With the upcoming Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, it is now the perfect time to visit the UK, especially Birmingham for Muslim travelers. Be prepared to shop and try a variety of good foods during your visit. Looking for souvenirs, clothes, foods, and other knick-knacks? Don't worry, we've got you covered! All you gotta do is to make sure to also book your flight well before the airfares hike during this season and potentially ruin your plans to visit Birmingham and attend the Commonwealth Games. So hurry, grab your passport, pack your clothes, and book your trip to Birmingham!
Image Credit: Shopping in Birmingham
The Bullring Shopping Mall in the heart of the city center is famous for shopping, with big department stores such as John Lewis, Selfridges, Debenhams, and others within short walking distance to each other. The opening hours for Birmingham shopping centers are mostly 9AM - 8PM, with the exception of restaurants and food stalls which open for longer. Look for the halal sign in their window or wall. You can find many Middle Eastern, Asian, Southeast Asian, or western cuisines in Birmingham.
You'll be amazed at what you can find, from food to fashion, in UK big supermarket chains like ASDA or Tesco. You will find therein a world food section with halal products and halal butcher corners. Additionally, they also sell fashion from baby clothes to adult and their design and price would not disappoint either.
Image Credit: Miguel Dovale Alvarez on dreamstime
One of the best shopping places in the city center for your needs is in Grand Central Birmingham. It has a praying room located on the ground floor near the main entrance. You'll find one halal Japanese restaurant there too, i.e. Yakinori.
The Birmingham Rag Market is also a very interesting place to explore, you can buy therein anything from clothes, household items, foods, and souvenirs at bargain prices compared to the modern mall next door. They are also located in the city center near the Bullring shopping mall. The Birmingham City Centre is indeed a very convenient place for shopping and halal culinary trips, where they are within a short walking distance from each other.
Image Credit: Birmingham Mail
Ladies, not to worry. You can find places to buy Muslimah clothes while you stay in Birmingham. Set aside time to go to Coventry Road, Small Heath area, which is 5 minutes taxi ride or 15 minutes public bus ride from the city center (bus number 17, 57, 58, and 60). When you arrive there, you'll find on the left and right side of the road many small shops selling items from Islamic books, groceries, and foods to Muslim fashion. This one-stop could make your trip unforgettable. This area is a Muslim-majority area and you'll have a peaceful and safe time there for sure Insha Allaah. There are also plenty of Mosques in Small Heath to perform prayers; ask one of the shop staff and they will tell you which one is nearest.
Resorts World Birmingham is a one-stop shopping location for shopping, dining, and entertainment resort (note: only Cinema that is suitable for Muslims). You can find plenty of trendy UK branded outlet stores there as well.
Image Credit: Visit Birmingham
For world and UK high-end shopping, the place to go is The Mailbox in the city center. Located adjacent to trendy apartment complexes and the beautiful Birmingham canal, this shopping mall offers you high-quality branded products and boasts a scenic spot on its ground floor near the canal for a relaxing coffee and tea.
For those who are not planning to go to Birmingham right now, winter would be a great time to visit! There are many festivities during wintertime in Birmingham. Birmingham will be draped in light from the end-of-year Birmingham Frankfurt Market at the city center (which will be opened on Nov 4 – Dec 23, 2022*), to which visitors will flock from all over the UK and abroad. At Birmingham Frankfurt Market you'll find many sellers of genuine German products from knick-knacks to food, but only small varieties of food that Muslims can buy, such as bakery/pastries (asked the stall staff for vegetarian or seafood ones), and the rest should be avoided. You can find plenty of souvenirs or fashion for yourself there.
Now you have more reasons to make a trip to the UK, and check out more of our travel guides!
Jason101
Lots of great Asian clothing near me in Birmingham. I love the diversity of the place.