I'd passed this place once before and my head instantly turned to get a closer look at the bits and…read morebobs on display outside, sadly I'd forgotten about it even existing. I finally made it inside just the other day after stopping to get a closer look whilst passing by in a car once again. Its a hodge podge of stuff, mainly furniture items and interesting pieces from old trunks, 7" records, glass jugs and old frames. You have to have a good look as there is something hidden everywhere. Habib the owner is a guy you have to barter with and haggle hard as for some items he wants too much, prepared to make him and offer and keep looking whilst he cogitates on it. Whilst we had stopped to check out an old trunk and a wash stand we came away with NKOTB 7" records and a copper pot. Random I know but you need to visit regularly, have a rummage and a haggle.

Another relic (no pun intended) from Stirchley's past as a centre for second hand goods, Bits and…read morePieces escaped my eye until fairly recently. Whilst out and about scouting I decided to give it a look for the first time. What I found is a small shop with a plethora of secondhand wares spilling out onto the pavement in front. There's usually a few bits of furniture, wooden chairs and the like out there. Out of Stirchley's secondhand stores, Bits and Pieces seems to be the one to go to for furniture. However there's plenty of other bargains to be hand, which will be trash or treasure depending on your point of view. I wouldn't particularly advise anyone to make a special visit here but if you like these sorts of shops, it's worth a look, and junk fanatics can always combine it with a trip to the other secondhand shops in Sitrchley.

A bit like the Qutby Hardware store just around the corner, this is an Aladdin's cave of household…read moreand DIY essentials. An amazingly cramped shop that will more than likely have what it is your are looking for, be that 13 Amp fuses, or a bit of string, or a bag of rawlplugs. The name is quite clever, because it makes you think it's a pound shop, but of course your are really just getting value for money, and prices vary. The guy that runs the place is helpful and friendly and will help you locate what it is your are looking for.

Noct Offs Furniture is a Furniture which is situated in the heart of Stirchley…read more 1495 Pershore Road, B302Jl, Stirchley, Birmingham

There are several Blunts stores dotted around Brum and they've all been around seemingly since I…read morewas a nipper. There is something nostalgically familiar about the interior of a Blunts store - boxes of shoes piled high around the walls of the shop, a small area for young children to be newly shod by long-suffering but friendly assistants. There also always seems to be LOTS of staff in Blunts stores and this, combined with the fact that retail is tough these days for the independent retailer, makes you wonder how they have survived as long as they have. But, survive they have and it's always nice to see a Blunts sign on the High Street.

Brummie bohemians rejoice! Xanadu is a great little fair trade clothes shop located in Selly Oak,…read morethat's a much needed establishment to the area. Students at University of Birmingham can finally become hippies again (which is exactly what the student life should be like!). Stocking men's and women's clothes, each item is handmade to perfection and imported from the likes of India and Nepal. There's a brilliant selection of garments that rival the Hippy Buddy shop in the Oasis Market perfectly. In fact, I find this shop a lot more convincingly authentic when compared to most other stores in the same league. As well as fresh, uniquely, natural-made clothes, Xanadu also sells didgeridoos, candles, incense, singing bowls and many other spiritually inspiring products. There's a great selection of religious symbolisms and buddha statues sold in store too; I'd love this place to be my house, I'd feel so cultured and relaxed! Especially when you realise that Xanadu are massage therapist as well! When can I move in? This is a brilliant shop that basks in everything bohemian, and even the store front has been hand designed too. I wish more shops were as beautifully creative as this!

I really like this shop, I think that it is different and alternative, especially in comparison to…read morethe other stores in Selly Oak. It has a variety of clothing for both men and women and is what some may call a 'hippy shop'. I have never bought any clothes from here, but they have more to offer as well as clothes. They also sell candles, crystals, pretty ornaments for home, incense and lots of other healing and holistic-style materials. They also offer various treatments too such as reflexology and massage. You would have to enquire about these though as I have not booked any myself. I like coming in here as it is peaceful and I like the candles and incense. The staff are friendly and are willing to chat about the things they offer here including spiritual advice. Overall, it is a good shop if you are into this kind of thing!

I popped in here to get a pint of milk and some chocolate just this morning. There was a lollipop…read morelady already in the shop, which I took as a good sign. I'm not quite sure why. Anyway, both the lollipop lady and the lady behind the counter were very friendly, so it was a good sign. They seemed very concerned that I wouldn't be able to carry everything (I already had 3 bags of fruit - rather than being incapable of carrying a pint of milk and a chocolate bar) and the shop itself was very clean and very tidy - which makes looking for things much easier. There didn't appear to be many little newsagents like this in this stretch of Cotteridge - which surprised me - so M Y News is probably doing a good trade, even though it's only a small shop. And good for it, is what I say! It's clean, it's friendly, it's well laid out and well-stocked. That's pretty much all you want in a local shop.

