Birmingham Retail

[Jonesy55]

Brum city centre needs somewhere like the Northern Quarter in Manchester I think, slightly run-down (and therefore cheap rents), edgier and bohemian where there's a mix of more unusual shops, second-hand record stores, cheap ethnic cafes, vintage clothing, buddhist centres, sex shops, arty cafes, uber-hip bars, jazz and salsa clubs, craft centres etc.

[Bachy Soletanche]

Supose they're trying to do that at Custard Factory. It'll be intresting to see what happends to Oasis when they start work at Martinue Galleries. Whenever that'll be...

[morestoreysplease]

Oasis could kick start the new John Bright st. A street just waiting to be turned into a cafe / street / farmers market type of throughfare.

[El Paulo]

Originally Posted by morestoreysplease

Oasis could kick start the new John Bright st. A street just waiting to be turned into a cafe / street / farmers market type of throughfare.

Good call.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

for fucks sake, can we please change the title of this thread... it's just another thread title giving off negative vibes and is a ridiculous idea that Birmingham's retail is disappointing, the city is currently amongst the top 3 shopping destinations in the UK and has been for some years, yes it is worth discussing improvements but it certainly is far from disappointing.

[blahblah]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth Kinoke

for fucks sake, can we please change the title of this thread... it's just another thread title giving off negative vibes and is a ridiculous idea that Birmingham's retail is disappointing, the city is currently amongst the top 3 shopping destinations in the UK and has been for some years, yes it is worth discussing improvements but it certainly is far from disappointing.

Now two people asking for the thread title to be changed Woody!

[Bel Ludovic]

Well I'm asking for the title of the thread to remain as it is - and I started it!

[Engels]

I agree it's time to change the thread title .. maybe make it simpler too.

"Birmingham's Retail Offer"

[Bel Ludovic]

So basically you believe in censorship? If a thread title expresses an opinion that isn't 'positive', that isn't 'on-message', it should be changed? I didn't realise this forum existed only to promote Birmingham and that any dissent from that aim should be slapped down. I thought moderators existed to moderate, not to censor (unless of course there is inflammatory content).

Let's not kid ourselves, changing the thread title would constitute censorship - and not moderation. If you believe the thread title should be changed, then you believe in censorship of online content; maybe you should go and live in China.

[SimonTheSoundMan]

Change it to " The disappointing state of Birmingham".

We will all be happy then.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

...

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

Originally Posted by SimonTheSoundMan

Change it to " The disappointing state of Birmingham".

We will all be happy then.

Do you know what the only fucking disappointing thing around here is... people who have no love for Birmingham, they are not REALLY interested in seeing the place do well, they hold little or no love and this is why we get all the negativity and no actual physical effort to change it, it's just a fucking good excuse for childish whinge, I mean how the fucking hell can the Bullring with record attendances and amazing shops be disappointing with regards to retail, I often travel into the city centre and I see a thriving busy city with great shops, no more empty units than anywhere else, fewer in fact, than many places I visit, the fact that a few more bohemian areas are needed is fair enough and I am sure we will get them probably as a result of the extra trrade bullring brings in but on the whole, lets compare Birmingham to Coventry... erm.. maybe not eh!

[Engels]

Originally Posted by Bel Ludovic

So basically you believe in censorship? If a thread title expresses an opinion that isn't 'positive', that isn't 'on-message', it should be changed? I didn't realise this forum existed only to promote Birmingham and that any dissent from that aim should be slapped down. I thought moderators existed to moderate, not to censor (unless of course there is inflammatory content).

Let's not kid ourselves, changing the thread title would constitute censorship - and not moderation. If you believe the thread title should be changed, then you believe in censorship of online content; maybe you should go and live in China.

No we believe in free speech but that means tolerating dissent and respecting the wishes of the majority. Thread titles sometimes become unpopular or out of touch with the current theme and rather than starting a new thread it becomes appropriate to change the name.

