Bullring at the helm for Birmingham
If nine months is synonymous with new life, then it has greater significance for the West Midlands' great metropolis – Birmingham.
This is how long the city must wait until it welcomes the world's best athletes for the Commonwealth Games, whilst heralding a new beginning with further inward investment.
But Birmingham has already given us a glimpse of what it can do this year and the Bullring Estate has been at the heart of the action.
Our flagship destination put art and culture back on the public consciousness after lockdown and we moved ahead with a major repositioning to future-proof its use and customer offer.
Events from Bandstand Live to B-Side Hip Hop Festival were integral and engaged loyal and new customers in real life and on social. They celebrated music, art, film and dance but importantly supported new leisure and restaurant openings with responsible footfall.
Birmingham Weekender proved to be a summer highlight. Over 100 events utilising the mall, outdoor areas and available units pushed footfall to 91 per cent of 2019 levels over its August weekend.
This was followed by Pride. The iconic Bull championed diversity dressed in a rainbow outfit, while Gaydio, the world’s biggest LGBT radio station aired live from the centre. September was a strong month for our jewellery brands, sales up 16.5 per cent month-on-month, and perhaps the pink pound played a large part.
B-Side Hip Hop Festival brought together a young and diverse audience whilst providing a platform for regional and international artists. It contributed to an increase in sales for athleisure brands, up 13.8 per cent in September on the previous month, demonstrating that the right type of event can be a catalyst in sales for relevant brands.
We expect other brands to benefit from the full programme of events taking place over the coming months many in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome.
On social media, engagement was strong for a colourful installation adorning Selfridges’ iconic facade by Birmingham-born artist Osman Yousefzada.
The installation helped shape a new narrative for Bullring and we continued the momentum by diversifying the centre’s use and creating new experiences with new partners. This is exemplified by two deals announced this week; TOCA Social and M&S.
It’s unusual to juxtapose a food-led anchor with a leisure brand, but M&S’s Food Hall sitting below TOCA Social’s immersive football and social offering demonstrates how our destinations are evolving.
The addition of TOCA Social bolsters Bullring’s existing leisure facilities, including Treetop Adventure Golf which opened earlier this year. It signals a move away from fashion-led retail with a greater emphasis on other services, attracting a wider demographic and increasing income.
Elsewhere, we’ve also nurtured digitally native brands like Kick Game and Relic X Hooked. Their following on social media has translated into strong physical sales with Kick Game bringing an additional 9 per cent in footfall to it’s part of the mall in the week after opening. These brands are now looking for permanent space.
Meanwhile, new restaurants continue to attract new customers. Most recently Chinese hotpot chain, Haidilao, made its regional debut, whilst Wingstop’s launch event was attended by social and television influencers.
The events and new openings over the last few months have provided renewed optimism and there’s a sense of a new beginning on the horizon.
Now that the tracks have been laid, and with Bullring at the helm, the onus is on Birmingham to fulfil its potential and snatch gold next year.
