11 Best Places to Go Shopping in Birmingham

The sci-fi-looking Bullring is one of Birmingham’s first modern marvels and is among the city’s best places to shop. Check out the gear of some of Britain’s best designers in Selfridges department store, with plenty of other prominent boutiques from the likes of All Saints and Karen Millen to choose from. High street brands include H&M and Foot Locker.  

If you’re out and about in central Birmingham, you’re almost guaranteed to come across the Bullring as it’s walking distance from New Street station and surrounded by several other prominent attractions. Come mealtimes, you can choose from French bistro snacks to Asian noodles and plenty in between.

The Rag Market has been a fixture of Birmingham for generations, although it looks rather more modern following a complete refurbishment in the early 2000s. Thankfully, the echoing calls of shop traders and plenty of budget shopping still remain. 

Don’t miss the chance to browse the 350 stalls at Birmingham’s Rag Market on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Snap up vintage 1950s shirts, bridal fabrics, unusual hats and even retro toys at this eclectic Birmingham shopping spot. The outdoor section of the market hosts rows of fresh produce. 

This close-knit community of 150 jewellers and craftspeople lets you experience the industrial heritage of Birmingham. It’s said that up to 40% of Britain’s jewellery business is traded through this enclave of manufacturing on the northern edge of the city centre. You can easily walk to the Jewellery Quarter from New Street station in less than 20 minutes or take the train 1 stop to Jewellery Quarter station. 

Interspersed between specialist jewellery shops, you’ll find pubs, museums, art galleries, auctioneers, and other boutiques specialising in everything from wedding arranging to home furnishings. The Jewellery Quarter Festival takes place every July, featuring live music, parades, and lots of shopping opportunities.

The Great Western Arcade is a popular shopping spot for fashion, accessories and high-end whiskies. More than shopping, you can revisit Birmingham’s majestic Victorian heritage at the elegant Great Western Arcade, which dates back to 1876.

Admire fine art at Temple Gallery, treat yourself to artisan chocolate at Chouchoute Chocolaterie and splash out on high fashion at Jaeger. At the northern end of Great Western Arcade, you‘ll find some of Birmingham’s finest restaurants along Colmore Row and the beautiful view of St Phillip’s Cathedral.

The Mailbox – the old central post office – features high-end restaurants, bars, fashion boutiques, and the BBC television studios. There’s also a row of around 20 venues serving fancy drinks and dishes from across the globe. 

The biggest draw for shopping at The Mailbox is the world-renowned department store, Harvey Nichols, where you will find many designer brands. You can enjoy contemporary art in The ArtLounge gallery, luxury interiors in the Aga Shop or designer fashions in Hugo Boss at the canal-side Mailbox mall in central Birmingham. After a spot of window-shopping, lunch on classic British cuisine in Pennyblacks or Japanese teppanyaki at Shoguns.

Grand Central is found within New Street Station, Birmingham’s major transport hub. It’s always bustling and there’s a fantastic range of high-street shopping and trendy dining options to enjoy. The large John Lewis anchor store is perhaps the biggest draw in Grand Central, a British department store full of clothes for all the family along with home furnishings.

Grand Central is in the very centre of Birmingham, connected to New Street and The Bullring to make one of Britain’s finest shopping districts. You can spend the whole day here and still not see everything.

The Birmingham Christmas Market has been a mainstay in the city for many years and it continues to grow in size and scope every year. In fact, it’s now the largest Christmas Market outside of Germany! 

Officially known as the Frankfurt Christmas Market Birmingham, it runs from early November right up to Christmas. Have your fill of schnitzels and bratwursts, drink hot chocolate and Glühwein (mulled wine), before browsing the 80 different shops and stalls to pick up a whole range of artisanal presents – from toys to jewellery and plenty of kooky homeware.

Resorts World Birmingham is home to several clearance stores so you can bag some absolute bargains here. Located next to Birmingham International Airport in the east of the city, outlets include sports brands Nike, New Balance and Skechers, jeans company Levis, and high street fashion brand Next. Discounts vary from 20% off up to 80% in rare cases, however, most reductions are more modest.

There are several hotels surrounding Resorts World Birmingham, making it a popular place to shop for travellers having a short layover in Birmingham. A casino, several restaurants and a cinema are other attractions available at Resorts World.

Custard Factory is a bustling creative and digital hub with independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants in the restored Victorian Factories near the Bullring. Many notable businesses had shops in the district, including North One Television, Punch Records, the Gadget Show, ASOS.com, Codemasters, Powershop, and Rhubarb Radio.

In addition to the diverse shopping, the 6-hectare Custard Factory also has unique sculptures and artwork and dance music events. From vinyl records to second-hand clothes and 20th-century antiques, the atmospheric Sunday Flea market is a veritable treasure trove for vintage shoppers. The market kicks off at 11 am every Sunday.

New Street is the main shopping street in Birmingham, lined with famous brands on either side. It’s fair to say you can find pretty much everything you expect to find on the high street here, from a new suit to a new phone. This area of Birmingham is the city at its bustling best.

Popular shops found along New Street include Urban Outfitters, Clarks' shoe store and a large Apple store. If you get hungry, there’s a huge number of coffee shops and restaurants to choose from. We usually opt for one of the eateries in Grand Central that is halfway along New Street.

The Square Shopping Centre is a Birmingham mall that has a great range of high-street shops and fashion stores for you to get your shopping fix. You can't miss it, with the iconic clock tower standing proudly over Priory Square, with a great café housed underneath.

The Square has a range of shops, but most of them focus on fashion, health and beauty. There are phone and gadget shops too, as well as a huge selection of restaurants to choose from. If shopping isn't your thing, you and your family, friend, or significant other can try out your sleuthing skills at the escape room.