Warning - I'm a woman, I love shopping, I know men don't always 'get it', so this is a very feminine biased review - apologies to you blokes out there, but I'm sure you're reading something about electronic gadgets rather than shopping centres anyway!
I'm a born and bred Brummie but one ... Read review
Advantages: Loads of Hight Street Shops, mostly under cover Disadvantages: Expensive Car Parks, Very Busy on Saturdays
...any more! When the Bullring opened it was like a spaceship had landed in the middle of town and dropped another city in the middle of what was a horrible 60's concrete jungle.
Despite the fact the Bullring has now been open for a two years now it hasn't lost its 'shine'.
- Getting There -
The Bullring is easily accessible - if you're travelling by train it's straight out of New Street train station or ... ...you're travelling by car the Bullring has 3 dedicated car parks (Moor Street, Edgbaston Street and Centre Car Park) with a total of over 3,000 car parking spaces. Even on busy shopping days I've managed to park, but the car parks are very expensive - it was £1.80 for an hour for the last time I was there! I tend to get the train unless I'm planning lots of bags! I usually park on the top floor of Moor Street Car Park and walk across the bridge which ... more
Warning - I'm a woman, I love shopping, I know men don't always 'get it', so this is a very feminine biased review - apologies to you blokes out there, but I'm sure you're reading something about electronic gadgets rather than shopping centres anyway!
I'm a born and bred Brummie but one thing that used to let us down as the 'second city' was the shops. Not any more! When the Bullring opened it was like a spaceship had landed in the middle of town and dropped another city in the middle of what was a horrible 60's concrete jungle.
Despite the fact the Bullring has now been open for a two years now it hasn't lost its 'shine'.
- Getting There -
The Bullring is easily accessible - if you're travelling by train it's straight out of New Street train station or Moore Street Station and across the road and you're there! It's a little further from Snow Hill Station but only a 5 minute walk. If you're coming from Stratford on a Sunday in Summer time you can even travel by Steam Train! See http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/bullring.htm
If you're travelling by car the Bullring has 3 dedicated car parks (Moor Street, Edgbaston Street and Centre Car Park) with a total of over 3,000 car parking spaces. Even on busy shopping days I've managed to park, but the car parks are very expensive - it was £1.80 for an hour for the last time I was there! I tend to get the train unless I'm planning lots of bags! I usually park on the top floor of Moor Street Car Park and walk across the bridge which links the car park to Selfridges. Not good if you really don't like heights!
- Opening Hours -
The Bullring is open 9.30am - 8.00pm on weekdays, and 9.00am - 8.00pm on Saturdays and 11am-5pm on Sundays. It always gets busy in the middle of the day, particularly at weekends, so I would advise getting there early to beat the rush, or going in the evening when it's calmed down. Avoid Saturdays if you can - they're crazy! Queuing for escalators is not fun! At Christmas time opening is extended as late as 10pm
- Shops -
There are lots of shops and the main bonus is 95% of them are under cover, so you can shop whatever the weather.
There are large branches of most of the 'high street names' in the Bullring in between the two main department stores - Selfridges and Debenhams. I usually start (and end) my trip in Selfridges - well a girl can dream! Plus the food hall is gorgeous - always worth wondering past the chocolate counter for free samples. I think when the Bullring opened the City Council imported loads of Beautiful People to perch on white stools and eat Sushi - well they never used to hang around the 'old' Bullring believe me! I also love Paperchase in Selfridges - some fabulous cards you won't find elsewhere. You can then meander to Debenhams flagship store and back via all the other shops. You'll find high street fashion, toys and food on the Lower Level; younger fashion on the Middle Level; and the more expensive fashion on the Upper Level, East Mall.
Highlights of the shopping experience for me are Oasis, Monsoon (check out the changing rooms - each one is the theme of a different country or city!), a huge H&M, a huge New Look (which carries their 'expensive' range) and a massive Next. There's also FCUK, Reiss, Jane Norman, Kookai, Mango, Miss Sixty, Zara, Morgan, Pilot, Principles, Mexx, River Island, Bennetton, Gap…you get the idea.
