Mell Square is like so many shopping centres in Britain -- rundown, built in the 70s or 80s, and…read morenot updated or repaired much since. It's dark and gloomy, with dirty floors, poorly tiled walls, and an entrance that's nearly impossible to find unless you happen upon it by chance. However, if you DO happen upon it by chance, there are a few really great shops inside to recommend it. First of all, if you're out in Solihull town centre doing some shopping at the much nicer Touchwood Centre, and you find you need groceries, instead of heading to a proper shop and having to park again, there is a Sainsbury's inside Mell Square, just minutes from town centre. There is a New Look, which is one of the largest ones I've seen, with really helpful staff, and a great selection of stuff what girls like. The Julian Graves booth offers all the fruits and nuts you could ever want. In addition to the Clark's outside of the centre, there is another one inside, and a few other shops that obviously haven't stood out in my mind! Mell Square should either be completely renovated (as it's a hideous oncrete eye sore on the outside), or knocked down, and it's shops moved elsewhere. The shops are all useful - the centre is not.

Mell Square is often quite forgotten since the opening of Touchwood, and many people (and shops)…read morehave flocked there instead. However, Mell Square still offers many excellent high street stores, without the hustle and bustle that often comes with Touchwood including Dorothy Perkins, BHS, Boots, HMV and Marks and Spencer's. It is easy to access other forgotten shopping areas from Mell Square, such as Drury Lane you can then see the full range of shops Solihull has to offer after the hype of Touchwood. Mell Square has its own car park, which is often less full than Touchwood or John Lewis. From here you can access House of Fraser department store.

A good parking system at the base of this large shopping centre. All clean and tidy. You can have…read moreyour vehicle washed there too if you wish whilst you shop. Walk or take the lifts up to the main floors. Lots to see and do. Shopping heaven for some people, too busy for others. Friendly security staff help with directions when approached. More sitting areas required whilst certain people shop....and shop.

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!

The Lower Precinct is one quarter of Coventry's shopping…read more Home of the City's most exciting retailers, cafés and restaurants, offering something that will appeal to everyone, within a covered environment. Centrally located, it is easily accessible by bus, train or car, with its own quality car parking. Visit it to experience the best of Coventry's shops.

The lower precinct is quite a nice place to shop. It is undercover but close to all the other…read moreshops. It has a nice selection of shops contained within it. It links to the Co-op which sells nearly everything. It has a Pizza hut and a couple other places to get food. It's has sony shop, new look, tj hughes, next, H&M, toy shop and many more. It is a very convienient place to shop and links to many other places too, it is in the centre of town so easy to get to and close to bus stops too.

A substantially sized shopping centre situated in a pictoresque town. It offers a wide range of…read moreclothing from mens/womens/childrens as well as gaming/household/music etc The shopping centre is a little confusing if you have never been before but you soon find your way around picking up bargains on the way! There are many facilities available such as coffee shops, food and drink stalls, toilets and the necessity - ATM machines. Its a good place to just browse and kill some time and if you need something in particular its more than likely to have it. The centre is kept clean and tidy and staff are always friendly and efficient at their jobs. There is a large carpark outside the centre so parking is not so much a nightmare.

Telford shopping is really nice place and it is clean very clean compared to other places. they…read morehave staff cleaning all the time not just at night time. The car parking is really good. Just outside the centre there is a little parks for children and they can play in the lake on the boats. Its really fun and for everyone. Park its free to play on and the boats are a few pound. They have a lot of places to eat and a wide varierty of places so youl never be stuck. Check it out if you have never been.

Touchwood Shopping Centre might not be the largest shopping centre, but it's a pretty cool place,…read morewith a good number of brands, making it excellent for a small town like Solihull, meaning people can shop without making the short trip into Birmingham. It can be easily accessed via public transport, with many buses stopping right outside and Solihull Railway Station a short walk away, I do find the buses can be confusing if you don't know where you're going, due to the many different stops even to the same destination (Some buses to Birmingham take longer than others for example) Brands located here include Apple, Footasylum, JD, Nespresso and Lush. There is also a large John Lewis store here, which is all the more useful after their Grand Central location closed. This also features a Joe and the Juice. Food and beverage locations within the mall include Joe and the Juice, TGI Friday's, Nando's, Starbucks, Pizza Express and Wagamama. Most of the shops are on the Ground Level, while the restaurants seem to be on the upper level, there are exemptions to this rule, for example, Starbucks is on the Ground Level. I did like the contrast of the modern and older parts of the mall, I did find a lack of lifts/staff around the centre to be a slight problem. 4*

A very poor experience today!…read more I found myself with 45 minutes to spare in Solihull before my meeting so I walked into the town centre and into Touchwood to take some photos to share with you here and on twitter for my 100 Days of Birmingham photos. I took a portrait photo of the closest shopping arcade and then turned my camera to take a landscape photo. A security guard walked up to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was taking photos to share of the shopping arcade on twitter and he told me that I was not allowed to take photos. Ironic since there are already 12 photos on here. He suggested that I was taking photos of the people in the shopping centre which wasn't the case. He then asked me to DELETE my photos. I tweeted from BrumHour's twitter account about my experience and received a reply back that said they can ask people not to take photos. As its private property they are well within their rights to do so.

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

Grand Central is my favourite part about Birmingham New Street Station, it is a shopping centre…read morelocated above the train station, which connects into the Bullring (the city's main shopping centre), via a walkway. It can be a great to visit to kill some time before your train, or even to shop while in the city, plus the walkway acts as a cool way of getting to the train station and dogging the rain, of which we get more than our fair share of in the UK! Birmingham New Street Station - https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/birmingham-new-street-station-birmingham-3 Bullring- https://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/bullring-birmingham Grand Central opened in September 2015, it still feels new and modern. The stunning balcony, lighting and architecture are nice to admire, and the perfect welcome into one of the country's greatest cities. I loved admiring the view in the dark autumn nights, while sat enjoying a coffee at Joe and the Juice. Grand Central's only flagship retailer was John Lewis, sadly this store has now closed down but there are still a couple of shops located here, which includes Tesco Express, Foyles and Whittard. The selection of food and beverage options is much better including Nando's, Tapas Revolution and Joe and the Juice. There's plenty of other options, including a Natwest bank! 4* - I do think the loss of John Lewis is going to hit Grand Central hard, it's sad to see such a huge empty unit in such a cool building, but it is a great place in the city which many tourists and locals alike are sure to visit, by choice or by chance.

Although not 100% finished, Grand Central really has the wow factor that Birmingham New Street…read morestation has previously lacked. The highlight for me has to the the huge and beautifully designed skylight, positioned right in the middle of the development. This has changed a formerly dark space, into a vibrant hub of cafes, restaurants and shops. Grand Central can only be a good thing for Birmingham, proving the perfect first impression for people arriving in the city.

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....