It’s Christmas shopping time!
You’re too late for Black Friday and Cyber Monday - but that doesn’t mean there’s no time left to get that perfect gift for your loved ones.
And there’s no need to rely on your phone to find gifts either. You can head into the real life shops in Birmingham city centre which are bursting with presents.
Although, it has to be said, there aren’t quite as many shops around as there used to. I previously ranked Birmingham's Christmas shops for a festive feature for a news website back in 2015 - just after John Lewis had opened and the shopping landscape has certainly changed since then.
Birmingham boasted of being one of the few UK cities that were home to the big six department stores back then. Of course, John Lewis in Grand Central is no more - and we no longer have Debehams. But town is still full of some fantastically festive shopping experiences in its stores, away from those outdoor Christmas markets.
We took a look at some of the Christmas gift shop offerings in Birmingham’s biggest stores - that’s Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, M&S, Primark and House of Fraser - and ranked our experiences, with the best at the top. So here we go:
5. Christmas at Selfridges, Birmingham
Fionnuala Bourke
6. Number Two: Harvey Nichols, Mailbox
It might not be the cheapest option for presents, but it's certainly one of the most stylish. The Christmas gifts shop greets you as soon as you enter the main entrance behind the glamorous Christmas tree on the first level of the Mailbox. If you don’t want to go all out and spend a fortune on designer gear, there are wonderfully glamorous stocking fillers you can treat yourself to, including Christmas pudding gin and peppermint balls. Or why not go all out and get a Harvey Nichols Christmas hamper with options including boozy mini mince pies, mulled wine, perky prosecco, chocolate truffles and so much more. This is another must-see Christmas shop if you’re in town. It’s so lovely to look around. | Fionnuala Bourke
7. Christmas gift shopping at Harvey Nichols, Birmingham
Fionnuala Bourke
8. Christmas gift shopping at Harvey Nichols, Birmingham
Fionnuala Bourke