A fairly nice WHSmith branch following the new store look/layout on Union Street in Birmingham city…read morecentre, close to the Bullring and House of Fraser. They had a balanced/decent selection of to-go beverages, stationary and a small book selection. A tad overpriced and small compared to other branches in large city centres, but still not a bad WHSmith location! 3*

Items are overpriced though stock is well varied. The one time I entered, I had planned to purchase…read morea book that I had seen online reduced by half. The book in store did not have a price tag so I naturally assumed it was the price online. Waiting in the queue only to be told that price was exclusively available if ordering online. Something not clearly stated and exacerbated only by the lack of a price sticker in store. Was not happy as it was a wasted trip.

Today, paperchase are having a Mother's Day celebration offering 15% off purchases! So I went to…read morebuy few things and noticed if I spend £15 I will get a box of chocolates! I'm such a sucker for freebies that I bought enough to qualify, got my discount and the free chocos! They are just a small box!!! I have their rewards card which gives you offers, so on my birthday I will get £5 towards a purchase for a limited time! So I look forward to that next week ;-) They offer 10% off for students! I took a glass of orange juice as place is so warm and I was gasping! Plus a little biscuit as they were offering nibbles n drinks for the occasion! Their products are cute and kitsch I think is the word! Have to stop myself buying pens etc that I like looking at but know I won't use ha ha

I absolutely adore Paperchase, and have ever since, at the age of 16, I noticed them in my small,…read morehumble hometown Borders. I noticed some of the spelling was screwy, and realis(z)ed that they were a British company, which of course, as a teen, made it much cooler (we were all still following the Spice Girls and wearing Union Jack dresses and Doc Martens, sorry). Paperchase always have the most unique, interestingly designed gifts, couture wrapping paper, and cards for every occasion (happy circumcision!). I could spend hours browsing the fascinating collection of gifts (most recently intriguiing, a fruit bowl with a space alien design; delightful). I buy all my cards from either here, or a local holistic healing shop. My understanding was that Paperchase bought designs from local artists, which is great, as it helps the economy (we need The Man sometimes), but also benefits the little guy. Recently, they've become embroiled in a quite sticky situation, but it ultimately turned out they weren't to blame. As the news came to light, I had just been there that afternoon to buy my husband's Valentine's Day card, and was flooded with Small Artist Suffering guilt. Thankfully, it was to no avail, and I can continue pottering around my favourite kitschy corporate store. P.S. American's spell "stationery", as in paper products, like this: "stationary", the same as something that's not moving. That's your Yankee trivia for the day!

This is a nice little shop that I always go to to buy greetings cards and gift wrap if I'm in…read moreSolihull. They have a huge wall with really different and original greetings cards that I've never seen in other shops. There are really arty ones and funky ones that make a change to normal. In addition to cards, they sell funky wrapping paper and cardboard boxes to put gifts in. There's also loads of different stationary, papers and pens and things like folders and lever arch files. All are really nice designs. They also sell funky toys that are ideal as stocking fillers or little presents. The staff are friendly and always ask if they can help you. It's never too full so you can browse to your hearts content and then not have to queue to pay. They always have inviting displays in the window which was what tempted me in to start with!

This is a fairly large branch of Paperchase, situated in the middle of Touchwood. There is a…read morePaperchase section in Borders nearby, but this independent shop carries more stock. In addition to cards and wrapping materials, the shop carries stationery, small gifts and some items for the home, such as recipe holders. There are also some kitsch Christmas and other holiday decorations in season. Paperchase have a strong graphic image to much of their range, with cards and wrapping generally being bold and stylised; you can normally tell if an item has been purchased here. The stationery is of good quality (really nice paper in the notebooks etc) and is priced accordingly. The shop carries a wide range of pens, including some liquid ink ones that I can't find anywhere else, and which make even my scrawl look good. Great for presents for students, teens and anyone who likes bold, funky designs.

This store offers a very personal service and the attendant in the shop knows a thing or two about…read morepens. We talked about his Fountain Pens, and there is nothing that he doesn't know. A fantastic and stylish selection of different writing instruments, and a diverse product range covering Globes, diaries, photo frames, key-rings, and even belts! They gift box their items, which is ideal if your shopping for someone special. Whether you are after a relatively affordable handy pen, or something exquisite and upmarket this is the place to shop and be very well informed. I know where to send family for future birthday presents..

From 'Porsche Design' to 'Mont Blanc' The Pen Shop stocks some of the finest pens available to man…read more A fine pen is unlike fine watches, suits and cars. As it is the humble pen with its illustrious heritage and legacy that has enabled some of humanity's greatest thinkers to educate themselves from the writings of other great thinkers and thus to then record their own great ideas and discoveries for the rest of mankind's consumption and benefit (or disbenefit of course). It would indeed be a very different world if we had not discovered the pen. I love my pen so I can very much understand why such a fine instrument is worthy of great, discerning attention, and The Pen Shop uncompromisingly devotes that attention to this glorious implement. They will provide you with unparalleled service to ensure that you are coupled with the ideal writing companion to assist you on your literary pursuits for the rest of your life.