Then there's the shoes…Dune, Faith, Jones, and then cheaper stores like Barretts
For those of you with kids there's the fabulous lego shop where you can play with the toys, The Entertainer (not open on Sundays!) which kids can enter via a snake slide, the Bear Factory where you can choose a bear to have stuffed to your liking, Early Learning Centre and Girl Heaven. The centre has a child-watch scheme if your little one manages to run off.
If you've got your man in tow and he can resist the lego shop (really!) you could loose him for a while in Dixons; the technological bit of Selfridges; the Orange shop which is more a place to 'hang out' it seems, or in one of the gadget type shops of which there are a few. Quite often there are people selling/demonstrating computer games in the foyer, or he can amuse himself in Anne Summers or the Nike store!
If you're after gifts then other than the above there are a couple of jewellers, Borders book shop, The Body Shop, Swarovski Crystal, The Natural World, Whitards of Chelsea and a couple of card shops. Don't go to the Bullring if you're after unique non-high street shops though!
If you're feet start aching after all the walking there is a Superdrug and a small Boots - which is a shame as I'm a Boots advantage point addict (but there is a much bigger one within walking distance) and a Holland and Barrett for the natural alternative.
- Time for tea/lunch/dinner -
There's loads of places to stop for a snack or a meal, from sit down type restaurants (Café Rouge, Pizza Hut, Del Villaggio) to more 'fast food' places including EAT (my favourite for a sandwich or soup), Baguette Du Monde, Tiffin Bites for gorgeous Indian 'fast food', Wagamama for noodles and the obligatory Burger bar (Burger King) and numerous coffee shops (Starbucks, Druckers, Costa Coffee, Millies Cookies)
- Facilities -
There are lots of nice toilets which are clean and free to use, Baby changing facilities are available outside of many of them which look really nice (says a non-mother!)
The centre has good disabled access including disabled parking and shopmobility which provides motorised and manual wheelchairs and motorised scooters (best to park in the Centre carpark for this).
If you run out of money there are cash machines are located on all floors
For those without a mobile phone (really is there anybody left?) there are telephones on all floors.
If you are overloaded with shopping there are 'Shoppers Lockers' situated on the Lower floor nearest to the doors to Moor Street Station.
There are customer service desks within the centre and touch screen terminals if you are looking for something special or are lost!
Or course in the middle of the centre is the open air plaza with St Martins - the church that used to be black with pollution and now gleams in the reflection of Selfridges million silver disks! On a warm day you can sit outside on the Selfridges Cafe (don't look down towards Digbeth) or outside one of the many other cafes and watch the world go by. It really is all rather beautiful, especially at Christmas, even though I can't quite get my head around all the tourists taking pictures of Brum!
Definitely worth the day out but don't blame me if you come back broke!
Advantages: loads of shops, and a nice contemporary look and feel Disadvantages: the urge to buy everything! Or is that just me...?
I only discovered the Bullring shopping centre in September last year when I moved to Birmingham University. I was really impressed with the huge number and range of shops available in the centre and the surrounding area - I'm a bit of a small-town gal me, I'm more used to farms and countryside walks. The first thing that attracted me to the Bullring was its appearance. You can't miss it as its situated right in the very centre of Birmingham, and ... ...away, a trip to the Bullring centre makes for a fantastic day out for everyone. ***So, what's there?*** With over 160 shops, including the two major department stores Debenhams and Selfridges, there is something for everyone here. There are heaps of high street fashion shops from H&M to Topshop, New Look to Monsoon. There are also more electronically themed outlets for the gentlemen with a large Dixons store as well as Apple computers (one of the ...
Amodini 04.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BullRing Shopping Centre
Advantages: Everything under one roof, accessable to all Disadvantages: volume of people and some pricey stores!
...8,000 jobs created the new BULLRING (yes, one word now - very hip and trendy) re-opened on 4th Septemeber!! The whole area has totally changed, new sculptures outsides, St.Martins church has been cleaned and restored back to it's former glory. The centre is still on the same site and can be accessed via New Street near the Rotunda and round the back where all the old outdoor markets used to be.