You are entitled to disagree as others are entitled to start a new thread called the "Positive face of retail in Birmingham". However rather than going down that route wouldn't it be better to have a grown up discussion with a thread title that is neutral. After all there's no rule that says the person who starts a thread "owns the thread"

[Manc Guy]

Do you know what the only fucking disappointing thing around here is... people who have no love for Birmingham, they are not REALLY interested in seeing the place do well, they hold little or no love and this is why we get all the negativity and no actual physical effort to change it, it's just a fucking good excuse for childish whinge, I mean how the fucking hell can the Bullring with record attendances and amazing shops be disappointing with regards to retail, I often travel into the city centre and I see a thriving busy city with great shops, no more empty units than anywhere else, fewer in fact, than many places I visit, the fact that a few more bohemian areas are needed is fair enough and I am sure we will get them probably as a result of the extra trrade bullring brings in but on the whole, lets compare Birmingham to Coventry... erm.. maybe not eh!

calm down darling...

the new Arndale sector in Manchester currently has a few empty units, still, its steadily filled up as the months have gone by since its opening. The only shop to close that I know of was the Nike one, which has been a trend not just nationally but internationally.

[Bel Ludovic]

Elizabeth, stop throwing your toys out of your pram.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth Kinoke

how the fucking hell can the Bullring with record attendances and amazing shops be disappointing with regards to retail, I often travel into the city centre and I see a thriving busy city with great shops, no more empty units than anywhere else, fewer in fact, than many places I visit, lets compare Birmingham to Coventry... erm.. maybe not eh!

The title of this thread is utterly pathetic..

[hammerb24]

In all fairness I see EKs frustration, Brum has a retail sector that is the envy of other cities, there is a waiting list for units at Bull Ring, a new shopping quarter on the way in MG and an expansion to the Mailbox, I'm not sure what more people want?

It's not censorship to ask that a threat title be named realistically, Brum retail is most definately not disapointing, yes I agree we discuss the potential improvements but I've yet to see a suggestion to this end that is not already underway. Let me ask the question to those who ask for more independat shops - have you actually visited the Custard Factory ?

[Bel Ludovic]

Yes, I have. It's great - one of the best things in Brum. But most of the shops there seem to be struggling because it's too far away from the city centre.

And it's a tiny enclave. When I lived in Birmingham it was always Leicester's shopping that impressed me more - street after street of characterful independents. That's the main thrust of my point - and Professor Parkinson's report agrees. In fact it doesn't just agree once, it agrees several times throughout.

Plus all the retailers queueing to get into the Bullring doesn't change the fact that places that should be key assets - like Corporation Street and Great Western Arcade - are half-empty, and these are the places best-suited to the indies whose absence I'm bemoaning.

There seems to be an impression that I'm just trying to 'do' Birmingham in. I didn't start this thread and continue to post to it just to have a poke at Birmingham for its own sake. Far from it - if I didn't care about the place, I wouldn't have bothered to begin with.

I just think it's a shame that the indies who were supposed to flock to newly affordable units in the city core haven't done so. I think it's disappointing. Hence the thread title. It's not Birmingham's 'fault'. No need to be all prickly about it.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

From my experience people from Leicester seemed to look to Brum for style and panache, unfortunately the city centre reminded more of a grim version of Gloucester when I used to visit (echoed by several people who lived there), Bel you obviously never opened your eyes when you were in Brum, the city has always had a good (not brilliant) variety of independent shops and also concessions within buildings such as Rackhams, the fact the city centre is on such a large scale makes the difference and may give the appearance of fewer independents, they are there, just not all in one easily accessible place. Anyway...

[MoseleyTown]

Hi All, thought I'd finally take the plunge and participate, even though I have joined for a couple of months.

I agree with EK on this, as when you go onto the Manc or Leeds Forums there is no "dissapointing"/negative terms on their retail threads.

Any news on whether it's going to be a definite with John Lewis and Martineau Galleries?

I think that Harvey Nichols should also have a restaurant/bar/brasserie in one of the adjacent vacant units in addition to its 33% expansion to bring it in more line with other cities.