The arcade toyshop dudley is a hidden jem. A traditional toyshop but some great offers, great…read moreservice and on trend with toys (they had bumpezz and Moshi Monsters before anyone else locally). Who needs toys r us!

this shop great if you like nice cloths but its to pricey so i will not go back there but still the…read morestaff once a gain are very friendley and thats what i like when i go in any shop

Although I walk down Cannon Street every week, I never really stop to look at the shops therein…read more It's never been a conscious thing, I just didn't think that these places would stock anything of interest to me and thus didn't bother to have a look at them. It took a Christmas shopping event last night to show me the error of my ways and change my mind... So, I spotted on Twitter this week that "Shopping in Birmingham" was putting on an event in the City. With a free RSVP through their website, you could gain little perks in many of the stores situated on Cannon Street (including mulled wine, Christmas snacks, discounts and competitions). As I was in town on the Thursday I though, "what's not to lose?" and RSVP'd for myself and Elite's Caroline C and Emma S to go and have a mooch. After battling through the crowds of the German market, we met at the Studio where we were given our VIP discount cards, a glass of mulled wine and a little shopping bag and let loose on the street. We popped into White Stuff as it was offering 20% off all purchases on the night, as well as a little contest and festive drinks and snacks. On arrival we were immediately welcomed by a very friendly member of staff who poured us some sparkling wine and invited us to try our hand at "hook a duck" for £2 (with all proceeds going to charity). We all won a little White Stuff goodybag with a gift from the store, a little bar of chocolate and a discount voucher for Naked wines. So far, so good. Again, I have never stepped foot in this shop so didn't really know what to expect. There is a good range of small gifts (I picked up some fantastic cookie cutters), socks and sundries and clothes on offer in this "looks smaller from the outside" unit. Downstairs is mostly menswear at the front with a range of popular women's items at the back and upstairs is all ladies clothing. It's all nicely laid out and the price tag reflects the quality you can expect. Small gifts start from around £3.50 in this shop, although other novelty items reached up to around £16. The dresses and clothing certainly wasn't cheap, but there were scarves and tights for a "not entirely unreasonable" price for a nice gift (starting at £16 - £25). The staff were definitely the star of the show. All of them were welcoming, smiley and genuinely were going out of their way to help shoppers with questions about items in store or seeking out sizes that weren't on the racks. I don't know if it was the fake snow falling on the street or the loud Michael Buble soundtrack, but I was rather charmed by this shop. Yes, it's not independent. Yes, the designs are a little too colourful for my taste, but I will definitely be back to peruse their scarves, accessories and gifts in the future.

This shop is hidden away down a side street just off the main shopping strip of New Street but I…read morealways make a point of going here as I love it so much! The shop window is always inviting and the staff are very pleasant and helpful. It's reasonable sized, I went in the other day and they had changed the layout. It's now women's I the left, and men's on the right as you enter downstairs. You can also go upstairs where they stock shoes and children's clothes. It's also where the fitting rooms are by the way! The stock changes regularly and when the sales are on (not at the time of writing) they are really good. Also, there tends to be rack of 'last chance' offers, which are reduced down but lack the full array of sizes. They do gift tokens and are happy to exchange/refund on items when required. Overall, I love this store and the clothes, get yourself there!

Waterstones on High Street, just outside the Bullring is the largest location of Waterstones I've…read moreseen, this one is in Birmingham city centre. The store has six floors including two cafes and multiple floors with toilets - Click and Collect (online orders) is conveniently on the ground floor in case you're in a hurry and don't want to navigate throughout the whole store, which can be a little awkward as this isn't something you'd expect to do from a book shop. The staff seemed disinterested which is a shame, and not too willing to help and with a book store as big as this one - it is something you'd often need to enhance the experience from book recommendations to finding a book if you already have one in mind - they do have writing on "recommended" books but unlike other stores these are newspaper quotes which every book seems to have which are easily found online or even on the book its-self once you pick it up - I mean come on, are the staff literate with a passion for books and customer service? PERSONALISATION. Other than the size of the store, it doesn't really stand out - the store seems to follow the newer and more modern layout Waterstones are slowly rolling out (sadly this hasn't arrived in my home town of Manchester yet!) 3* based on a great central location in Birmingham and huge size over multiple floors, the layout and slightly cramped nature of the ground floor and disinterested staff really is a shame because without it the store could even warrant a high four-star rating.

