A new bar is opening at the Bullring in Birmingham & it’s set to sparkle

The Bullring in Birmingham city centre has announced exciting plans for two of its popular shops to expand - including one which is set to open a bar.

Luxury jewellery retailer Goldsmiths and fashion streetwear and sportswear brand Footasylum, famed for its footwear and athleisure apparel, are both getting bigger - with Goldsmiths opening a bar and lounge area. The plans at Goldsmiths will see the jewellery shop become a flagship store in the UK as it takes over the unit next door on the Upper Mall opposite H&M.

In addition to a hospitality bar and lounge, the multi-million pound expansion will see  Goldsmiths, which is the UK’s largest retailer of Watches of Switzerland, will feature a VIP consultation room and repair service. Meanwhile the Footasylum expansion on the Lower Mall, near to the new Marks & Spencer and upsized JD Sports, will see the store move from its smaller current location to a new 18,590 sq ft unit.

A number of retail units have closed in the Bullring in recent times, with Burger King being one of the most recent to leave. But the expansions are exciting news for Birmingham’s historic shopping centre and follow announcements earlier this year that popular brands including Marks & Spencer, Bershka, Pull&Bear and the world’s most Instagrammable café, EL&N, will all be joining Bullring & Grand Central during 2023.

The Bullring’s entertainment and leisure offering is also set to be boosted when interactive football and dining destination, TOCA Social, opens alongside a new bowling concept complete with a rooftop bar at Lane7 in Q4 2023.

In addition, virtual reality specialist, Sandbox VR, will unveil its largest destination in the world at Grand Central on July 19. Bullring and Grand Central owners, Hammerson, explained that the plans are set to enliven and reinvigorate the centres by introducing new brands and diversifying the occupier mix particularly through experiential-led and leisure concepts.

Dan Murphy, General Manager at Bullring & Grand Central, commented:“We’ve had a brilliant first half of the year with a number of high-profile retail and leisure brands announcing that they’ll be bringing their concepts to Bullring & Grand Central in 2023. The new Goldsmiths flagship alongside a bigger and better Footasylum continues our leasing success and gives us more momentum as we approach our 20^th birthday in September.

“The second half of the year is going to be huge for us and we’re really excited to see Bullring & Grand Central come alive with new brands and experiences that we know will resonate with our customers. This is just the beginning!”