Top Shop and others to miss Bullring opening

Birmingham's landmark Bullring opens on Thursday, but some stores will not be ready on the day.

Although 130 of the centre's 146 stores will be open to trade - including anchor tenants Selfridges and Debenhams - some of the outlets, notably Top Shop and The Entertainer, will not be ready in time.

Top Shop is modelling its Bullring store on the Oxford Street flagship, and expects to open at the ground-breaking centre on September 26.

Birmingham's Bullring cost£500 million to build, and is expected to enable the city to unseat Manchester to become Britain's second most important shopping destination outside London's West End. Glasgow remains the top shopping location.

Birmingham boasts a potential 4.3 million shoppers within a 45-minute catchment area, and also has the largest professional and financial sector outside London. Store groups at the Bullring expect annual footfall in the region of 30 million.

- Bullring special report next week.