Hey big spender!

Wednesday, 6 March 2019
  • Days Out

Shop trusted brands and designer outlets until you drop under one roof within easy walk distance of Birmingham International train station

Time is money and it’s easy (and a pleasure) to spend both at Resorts World Birmingham. Nestled next to the man-made Pendigo Lake, which boasts its own sand-coloured pebble beach, the gleaming glass structure welcomes a steady stream of savvy bargain hunters, who have travelled in comfort by train to Birmingham International.

Resorts World Birmingham
Shops are neatly contained on the ground floor and are open until 10am-8pm on weekdays, 9am-7pm on Saturdays and 11am-5pm on Sunday so you can browse at your leisure. If you are old school and prefer to pay in cash, make sure you use the free ATMS at the station because withdrawal fees apply at the venue’s portable cash dispensers.

Kurt Geiger at Resorts World
Handbags and shoes abound in the sleek and stylish surroundings of Kurt Geiger and the latest women’s fashions woo eagle-eyed shoppers to Phase Eight. Sharp-suited gents have Jeff Banks and Skopes to ensure they are dressed to impress, and Ministry brings together Fred Perry, Jack Jones, Superdry and Tommy Hilfiger for men who have their fingers on the sartorial pulse.

Children will undoubtedly stop and stare at the colourful shop display of Lego Wear where a fine selection of clothes, watches and other accessories are complemented by playful design including an oversized mini-figure with a hard hat clambering up a ladder in the front window.

Levi Store Resorts World Birmingham
Levi’s, Carhartt, Gap and Next are laden with bargains and you can always offset a newly acquired outfit with sparkling jewellery from Ernest Jones or Clogau before you achieve a perfect home makeover with products from The Fragrance Shop or Beauty Outlet. Tired feet will be kicking up their heels in the Vans outlet and nearby, Skechers and Sole Trader ensure visitors leave with a spring in their (in)steps.

Nike Store Resorts World Birmingham
The cardio workout of window shopping might require stylish leisurewear from Nike Factory and New Balance, or hard-wearing outdoor clothing and boots from the Craghoppers outlet, The North Face and Trespass. Don’t fret about how you’re going to get all your purchases home because you can always acquire a suitcase on wheels from Antler.

Gadget geeks have the Sony Centre to fulfil their electric dreams and if you yearn to spring clean your home furnishings, Bedeck has floor to ceiling luxury bedding to ensure you sleep tight after the train journey home. Only a few steps away, there is crockery of every colour, shape and sheen at Denby.

Lindt Store Resorts World Birmingham
Chocoholics will go cocoa loco in a dedicated Lindt shop with more gold bunnies than you can shake a fluffy tail at, plus a tempting pick’n’mix selection that tests self-restraint to breaking point. A few blissful yards away is a Thorntons outlet, where you can continue to indulge your sweet tooth or find a gift as you stare dreamily at the chocolate fountain. Balance the naughty with the nice with health food options from Holland & Barrett or cruelty-free skincare and beauty products from The Body Shop.

If you’re looking for a present for that notoriously hard-to-buy-for friend or relative, then Gift Company probably has something weird and wonderful on its shelves to tickle your fancy without offending your bank balance. Salt crystal lamps and garden gnomes vie for attention alongside bar signs and an animal figurine adorned with the tongue-in-cheek sign: “I’m Not A Rhino, I’m A Fat Unicorn“. If you’re splashing cash for someone younger then Hamleys is an Aladdin’s cave of delightful toys and games and there are greetings cards aplenty at Hallmark and WHSmith for the perfect finishing touch.

Santai Spa Resorts World Birmingham
Carrying bags laden with those must-have purchases can be exhausting. To avoid the possibility of shopping until you literally drop, take the escalator to the second floor of Resorts World Birmingham and enter the elegant serenity of Santai Spa. With its Asian-inspired décor in a palette of gold, deep red and chocolate brown accentuated with delicate Phalaenopsis orchids, it’s a temple of calm where you can feel tension melt away the moment you walk in.

An access-only pass to facilities, which include a 15-metre indoor swimming pool with soothing hydrotherapy jets and an ionised salt cave, start from £25 for two hours (depending on the time of day you visit) including the use of a robe, towel and flip flops, a glass of prosecco and tea and coffee. For a more self-indulgent treat - and you know you’re worth it - the personalised spa packages start at £55 for a dry flotation experience and peak at the aptly named Zen Experience from £120 which includes a facial and a 25-minute back, neck and shoulder massage to knead away knots of tension.

It’s a short, stress-free walk back to the platforms of Birmingham International train station with plenty of space in overhead luggage racks for your purchases so you can stretch out for the return journey home.