Hammerson has announced a flurry of high-profile new openings at Bullring & Grand Central, the culmination of a transformational year for the Birmingham city centre destination.
Nike, Bershka, Pull&Bear, and M&S have opened just in time for the busiest shopping period in the calendar, alongside the famed Coca-Cola truck having arrived at the destination last weekend, underpinning Hammerson’s strategy to enliven the asset with new brands, concepts and market firsts. The series of openings introduces 115,000 sq ft of brand-new shopping experiences.
Sportswear giant Nike has launched its ‘Nike Rise’ concept store, located at the gateway to Bullring and just metres from the iconic steel ‘Bull’. Spanning 13,000 sq ft, it features innovative digital experiences and services that enliven the sport pulse of the city. Customers will be able to experience Footwear Fastlane, which shares footwear product stories, benefits, and technical information; Nike by You, enabling visitors to customise new Nike products; and a new bra and leggings destination, helping female athletes find their right fit.
Inditex’s urban fashion brands, Bershka and Pull&Bear, have also made their regional debuts at Bullring, following in the footsteps of Zara. The two stores, spread over 36,000 sq ft in total, take Inditex’s presence at Bullring to over 76,000 sq ft. Each with their own dedicated entrances, the stores bring together Bershka’s three main lines – Bershka, BSK, and Man – alongside Pull&Bear’s complete collection of menswear and womenswear.
Joining Nike, Bershka, and Pull&Bear is M&S’ new 65,000 sq ft Bullring store, offering local shoppers a fresh market-style Foodhall, as well as stylish and spacious new Clothing, Home, and Beauty departments. Following a significant investment in the city’s local economy, the new store is part of the retailer’s plans to invest c. £480 million nationally, creating over 3,400 new jobs nationwide.
As part of Bullring & Grand Central’s Christmas activations, the iconic Coca-Cola truck has returned to the destination for the first time in seven years as part of a UK-wide tour in December. The experiential-led truck complemented the season-long Après Ski Bar, which is supporting the wider placemaking ambitions and vision, enlivening both indoor and outdoor space with new concepts and events that engage and excite customers.
Toby Tait, Director of Asset Management at Hammerson, commented: “We always knew that 2023 was going to be a transformational year for Bullring & Grand Central. In the last three months alone, we’ve had 12 major brands open their doors, as we enliven the destination by introducing new entertainment and leisure concepts, high-profile brands and market firsts.
The strength of the new openings this year including Nike, M&S, Bershka and Pull&Bear reinforces the ‘flight to quality’ we have witnessed across our portfolio, and the confidence occupiers have in the in-store experience, particularly in the right city centre location. We are well positioned going into 2024 and will build on this strong momentum.”