First EE Experience store opens in Birmingham with appearance from former football star Emile Heskey

 EE has announced the grand opening of its latest Experience store in Birmingham’s Bullring.

Former England International Emile Heskey, who called Birmingham home during a five-year spell with Birmingham City and Aston Villa, will be cutting the ribbon and welcoming visitors to the new space at 12pm on Thursday 28th November.

The store has been designed to help people explore the latest in connected technology and forms part of EE's investment of more than £6 million in bricks and mortar retail this year.  

It will feature Experience Zones themed around four key areas – Game, Work, Learn, and Home – along with a Tech Home area showcasing the future of connected living.   

Heskey says: “It’s fantastic to open EE’s new Experience store in Birmingham, a city that’s very close to my heart. I used to love shopping in the Bullring during my years at Birmingham City and Aston Villa and it’s great to see the centre continue to reinvent itself. The EE Experience store is brilliant, and I can’t wait to see the excitement as people explore all the store has to offer." 

Asif Aziz, Retail Director at EE, comments: “Our research shows Birmingham is a city of tech lovers, with residents embracing smart home technology and relying on smartphones to shop smarter. Our new store is designed to meet the needs of this vibrant community, providing a space where people can get hands-on with the latest devices and discover new ways to stay connected.”  

“We’re excited to bring this innovative retail experience to Birmingham, with our brilliant team of EE Guides ready to help customers with all their technology needs and to offer personal, expert advice on how connected technology can enhance their everyday lives.” 

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

EE was among the winners at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last week’s gathering.