Independent shops in Birmingham

Birmingham's best independent shopping is split between the centre and the south side. In town, start in the Great Western Arcade off Colmore Row, then walk up to the Jewellery Quarter in B18. Down in B5, the Rag Market and Red Brick Market in Digbeth cover vintage. Then take the bus or the train south: Kings Heath High Street in B14 and Pershore Road in Stirchley, B30, are where the city's newer independents have set up. Here is the route, with what to look for on each stop.

Great Western Arcade, Colmore Row

The handsomest shopping street in town is under a glass roof. The Great Western Arcade runs between Colmore Row and Temple Row and was built in 1875 and 1876 over the Great Western Railway cutting, which had been covered the year before. The architect was W. H. Ward of Paradise Street. It is Grade II listed, has shops along both sides, and a clock that strikes the quarters on five exposed bells. The original glass roof was lost in the Second World War and later replaced. Use the Temple Row entrance, which is the ornate original; the Colmore Row end is a modern rework. It is a good place to start a day of browsing, and a better place to shelter from the rain.

The Jewellery Quarter, B18

If you are buying a ring, you buy it in the Quarter. Wikipedia counts around 700 jewellery related businesses here, about 400 of them manufacturers, and says the Quarter makes 40% of all the jewellery made in the UK. It is also home to the Assay Office, which hallmarks around 12 million items a year. The shopfronts cluster around Vyse Street, laid out in 1846, and Warstone Lane, meeting at the Chamberlain Clock. Many of the people behind the counter made the thing in the window, or know who did, so ask about bespoke work. Our full Jewellery Quarter guide has the history and the rest of the neighbourhood, and the Jewellery Quarter BID's directory lists the jewellers and shops street by street, along with a heritage trail.

The Rag Market and Red Brick Market, B5

For vintage, go to the Rag Market on Edgbaston Street, open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Around 350 stalls of fabric, fashion, gifts and household goods, and plenty of second hand clothing among them; our markets guide has the details. From there, walk east into Digbeth for Red Brick Market at 119 Floodgate Street in Deritend. It is an indoor hall of independent traders selling vintage clothes, antiques, homeware and sustainable fashion. The traders do not man their stalls; you take what you pick to a central till. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm.

Kings Heath High Street, B14

Kings Heath has the best mix of independents in the south of the city, and it is the High Street that still has a butcher, a baker and a bookshop. The Heath Bookshop opened in Kings Court on the High Street in September 2022. It sells new books, audiobooks and book subscriptions, serves hot and cold drinks so you can sit among the shelves, and runs author events, a book club and an Album Club. Birmingham City University's guide to independent shopping also points students to Enki and Harvest Skincare on the same stretch. Come on the first Saturday of the month and the farmers' market is on the Village Square too.

Moseley, B13

Moseley's shopping is the Victorian parade of Moseley Village, a conservation area along Alcester Road. It is better for food and a long lunch than for clothes, but come on the last Saturday of the month for the farmers' market and the arts market that runs beside it, with traditional and contemporary crafts. Our Moseley guide has the rest.

Stirchley, B30

The Pershore Road through Stirchley has quietly become a high street of independents. Three to know:

• Stirchley Wines at 1535 and 1537 Pershore Road. An off licence for beer, cider, wine and spirits that has been there since 1979, with a beer range Time Out has called extraordinary. Open Monday to Thursday 12pm to 8pm, Friday and Saturday to 9pm, closed Sundays.
• The Clean Kilo at 249 Mary Vale Road, on the Bournville side. A zero waste supermarket where food, drink, toiletries and cleaning products are sold by weight; bring your own containers. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5.15pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm, closed Mondays.
• Isherwood and Co, a florist that Birmingham City University's guide lists alongside The Clean Kilo and The Hedge for the Bournville and Stirchley end.

Bournville station is about a 15 minute train ride from the centre, so Stirchley is easy to combine with a walk round Bournville itself.

Finding more

The Independent Birmingham app keeps a free list of local independent shops, bars and restaurants, with discounts for members. It is worth having on your phone if you shop local a lot.

A day of it

• Morning: the Great Western Arcade, then up Newhall Street to the Quarter for a browse on Vyse Street.
• Lunchtime: back down to Edgbaston Street for the Rag Market, then across to Red Brick Market.
• Afternoon: the train or bus south to Kings Heath for the bookshop, or to Stirchley for a bottle on the way home.

Most independents keep shorter hours than the chains and plenty close on Mondays, so check before you set out. And buy the thing when you see it. In a shop with one of everything, it will not be there next week.