News
Posted By admin / 30th August 2011
Let’s face it: In recent years The Oasis has suffered because of rumours that it’s closing down (it isn’t) and the fact that the majority of shoppers prefer to gravitate towards the Bull Ring end of town (after all, that’s what the big expensive adverts tell them to do, right?). Add to this the massive boom in online shopping that practically wiped out a generation of independent retailers and you can see why Birmingham’s most iconic indoor shopping venue has had to adapt. With the introduction of a mobile phone repair shop, computer repair shop/internet cafe, and a nail bar, this shopping centre is no longer just about weird & wonderful clothing, tattoos and piercings. The Oasis and the area of Priory Square (now rebranded as “The Square”) has had to re-invent itself to breathe new life into this part of Birmingham City Centre, making it once again an area worth revisiting if you haven’t been around in a while.
The Square is no longer a maze of market stalls. You’ll still find plenty of shops but the newest attraction is the events that have been hosted there throughout the summer, mainly live music. With a thorough lick of paint & the recent introduction of a park-like area with colourful benches and a really decent coffee shop at the centre (that also sells milkshakes that seem to contain some kind of highly addictive but perfectly legal ingredient) it has become quite an attractive place to catch your breath in the midst of a shopping frenzy. Nearby, the highly anticipated re-opening of the former Academy music venue as The Birmingham Ballroom will no doubt entice people to revisit and explore this part of town that seems to finally be getting the formula right.
When I spend time in The Oasis I notice that a lot of people walk straight past some of the best shops in there without even realising. People seem to go into a bit of a trance when they go shopping (no doubt something to do with hypnotic spell they’re put under by the major retailers). In a place like The Oasis you really do need to explore every corner of it to get the full effect and discover gems that you simply won’t find on your local identikit clone high street. Many of the items for sale are designed and hand-made by the people who sell them to you. That’s really what makes The Oasis different – the fact that it’s full of real people trying to make a living selling products that they are passionate about and genuinely have an interest in, instead of the same soul-less branded chain stores you see everywhere else.
It’s your choice whether or not you want to shop exclusively at the Bull Ring or Tesco. But if you prefer to do something different and not wear exactly the same clothes as everybody else, go and check out The Oasis and see for yourself what’s new. T-Shirt Central is Birmingham’s busiest t-shirt printing shop, and is located on Level 3 of The Oasis, by the entrance on The (Priory) Square.
Posted By admin / 15th August 2011
Everybody knows that there were disruptions in Birmingham city centre last week, but it seems that not so many people know what really went on. Even though everything is back to normal now, there were massively reduced numbers of people coming into town to shop over the last weekend. Here are a few facts while we’re on the subject:-
- None of the looting took place during normal shopping hours.
- Most businesses in Birmingham closed early only on Tuesday & Wednesday.
- Pretty much all businesses are back open as normal now, and have been since Thursday.
- The Oasis (where our t-shirt printing shop is located) was not attacked during the looting. The boarding up of the windows on the Corporation Street side of the Oasis was done to protect the premises.
- Our takings were down 80% last week compared to what they would have been if no looting took place.
- There is no need to let fear prevent you from coming into town to shop.
- If people continue to avoid the city centre, many independent businesses (like ours) WILL have to close.
So come on folks, please bear in mind that we are here 6 days a week and we have always been here for when you’ve needed us.
Posted By admin / 10th August 2011
It’s been an upsetting couple of days here in Birmingham. Many surrounding shops have been completely done over by looters, but we’ve been lucky enough to not get broken into. We had to close early yesterday, as a safety precaution.
All of us at T-Shirt Central would like to offer our best wishes to those businesses that have been vandalised and looted over the past 2 days, and we hope you get up and running again very soon. It’s a tough time. Let’s hope people are not put off coming into town for too long.
If you need custom t-shirts printed then don’t worry we are still open and providing the service. If you’re worried about coming into town, please call us or contact us via email with your requirements and we will will endeavour to fulfil your orders by post.
Thanks & we appreciate your support – not just for us but all the businesses & individuals in Birmingham and the other cities affected by this madness.
Dave Thornton (owner)
T-Shirt Central
Posted By admin / 9th August 2011
I don’t know what’s going on this year but it seems like we are still getting plenty of orders for stag and hen party t-shirts. Typically the peak season runs from March til end of July, but 9 days into August and we are still receiving enquiries and orders for custom printed t-shirts for parties to wear on their “last night of freedom” epic drinking sessions. I guess our reputation has spread since we took over the t-shirt printing unit in The Oasis in Birmingham city centre in February 2010.
Don’t forget – you can bring in your own t-shirts to be printed if you don’t like ours! Although ours are top quality 100% cotton tees, some customers prefer a more fitted style, which you can get from H & M or Primark quite cheaply. So grab your own and we’ll just charge you for the printing – we don’t mind!
If you’d like to make an enquiry about getting your own stag or hen night t-shirts printed, please contact us.
Posted By admin / 4th August 2011
A reasonably busy day at the shop today – plenty of customers coming in and keeping us busy. Managed to find time to upload a few more t-shirts to our online shop, so do take a look and see if there’s anything in there you like the look of. Right now we are offering free postage on all orders (for UK customers only).
Over the next few days we will be designing some very cool and funny t-shirts which will be available exclusively here on the website and in our t-shirt printing shop at The Oasis in Birmingham city centre. If you haven’t used our services, please browse the website and find out all about what we offer.
