Birmingham New Street retail space doubles as completion nears

Network Rail confirms a further 18 retailers ahead of Birmingham New Street station’s grand opening on Sunday 20 September 2015.

As Birmingham New Street’s completion and opening nears, Network Rail has named a further 18 retailers doubling the station’s retail offering and welcoming three new brands to the Network Rail estate – Moleskin, Joe’s Coffee House and Five Guys.

Dutch retailer Hema will also open its first store outside of London while other brands including Hotel Chocolat, Oliver Bonas, Leon, Benugo and All Bar One will help promote the station as a retail and leisure complex.

In addition, the station will house a new Doddle store where passengers can collect, send or return parcels. Other stores such as JOY, The Body Shop and Paper & Script will also open shortly providing opportunities to buy stationary, gifts and fashion.

25 percent of people who use stations are not actually travelling but instead come to visit shops

Hamish Kiernan, retail director at Network Rail said: “We want to create truly exceptional places for passengers and visitors, and are pleased to introduce these exciting new brands to Birmingham New Street station. They will not only cater for over 72 million travellers who use the station every year, but will also provide more choice for the thousands of office workers and local people who use the station but are not travelling.”

Network Rail states it would like to ‘create truly exceptional places for the 170,000 passengers and visitors who pass through New Street station every single day. Recent footfall studies have shown that up to 25 percent of people who use stations are not actually travelling but instead come to visit shops and food outlets. As a result station-based retail businesses are now significantly outperforming high street shops.’

The station will open on 20 September, while Grand Central and the new John Lewis store open on Thursday 24 September.