Birmingham has newsagents on pretty much every street, it seems. Plenty of these shops are dingey,…read moreover prices, unfriendly, cramped, the list of negative adjectives goes on and on. However, I'm pleased to say that M Y News is none of the above things. The shop is small, but does a surprisingly good range of wares, such as sweets (many of which are very rare to find in many other places) and crisps. I've been served by the same friendly women every time I've been in, and she always makes shopping there a delightful experience, very chatty and asking how your day is going. There are a fair few competing businesses in the local area of Cotteridge, but if you're going to choose somewhere for a quick snack or somewhere to get a newspaper, I'd highly encourage you to support this excellent independent local business.

This is not my local pharmacy but it is my most preferred, the staff are very personable and…read morefriendly and the advice from the pharmacist is always excellent and easy to understand.

The staff at the Bournville pharmacy have all always been so kind and helpful for all our family's…read moreneeds. Because of covid shielding they now deliver our medicine to our door. which we really appreciate . you can always find what you need there, and if not it can Easily be quickly ordered. The new owners are very helpful and kind as we have been using this chemist for over 16 years ! They are a part of our community we pop in weekly for any necessities! And even unusual items like bulk tiger balm !

Reasonably priced mens & women's quality vintage clothing…read more Top Banana and many of the shops on York Road share the ethos of the old-fashioned shop keeper. The staff like to have a natter with the customers, offer them a hot drink if they're having a good mooch and often give discounts if you buy more than one item. There aren't many places to buy quality vintage clothing for men so Top Banana has an edge over most other shops. The focus is mainly American vintage from the 60s-70s and the majority of the stock reflects this, but they have everything from 40s to 90s - you just need to have a good rummage! Fans of converse and vans if you haven't heard of Top Banana where have you been?! They have LOADS and prices range from £15-£25. Prices are very reasonable but don't expect bargain basement prices like £1 etc.. this is quality merchandise which would set you back a pretty penny down south! Grab it while you can before someone else does! While you're here pop next door to Cherry Reds for some yummy food or two doors down to Polar Bear Records,

Vintage gold converse, weathered denim shirts and an abundance of classic pieces from yesteryear -…read moreTop Banana offers something that few clothing stores do these days - and that's authenticity. They have some really nice stuff, some of it I imagine would make you look like Tony Soprano, a 70s mobster or Dirk Diggler. Their range is enormous for a small shop - from vintage varsity, leather and demin jackets to knitwear, polos and an array of slick shirts. All of the items I have bought from Top Banana have a timeless quality about them that only get better with age. With Top Banana you're guaranteed to get some fine clothing for a fair price that even a young Jean-Paul Belmondo would give a nod of approval to.You will leave a (fashion) law unto yourself, swaggering like a don, whistling 'ain't no stopping us now' and ready to share your new-found slickness with the world. At least I did.

This is a strange little place, but it's worth popping your head around the door to have a look…read more Essentially it's a dress repair and alterations business, as the window display and name of the shop would suggest. You can see a seamstress or two working away at the back of the shop. I've never had a dress altered there since I don't own or wear dresses, but what makes this shop interesting to visit is that recently it has started doubling up as an self-titled 'Indoor Car Boot Sale'. There is a baffling array of bric-a-brac, toys, books and clothes for sale that make it look like the store room of a charity shop. You'll need to dig amongst the organised chaos to find anything, but it's a nice place to go hunting for an oddity. My son likes to mooch about in here and often finds a small toy or some other thing that he likes the look of, and these can be picked up for a few pence.

At first glance the dress shop is exactly what you would expect, a shop which deals with the…read moreselling of and alteration of beautiful women's dresses. However, on closer inspection of this Raddlebarn road business there is far more than meets the eye. Inside there are all sorts of strange knick knacks which appear to be the kind of things more akin to a charity shop or perhaps some sort of bric a brac sale. If you look hard enough there's always something pleasing and the novelty of the whole experience makes a visit to the dress shop quite unforgettable. There can't be too many stores around doubling up in this manner so for that reason alone this place is worth a look.

It calls itself a newsagents, but really it seems to be a bit of everything: sandwiches, coffee,…read morestationery, printing & faxing and it could probably cook your dinner for you and take the bins out. There was even a personal door-opening service when I visited. I'm not sure if the door is opened for every customer. I'd like to think they were just being chivalrous towards me personally, but in fact I think they were probably just wondering what the heck I was doing loitering outside their shop, taking photos of the front. That said, I was personally escorted out the door on the way out also, so they can't have been that suspicious. This seems extremely well stocked, if not a little bafflingly so: in a sort of 'Is it a newsagent? Is it a cafe? Is it a stationers? Is it a home store?' way. But then again, better to have too much stuff than too little, I suppose. The sandwich ingredients didn't look amazing, I have to say. But I appreciated the slightly random doorman service.

I think that this is a useful little convenience store and stocks quite a lot of things, which…read moreseems a little surprising considering they are only classed as a newsagents. It is fairly roomy inside and I popped in just to grab a few bits and bobs for my evening; so mainly snacks and girly magazines! The staff in there were really friendly and very polite, which always makes a nice change these days. I found what I wanted fairly quickly and ended up buying lots of junk food and about three magazines. They put it all in a bag for me and asked me what I had planned for the evening (although I think they could guess I had no exciting plans). Overall, I think that this is a really good store, it stocks more than expected and the staff are very pleasant.