We had a visit today from one of the managers at The Hairy Lemon pub in Birmingham City Centre. Apparently the downstairs bar is having a grand opening tomorrow – look out for the staff wearing t-shirts printed by us! It will be interesting to see the inside of this pub as I haven’t been in since the Swinging Sporran (as the pub was previously known) closed.
Posted By admin / 31st July 2011
If you’re searching for a suitable garment printing company in Birmingham, there are a few points to consider. Here I’ll offer pointers to find the ideal supplier for your needs, as well as detail a few tips to ensure that you get the best deal on offer.
It’s important to commence by going through your specific requirements. Do you prefer to use a nearby business or is it no trouble for you having to travel to get your shirts? A lot of print shops can offer a delivery service at little or no extra cost, saving their customers a trip. It’s also a good idea to look at the deadline that you require the shirts ready by. Is it a pressing order or will it be delayed a couple of weeks? Many firms are able to provide a rush service whereas others might not, particularly during peak times of the trading year such as the festival season.
The next point to look at is the quality of the shirts and type of printing on offer. Unfortunately you will find companies out there which make use of lower quality fabrics so they can keep their costs low, although still they charge the same prices as the other t-shirt printing shops. This may bring in a few extra pounds for them for a little while, but it is bound to put off clients, so they will be unlikely to come back for more. Low quality t-shirts tend to shrink and lose their shape after being worn a couple of times. To avoid this disaster, ask the supplier which kind of t-shirts they are going to use. If prefer to use branded t-shirts like Stedman or Fruit of The Loom, then you are quite likely to get a great quality garment that will stay looking good forever.
Finally, now that you have located the supplier who can supply your required goods within your deadline, it is time to establish the price. A lot of suppliers are happy to be reasonably flexible to accomodate your budget, and can provide tips regarding ways in which to keep the expense to as small amount as possible. If you need a lot of custom printed t-shirts, you could ask for a deal, and most of the t-shirt printing companies in Birmingham will be only happy to accomodate.
T-Shirt Central offers a same-day t-shirt printing service in the city of Birmingham, UK.
Posted By admin / 29th July 2011
The old website was a little bit out of date and difficult to navigate, so we changed things around to make it quicker & easier for you to find the information you are looking for. Also updated the opening hours as the Oasis is no longer open on Sundays, meaning we have to close on that day too.
Other News
Look out for the re-launch of our online shop which is due September 2011. Lots of work going into producing new designs and re-building this part of the website to make it easier than ever to browse your favourite slogan t-shirts and even create your own. Incidentally, if you’re looking for somewhere to create your own t-shirts, I’d check out Inky’s T-Shirt Printing until we get our online design tool up and running.
Posted By admin / 28th August 2010
Hey, we all need a day off once in a while! Sorry folks but we’ll be closing on 28th August 2010 for the day, for a much needed rest at the end of the summer season. We’ll no doubt be hitting the ale. We’d like to wish all our customers a massive “THANK YOU” for your business so far this year, and for helping to make T-Shirt Central the success it has become since we took over the t-shirt printing operation in The Oasis in Birmingham in February this year.
Have a great bank holiday!
You can check out our normal opening times here
Posted By admin / 18th June 2010
Our Birmingham Shop
We’ve been very busy over the past few weeks creating custom printed personalised t-shirts for stag and hen parties. Our fast turnaround service (1-3 days) and stunning designs, combined with competitive prices and friendly helpful service has made us a popular choice for the party people of Birmingham looking to celebrate their last night of freedom in style!
We supply & print t-shirts, vest tops, ladies fitted tees and also polo shirts, customized with your own stag or hen party message. You can have individual names printed on your shirts for that extra personal touch. Also, you’re welcome to bring in your own tops to be printed if you prefer the styles of the high street stores!
We can print your text in any font, and in a huge range of colours including stunning neon print, which looks fantastic and very eye-catching.
Commonly Asked Questions About Stag & Hen Night T-Shirt Printing
- I’m in a hurry and need my t-shirts printed at short notice, can you help me?
This is usually no problem and we’ll always do our best to help. If you’re in a particular hurry and you’ve left it right til the last minute, there might be a better chance of us being able to get the job done in time if you have the same print on all your t-shirts (rather than having individual names printed). This is only in extreme cases when we’re having a very very busy day.
- Can you print pictures?
Yes we can print any photograph onto your garments (expect polo shirts, as the weave of the fabric doesn’t tend to like our photo printing transfers). Photo printing costs a little extra but can really bring your t-shirts to life.
- How much does it cost?
The price will vary depending on your exact requirements. We’ve written an article on how to keep the price down, by using minimal prints, text-only and basic colours. You’ll find more info at the full article here.
Order T-Shirts For Your Stag Night or Hen Party
Simply use the contact us page to get in touch and let us know what you need. Or alternatively call into our shop at The Oasis (Level 3), Corporation Street, Birmingham, B4 6SX.
Posted By admin / 21st May 2010
We are delighted to announce the expansion of the T-Shirt Central brand, having recently acquired superb new premises in the Heart of Worcester City Centre. We will be offering our full t-shirt printing service, along with a few extras such as
- Leaflet & flyer printing
- Business cards
- Posters
- Copying service
- Website Creation
As well as catering for our usual customer base (such as stag & hen parties, photo prints and one-offs), the new shop will also be tailored towards small to medium sized businesses, offering a “one-stop shop” service where clients can obtain many of the essentials to help advertise themselves.
The shop will be called Inky’s, and you can visit the website at T-Shirt Printing Worcester. The address is:
Inky’s Printing
Unit 7 The Gallery
Worcester
Worcestershire
WR1 2RA