WHATS INSIDE
Over 140 shops so far and more to come, ... ...We parked under the BULLRING (3,000 car-spaces) although maybe not easy to find if you don't know your way around the city and quite expensive. The inside was very impressive, very modern, light and airy but too many people for my liking, my main high-light was visiting Selfridges, my mouth dropped open and was agog, plenty of 'ooooh's' and 'aaaaaaah's' LOL, the lower floor of Selfridges was one giant eating place full of little sub eateries..a sushi ...
JuliaD 30.09.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BullRing Shopping Centre
Advantages: Easy access from New Street Station, good parking, the facilities, 140+ shops! Disadvantages: The crowds.
...have to say that the Bullring is the best one I have been to in this country certainly, and rivals others in Europe and the US.
The Bullring officially opened on the 4th September 2003. However, I didn't manage to get down there until I started a placement last week. I was amazed by what I saw. There is something for absolutely everyone in there. The shops range from the cheaper end of the scale to the more expensive. Shopping in Birmingham had ... ...did not see the old Bullring in all its glory. When I was old enough to go shopping into Birmingham I was underwhelmed by it all, to say the least. It was full of cheap shops and I much prefered the town shops. I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. I can now! There is easy access to the Bullring from both New Street and Moor Street stations, both of which are short walks away. If commuting by car, there are 3,100 parking spaces available - ...
louise_julie82 03.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BullRing Shopping Centre
Advantages: huge, wonderful and contains a shop for everyone! Disadvantages: Once you're in pulling yourself away is harder than it sounds!!
...i first heard about the Bullring i wasnt really that excited, but i had a look online and was very impressed! There were so many shops listed and Selfridges was such an inspiring, funky and creative design: i just HAD to go there!
The first time I went was on a day out with the German Exchange group. We were allowed 3 hours to shop and we thought yeah that'll be enough... how wrong were we!!
The moment we stepped in through the huge glass doors, ... ...nemo game lol).
The bullring has many different cafes and places to stop and have a coffee,which is just what you need when doing some serious shopping! We visited the foodhall just outside the Bullring where there was a wide range of places to eat. There are lots of Starbucks at least 3 we counted, which was rather amusing at the time. There are also 2 costas which sell the nicest hot chocolate ever!!!
One of the best parts of the Bullring is ...
groovy2000 24.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BullRing Shopping Centre
Advantages: Over 160 Shops! Disadvantages: A lot to get round in one day.
...the day I recommend the Bullring Shopping centre in the heart of Birmingham. It has something for everyone, and on the off chance you can't find what you are looking for, there are plenty of shops just outside for you to look round.
GETTING THERE:- If you are visiting by car there are plenty of signs directing you as the Bullring is one of the main attractions in Birmingham.
If you arrive by train there are two stations very close to the shopping ... ...over 160 shops in the Bullring so I am sure you will find something you like. There are a whole range of shops from clothes shops, jewllers, computer stores, electrical shops..... Some of the shops include Topshop, River Island, H&M, Selfridges and Debenhams, Dixons, Apple and many, many more.
One of the good thing about these shops is their size. The Bullring is bigger than most shopping centres and the shops certainly show this. The Dixons is ...
kelassa 22.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of BullRing Shopping Centre
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Advantages: Great store for all your needs Disadvantages: Prices are high
I don?t live very far away from the BullRing in Birmingham. And I was delighted when they bull dosed the old 60's bullringshoppingcentre and built a brand new bullringshoppingcentre for the west midlands.
One of the main reasons why I go to the BullRing to do shopping is that there is a Selfridges Department store here.
The Building
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The Selfridges store building was the hot topic for discussion in the west midlands. There was a lot of controversy over the design of the building as the old church is right next to it. So you have this huge metal, modern bubbly building and then an old frail church right next to it.
The design of the building has been fantastically designed. It's a piece of art in its own right.
It?s a massive tall building on the end of the actual new BullRingshoppingcentre ...
redballoon 09.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Selfridges
