The Bullring was built around a Church, St Martin's in the Bullring…read more It's named after Martin Lewis who is the patron Saint of shoppers, He used to show shoppers how to make great savings on their purchases in Medieval times. Ok so that might not be true. But with recent facts about Birmingham being confused by Fox News. The bullring opened in September 2003 (I know I was working there!) It's mainly a high street fashion shopping destination but there are lots of little food units to explore round the three floors. Built into what was a sloping hill each of the floors have street level exits which can cause lots of confusion on your first visit. But fear not. There are touch screen maps around the centre to help you explore. It's huge glass roofs help natural light flow through each of the floors and you can walk from here to Birmingham New Street Station without going outside if you follow the walkways. Mornings are usually quieter than the rest of the day so if you are in a rush get there for 10am on a week day!

I see this place as more of a necessity, I don't really like going here but you have to so you can…read moreget to the majority of the shops in Birmingham city centre. Don't get me wrong, the place in comparison to other shopping centres is almost beautiful, big open skylight, actually quite clean and toilets on almost every level. But half the time the escalators are broken, the last one being a total of nearly 4 months (and having to fight through H&M if you wanted to go down to the ground level). The elevators are ridiculously slow, and usually monopolized by the owners of tiny humans in prams... which is fair enough as they would struggle with the stairs. The morale of this story is - take the stairs. Other than that gripe its generally not a bad place, just really busy. You can cut through the bullring to quickly get to any other part of town and because the whole building is sheltered its convenient for shopping in the bad weather.

Stratford Road has no shortage of fabric stores that specialise in Asian unstitched outfits…read more However, there are comparatively few stores that offer readymade clothing. Aashiqui is one of the latter and has been a well-established business in the local area. It specialises in bright and "bulky" fashion, by which I mean the embroidery is quite garish and bold with plastic stonework, which I am not a fan of. I felt their clothing was overpriced for the lack of quality in fabric and detail. The clothes look very generic and lack style. They sell sarees, lenghas, salwar suits and some trouser suits. It's a family business so there's an informal style to their customer service. They are very accommodating and helpful. If you mention what you're looking for and your budget, they'll point you in the right direction without up-selling higher priced items.

The Stratford Road, for better or worse, probably isn't your go to place for elegant clothing…read moreboutiques. However, leave your inhibitions at the door and go into Bella Donna, as it's a surprisingly swanky shop, with a select few rails showcasing a few luxurious garments, with a clear emphasis on quality over quantity. The shop is filled with modern, chic clothing and jewellery, all conforming to the latest trends and fashions (I'm reliably informed by my girlfriend that chunky bracelets and necklaces are 'in' at the moment, and Bella Donna certainly has these in abundance). As you'd expect, the prices are by no means the cheapest, with much of the jewellery going for around £25, although they had some very reasonably priced sale items, such as jeans for £23, and they also have an 80% clearance rail that's worth checking out if you're in the hunt for a bargain. Proof that you don't need to go into the centre of the city to find high end shops.

I think Piccadilly Arcade is the prettiest of the arcades in Birmingham city centre. Whilst the…read moreothers have their fair share of attractive architecture, this one has too but all the retail units are occupied. More on the upmarket side, most of these are independent or at least have an independent look about them. Smithsonia is lovely looking gift store that is the 'go to' place if you have exhausted everywhere else for gifts. There is also a florist, cobblers, a take away cafe, vintage boutique, jewellers, opticians and a beautician to name not all of them. A good place to walk through if you're showing anyone coming into Brum around! On the rare occasion I'm catching a train New Street station during opening hours, a little walk through this quite arcade sure puts a spring in my step.

I mean there are huge murals of people parachuting above your head.....how can you not give 5*…read morebased on that alone..... This pretty little arcade gives the very chain heavy new street area a nice bit of independant charm. Inside you can find shops selling jewellery, flowers, homeware and coffee (faculty). I can't say I have ever purchased anything from here other than many coffees and flowers for a friends housewarming but I have walked through 10000000's of times. I like this place as it gives smaller retailers space in a prime location that im sure is much more affordable than the high street. Everyone who I have ever been served by has alwasy been amazingly friendly and helpful and generally passionate about what they do......and oh yeah there are murals of people parachuting.....did I mention how much I like those haha....

Ruchi is a typical fashion shop targeted at females. Everything you find in Ruchi will be for…read moreladies. Nothing for the lads although you might want to come in here and get something for your other half. From summer dresses to t-shirts to purses, these are some of things you will find in Ruchi. The majority of customers will be ladies which is stating the obvious whilst the shop owners and assistants are female. It might not be a Jane Norman or a Primark but Ruchi does have something for very woman and you can get some real bargains at a great value. I am no fashion expert however there are some eye catching clothes at Ruchi and women out there might just want to pounce on the bargains Ruchi are offering. If you are looking for clothes that are value for money as well as searching for bargains, Ruchi could be your answer.

my favourite clothes shop in west bromwich i love the styles they got in here. the prices may not…read morebe that cheap but they are worth paying for because the qaulity of the clothing is great. the staff are helpfull the shop as also got chaging rooms so you can try your clothes on before you buy them. the only thing i dont like about the place is the shop is small i struggle somtimes to push my pram in there but apart from that everything else is great i would definatly say it is worth shopping in here

Nice independent shop in the centre of Solihull. Holds several clothing brands and tends to cater…read morefor women of more mature age groups who like a touch of quality and individuality. Most of the clothing isn't really to my taste but I really like the Sandwich range. They currently have a sale on and there are some real bargains to be had. The staff are very helpful.

This is the best place in Nuneaton to get fab clothes. They sell the latest jeans of all the big…read moremakes and have tee shirts to match. Shoes, dresses, skirts, jackets are all available at reasonable prices. The shop is lovely to browse it is set out to encourage you to look around. The staff are lovely and always very helpful. This shop has been in Nuneaton for many years and is well worth a visit. It is situated by the side of the Abbeygate shopping centre

Great Western Arcade is truly a highlight of the City. It's full of quirky independent shops,…read morerestaurants and services. The architecture is stunning and it's clearly well maintained and meticulously looked after. Keep an eye out for events being held here too, as it's a great way to experience this location whilst doing something a little different (so far, I have attended a summer garden party and a silent film screening). Some of the highlights of the location are the Handmade Boutique (where you can purchase something totally unique made in the City - great for gifts), Anderson and Hill (full of delicious local and imported foodstuffs) and my favourite shoe shop in the city, Sims Footwear. Loki is also of note, as it's a wine retailer AND a tasting house (an usual concept worth a try). A must for all visitors and locals alike, pop along to the Arcade and lose a couple of hours browsing, eating and (when you're really worn out from all that shopping) grabbing a couple of beauty treatments at the Spa.

If Paradise Forum looked more like this I'd be sadder that it was being knocked down…read more.. This is a beautiful arcade with lots of boutique business spaces. More recently this has become open in the evening with the likes of Bistro 1847 and Loki Wine changing the mixture of shops and shifting it into the evening. It was bombed in the Second World War and the damage must have been pretty shocking. However the visible scars of war have been long since healed and this remains a homage to Victorian values with beautiful floor tiles and historic railway style lighting which I'd only noticed walking around the balcony at night. Next time you are rushing through to Snow Hill station or chasing down to the post office walk a little slower and take a look at how beautiful it all is. Really