Two more shops to go at city shopping centre

More stores have confirmed they have left or are leaving Sutton Coldfield’s Gracechurch Centre – which has been promised a major makeover by its new(ish) joint owners BPG and Sav Group

16:54, 12 Feb 2025Updated 17:43, 12 Feb 2025

Southtown Tattoos, on the left-hand side, has closed permanently at Sutton Coldfield’s Gracechurch Centre

Two more shops are leaving Sutton Coldfield’s main shopping centre, with one already announcing it has closed and the other holding a closing-down sale.

Southtown Tattoos, which had moved to the former 3 mobile phone shop in the Gracechurch Centre from Birmingham Road, has closed and left the centre.

While Sale Lab, based in the former Next shop, opposite the old M&S, in the heart of the Sutton Coldfield shopping venue, has also confirmed it is leaving the centre next month – and is currently holding a sale.

Southtown Tattoos made the announcement on its social media channels last Sunday (February 9) and said: “Sorry to inform you all, but Southtown Tattoos is NOW CLOSED.

“We took the business on to try to build it back up, but sadly, things never worked.

“Everyone who was booked in will receive their deposits back in full ( we believe around 4 people).

Southtown Tattoos still has Christmas decorations un the shop and window – but confirmed last weekend it has closed

The statement continued: “We would like to thank all the customers who came in to have work done by us.

“We are now taking a step back from tattooing as we have other things we are dealing with.”

While The Sale Lab, which sells discounted brand-name clothes, also has shops in Corby, Stoke-on-Trent, Plymouth and Runcorn, has ‘Store Closing All Stock Reduced Everything Must Go’ signs in its window.

A staff member confirmed the shop is set to close in a little over a month’s time on Thursday, March 20.

‘Store Closing – Everything Must Go’ signs have appeared in the window of The Sale Lab which had moved into the former Next shop in the heart of the Gracechurch Centre in Sutton Coldfield

While another site at the centre – the Roma Café – has not been open for two months, since well before Christmas. BirminghamLive has contacted the shop and the Gracechurch Centre who both said the café was going to reopen. But it still has Christmas decorations in its window.

The two confirmed closures and mystery surrounding the Roma café, follows news that longstanding jewellers, Beaverbrooks, which has been at the centre for 25 years is set to leave in April.

The firm mentioned the upcoming redevelopment of the Gracechurch Centre as a reason, as well as its lease being up.

But the revamp, which was trailed last year by new owners, BPG and SAV Group, with 700 apartments proposed over retail units, has yet to reach a formal planning stage. And even then would take years to undertake.