Bullring owners Hammerson have recently announced that the watch brand Breitling will be closing its Upper West Mall store. This leaves two adjacent empty units—Breitling’s former space and the nearby former Clarks shop—which are now being combined into one expansive retail unit.
According to the latest Bullring site plan on commercial property platform Completely Retail, this new merged space measures approximately 10,745 square feet, making it larger than the recently opened Aston Villa store on the ground floor near Selfridges, which occupies about 10,000 square feet.
Though Hammerson has not revealed the identity of the new tenant, they describe it as an “exciting brand” ready to move into this large flagship unit, sparking much speculation about what major retailer might be expanding into Birmingham’s premier shopping centre.
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Additionally, the site plan from June 6, 2026 shows another pair of vacant units, previously occupied by Kate Space and Dr Martens, will also be merged into a combined space of 9,565 square feet. Dr Martens recently moved to another location in the centre, and this bigger unit between Space NK and Michael Kors is already reportedly “under offer”.
Other units at Bullring are also attracting interest. Smaller retail spaces, such as the kiosk outside Rolex and a 2,100-square-foot unit formerly occupied by Lacoste, are currently available for rent. Meanwhile, a large unit under the Rotunda, once home to Zara, has been let out with the tenant yet to be announced. Speculation suggests it could be Stradivarius, following their recent hiring activity in the region.
Beyond Bullring, Hammerson’s other Birmingham property, Grand Central, has at least nine shops currently available to let, with one former Pandora store already under offer and four additional units in the process of being finalized by solicitors.
As these significant leasing and merging activities unfold, Birmingham shoppers can look forward to fresh retail experiences and new brand arrivals in their city centre’s busiest shopping destinations.