 10 years ago too.

[VerticallyChallenged]

At the risk of causing a riot might I suggest Birmingham has a big Retail Sector problem which can only get worse, at least for a period of time.
It's the population - it's changed and is still changing.
Almost half of Brum's citizens originated, or their parents originated, in another country.
We still have about one million people but their lifestyles and shopping habits don't necessarily coincide with what went before.
An exaggeration? I don't think so.
Take places like Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Redditch -they have had huge residential building programmes for years and where do you think all those new residents have come from - in the main, Birmingham.
Almost all of these people leaving Brum are young couples and children and now some pensioners are joining the exodus.
No city can change half its indigenous population without some effect and I reckon that not too many people now living in Bromsgrove etc visit Birmingham city centre very often.
So have the almost half million 'replacements' adopted the same shopping habits that went before?
I would suggest, not enough to make up for the missing 450,000 people.
When I walk round the City Centre I don't see the huge core number of lone female shoppers of all ages that used to crowd out some shopping areas.
Lots of lone males strolling around but for some family units it seems that for city shopping they all have to visit as a family group.
My suggestion is that for 'small' retail units much of what they sell can be obtain by many people in their own 'cultural' areas and usually more cheaply.
If I'm correct, this trend should also be observable in other cities that have seen this sort of population shift but I've no idea if that's the case.
As I reading too much into casual observation?

[SimonTheSoundMan]

Originally Posted by Scazmattaz

The Pallasades HMV is going to close, as is Woolworths, Foot Locker (basically all the MSUs on that side!!) aswell as New Look when this flagship opens. Prime opportunity so someone to put some significant investment in it!!

Argos is closing too. Place will be empty next year.

[rottersclub]

Maybe there's just too many shops.

[Scazmattaz]

Yeah this is the state of the Pallasades, have to say about 1/3rd of the retail space is up for disposal of leases, including those shops mentioned...

1 Birmingham 39-40 The Pallasades Shopping Centre CB Richard Ellis Ltd 2,301 £88,000 Available
2 Birmingham Kiosk E4, The Pallasades Shopping Centre Rowley Hughes Thompson LLP 323 £67,500 Under Offer
3 Birmingham Unit 60 The Pallasades Shopping Centre CB Richard Ellis Ltd 1,051 £82,000 Available
4 Birmingham Unit 65 North Walk, The Pallasades Shopping Centre CB Richard Ellis Ltd 1,650 £140,000 Under Offer
5 Birmingham Units 1 & 2 The Pallasades Shopping Centre Savills 12,387 £750,000 Available
6 Birmingham E12-14 The Pallasades Wright Silverwood 345 £55,000 Available
7 Birmingham 27 The Pallasades Knight Frank 1,617 £78,500 Available
8 Birmingham 31 West Terrace, The Pallasades Shopping Centre CB Richard Ellis Ltd 1,821 £58,500 Available
9 Birmingham 4 Pallasades Shopping Centre Rowley Hughes Thompson LLP 5,137 £370,000 Available
10 Birmingham E15 The Pallasades Wright Silverwood 301 £45,000 Available
11 Birmingham Unit 28, South Parade, The Pallasades Shopping Cen CB Richard Ellis Ltd 939 £63,000 Available
12 Birmingham Unit 3, The Pallasades Shopping Centre Jackson Criss 4,060 £300,000 Available
13 Birmingham Unit 40, Stephenson Street Wright Silverwood 723 £27,500 Available
14 Birmingham Unit 58 The Pallasades Shopping Centre CB Richard Ellis Ltd 1,105 £85,000 Available
15 Birmingham Unit 69, The Pallasades Shopping Centre CB Richard Ellis Ltd 2,760 £145,000 Available
16 Birmingham Unit 77/78, West Terrace, The Pallasades Shopping CB Richard Ellis Ltd 1,434 £75,000 Available
17 Birmingham Unit 91 Stephenson Street Wright Silverwood 678 £25,000 Available
18 Birmingham Unit E1, The Pallasades Harper Dennis Hobbs 306 £55,000 Available