Regional Spotlight: Birmingham
Birmingham has come a long way in the last few years. Formerly synonymous with the motorway Spaghetti Junction and the old Bull Ring, the city is forging a new identity for itself based on recent high-profile developments such as the Mailbox and the stunning Selfridges building.
Andrew Whelan, divisional director at the Birmingham office of Fleurets, describes the licensed market in the city as "tough", due in part to price discounting by the major operators. Newer brands can struggle to compete with the established ones.
Having said that, Whelan believes that independents fare better, as they can target the local market better. And the well-publicised difficulties among the major players on the high street has resulted in premises coming on to the market that wouldn't have been available three or four years ago. "There's still scope for new operators - they just have to be imaginative to succeed," he says.
The main area for licensed trade is Broad Street, but "Newhall Street is a particular hot spot at the moment." The other two key areas are the Arcadian Centre and the Mailbox, a former Royal Mail sorting office.
On the hotels side, there has been a lot of new supply in recent years, especially at the lower end of the market. Fleurets agent Andrew Shaw says commercial customers are the main market, and as a result it can be hard to fill space on weekends and demand can tail off in summer.
However, Shaw believes that the reliance on commercial business might lessen as a result of developments such as the major overhaul of the old Bull Ring.
