Shop till you drop
The UK has some of the best shopping in the world, thanks to our well-established high street that blends seamlessly with high-end designer fashion labels. There are few places where you can walk into one shopping mall, or along one stretch of high street and find H&M, New Look, Miss Selfridge, Top Shop, River Island, Warehouse and the like, next to Ted Baker, Diesel, Miss Sixty, Karen Millen, Fred Perry, Esprit, Kookai and then Prada, Burberry, Calvin Klein and so on. Every budget is catered to and every style can be expressed.
However, there are certain cities that seem to know what they’re doing when it comes to making the shopping experience as perfect as possible. Of course the capital is the obvious choice. London has so many shopping districts from quirkiness to high street, cool charity shops to luxury with luxury price tags. But trying to cover all this ground in just one, or even two days is impossible. London should be viewed as a country not a city.
But outside the sprawling expanse of London, there is another place to head to for all your shopping needs. Seeing as it hosts the Clothes Show Live every year, Birmingham must know a thing or two about fashion, and is The Bottoms Drawer's home city.
Just two hours drive north of London, you’ll find the UK’s second city. Knowing where to start is the hardest part; in fact, you’ll probably need to make a shopping list if you’re after something specific.
The Bullring is the city’s latest shopping instalment. It has changed the face of Birmingham forever after the old ugly eyesore of the original Bullring was knocked down to pave the way for the modernist shopping centre. Over 1.2 million square feet are 160 shops including a giant Debenhams and London favourite, Selfridges.
The Mailbox Shopping Centre is a designer label lover’s paradise. Here is where you’ll find the Birmingham outlet of Harvey Nichols as well as Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani, Jaeger and even a Nicky Clarke hair salon.
The Great Western Arcade is a Victorian shopping arcade dating back to 1876. It houses unique boutiques, making it a great place to go for presents. At Christmas time, the decorations make it look magical.
Other than this, there are the high streets of New Street and Corporation Street, the Pavilions – home to a huge M&S – and City Plaza. If you are thinking of a shopping break in Birmingham, then check out Octopus Travel for Birmingham hotels.