If 2024 taught Birmingham's retail scene anything, it was that shoppers were willing to queue for hours—sometimes overnight—for a coveted first look inside a new store. In 2025, this trend not only continued but solidified into a clear pattern, with the most popular openings in the Bullring and Grand Central all sharing one major draw.
The Big Openings That Drew the Crowds
The year 2025 saw several major debuts in Birmingham's city centre. The top floor of the Bullring welcomed the city's first-ever Space NK store, taking over the former AllSaints unit. On the ground floor near Selfridges, a second branch of Miniso opened in the old Scotts location.
Outside, a flagship Uniqlo store moved into the large space vacated by Zara near the Bull statue. Meanwhile, Bath and Body Works launched on the middle floor of the Bullring's East Mall. Over in Grand Central, Danish homeware brand Sostrene Grene opened its first city-centre store in the former Menkind unit.
The Common Thread: Generous Launch Giveaways
Each of these openings attracted significant early rushes, with lines stretching hundreds of people long. The key factor uniting them? All offered exclusive goodie bags to their first customers. This tactic, perhaps inspired by the infamous 'Sephora effect' of 2024, has become a prerequisite for a successful launch.
From speaking to shoppers in the queues, it became clear that the promise of mystery freebies was the primary motivator for braving the wait. The brands delivered on this promise with varying scales of generosity:
- Space NK distributed 500 'bumper' goodie bags filled with makeup and skincare, with enhanced bags for those spending over £100.
- Miniso also offered 500 bags, packed with popular toys and collectibles.
- Uniqlo provided special bags for its first 100 customers.
- Bath and Body Works had 50 bags set aside.
- Sostrene Grene gifted its first 100 shoppers a voucher for a neutral rug, redeemable on a later visit.
Setting a Precedent for Birmingham's Retail Future
This strategy has now set a clear precedent for retail launches in Birmingham. The trend is set to continue into 2026, with several announced openings already planning similar promotions.
SushiDog, opening in January, will offer one free item to its first 100 customers. All eyes will also be on Victoria's Secret, which makes its grand return to the Bullring after a two-year absence. The new store will be larger than its predecessor, and the scale of its launch giveaway is highly anticipated.
The era of the simple ribbon-cutting is over in Birmingham. For a new store to make a splash, a queue-worthy goodie bag has become the essential first impression.
