Their future hinges on the redevelopment of New Street Station, but shopkeepers in and around the Pallasades are unsure of what will happen, as they told Sally Hawkesford.
Sims Footwear owner, Paul Lamb, said: "All the information I know is all from hearsay and through the grapevine. We have been led to believe that the new complex will work around us. It seems that we can be involved to certain degree.
"We were invited to planning meetings, and all the plans looked very impressive and clever. What is worrying though, is the amount of disruption it may cause. On a long-term basis if we were a large plc then two or more years of poor trading is manageable, but for a small independent with only a few units, such as we are, it could send us under.
"Where Sims stands, nobody truthfully knows what's happening. But the Pallasades and New Street Station is in need of redevelopment so hopefully the change will be for the better".
Hatman Store manager Mr Graham, said: "We have not really being informed about anything. According to the lease, it is all a bit up in the air as to whether we may even have to move as we are on the outside on Stephenson Street.
"All I know is when we had to move from the old Bullring complex, it took a good five years to get business back, and we wouldn't really appreciate moving again to have to build the business back up again for the next five years. But if it has to be done then we will obviously look into it."
Asked what her thoughts were on the redevelopment of New Street station and the Pallasades, a spokeswoman for Blue Banana said: "It's the first we have heard about it.
"Shopping centres pull retailers in on a false sense of security, and promise each development will bring their business great results, but it never does.
"The Pallasades is in desperate need of a revamp. It seems now to only be used as a pathway to the Bullring or the train station. Our shop is alternative, and we are not part of the mainstream high street. It is still hard to generate customers from the Pallasades as it is at the minute".
Home 2 Home's store manager, Mr Kumar, said: "We know that the plan is to put the shops through the middle of the Pallasades, but we don't know whether that will include us, as we are on the outskirts of the complex as it is. Nobody from the council or the Pallasades have been around as yet so we haven't had any information as yet".