This Waterstones is accessible from the High Street and also from the top floor of the Pavillions…read moreshopping mall. This store is large, spacious and airy with a huge selection of books. Anything you can think of you will find and if they dont stock it they will search to see if its at the New Street branch (the other large store) or order it in for you. There is a Costa Coffee on the first floor and the 4th floor has a large floor space dedicated to travel and the world. As you walk across to pay for your purchase you get a nice view of inside the Pavillions and as you take the glass elevator back down you get a whirl wind view of New Street :-)

Very cool shop. I was browsing windows in Warwick, always get suckered in by funny cards. Went in…read moreto check them out, they have a ton of really neat stuff. Stationary needs, some everyday items, just a nice little place to pick up a gift or locally produced art item for guests to ooh & aah over! Dig it!

A great little stationers and whilst the stock in store isn't exhaustive, if there is something you…read moreare looking for then they can usually order it in the very next day for no extra cost. Brilliant service and competitive prices. They have a good range of pens, some office furniture and single paper stick to chose from. They have some essential craft stock from spray mount to inks, as well as staplers and bull dog clips. Delta Pi doesn't have a car park and on street parking can be difficult unless you leave one in the car with the engine running whilst the other hops out.

I love Delta Pi - the shop isn't massive, but they pack a wide range in - with a leaning towards…read moreart supplies rather than endless stacks of A4 notepads. The staff are knowledgeable and keen to help - I've been trying to source a particular type of ceramic blade, and whilst the man in the shop had never heard of it he took down all the details and is going to enquire with his suppliers to see if he can help. It's this kind of level of service that you would never EVER get in a big chain like WH Smiths!

I love the Ikon Gallery bookshop. Whether you want exhibition catalogues, postcards, greetings…read morecards, zines, gifts or books; It's all pretty much there and curated and displayed in the style you would expect from Birmingham's premier contemporary art gallery. I love nothing better on a lazy spring Sunday then to wander up to Ikon to browse their art books and magazine collection. Since the closure of Borders, this is the best place to flick through and purchase those high-end, imported fashion and art magazines which are so hard to find on the high street. They stock a great range of design books too, from web design to arcitechture, and they have a good range of books and gifts for children. I recommend this shop 100% - go and check it out!

Small and perfectly proportioned - the Ikon bookshop fits a HUGE range of books, stationery and…read moregift items into a teeny tiny space. I can be a very lazy art lover, and there's been more than one occasion where I've really wanted to go and see a show, and for one reason or another I've managed to miss it - so it's always a joy when I visit the bookshop, and they still have copies of past exhibition catalogues.. Hooray, I can snap one up and pretend to all my arty friends that I was there and saw it in person! Alongside their book selection, they stock awesome cards, postcards, wrapping paper, Moleskine notebooks (ahhh every artist/writer loves a Moleskine, right?) and other smaller trinkets such as artist designed badges and the occasional zine. The magazine selection is also enticing, though by the time I've spent money on books and stationery I end having to forego any magazines as well.

Electronics are great here! Headphones for talking on Skype card readers USB adapters, it is…read moreunbelievable that they only cost 1 pound each. On a more girly note I bought some Revlon professional make up brushes from here and they are great! Plus some blush. They always have great stuff and yes the crisps and chocolate is always so tempting as well, it doesn't help that it is so cheap!

big store, plenty of range. Some of it isn't all that great but some end of line stock which is a…read morereally good deal. Shop stocks alot of cleaning essentials, baby goods, toiletries, home essentials like batteries, DIY good and also has a food section. Usually busy but staff move the queues through quickly

I'm quite torn on this location…read more It is fully functional, and the company in general offers a lot of great options at this location, but it is just so old and starting to get a bit tatty. Pros: fresh food market hall downstairs, proper cafe upstairs, click and collect, M&S quality products, mens, womens, and children's clothing, and M&S has started their own rewards Sparks card. Located in the mall, so there's a parking garage from the elevators. Cons: quite small, very small feeling in fact, old flooring and lighting, needs a new coat of paint, cafe looks really outdated, poorly laid out, and their clothing selection mostly caters here for the elderly. And the toilets are super old and half of the time are never functioning. I heard that most of Coventry City Center will be knocked down and rebuilt, and I think if this place wants to stand a chance against the new high class shops arriving within the next few years, then corporate better offer a full face lift, expansion, and start catering towards the University Students. All in all, I still shop here weekly and will continue to do so, but I see so much more potential at this M&S!

A typical marks and spencers store…read more Great range of quality goods that are reasonably priced. Located in a good place, and its a enjoyable shopping experience for the whole family. Food can be over priced but you will always get top notch food. Some food that is not good enough is sold on the other companies who sell it Layout of store is great and i often shop here with friends and family. Arena M&S is better though