Grand Central Birmingham: 142,000 visit £150m shopping centre
Almost 150,000 eager shoppers passed through the doors of Grand Central on a bumper first weekend for the £150 million shopping complex.
The brand new retailers were crammed with people as shoppers grabbed the opportunity to see what was on offer at the centre.
Grand Central officially opened last week but for many, it was their first chance to check out the glittering new complex.
The sparkling new shopping centre has been constructed as part of the £600 million rebuild of Birmingham New Street, which has now become much more than a grey railway station with shoppers wasting little time in coming to see what all the fuss is about.
Many headed for the centre's flagship store John Lewis, while also stopping off at other big-name retailers and the many coffee shops, bars and restaurants on offer.
Throw in thousands of rugby fans from around the world who had come to Birmingham for the World Cup games being played in the city, it was a manic weekend for Grand Central staff.
The shopping centre confirmed that 142,000 people had entered the centre over the weekend, with bosses saying they were looking forward to even busier times with Christmas fast approaching.
And with rugby fans from Australia and South Africa coming to watch their teams play at Villa Park, people from the opposite side of the world were able to take in Birmingham's bright new surroundings.
Grand Central general manager Jonathan Cheetham said: "The Grand Central opening weekend has been a tremendous success as we've seen thousands of people come along to experience our new shopping and dining destination. The reaction from the public has been overwhelming as the opening of the centre has marked a moment in history which the people of Birmingham are well and truly proud of."
The sheer numbers heading towards the second city led to delays on the railway line. Travellers on the Chase Line, which runs from Rugeley and Walsall into Birmingham, complained of being cramped or unable to get on the train due to carriages being full.
Some took to Twitter to express their anger and the lack of extra carriages laid on for such a busy weekend.
