Good shopping centre and not too many empty stores. We last went on a very rainy day but it didn't…read moretake away from the shopping experience. I love that they have little food places staggered around like Ben's Cookies (which is always an essential when shopping for the family!) Easy to get to and access. Worth the visit.

Wow! I could do some serious damage at this place! Cabot Circus is a beautifully constructed…read more"outdoor" shopping centre with every store you can imagine! We were staying across the street at the Future Inn and on the evening we arrived, we strolled over to take a quick peek at the adventures I would be exploring the next day. Much to my surprise, pleasure and happiness, there was a Pret right there as soon as we walked in! Breakfast at the hotel was on the pricey side so we knew where we'd be coming in the morning and we certainly needed to get fueled up for a day of shopping! CC has lots of high end, brand name stores and with even more shops beyond the boundaries of CC, this made for a lovely day of retail therapy. My poor husband... oh well, at least they had an Apple store for him. ;)

Poundstretcher has pretty much any household item you could desire at just £1.Sometimes, if you are…read morereally lucky they'll bundle items together with an elastic band and the entire thing will cost a £1. This one located in the centre of Fishponds always seems really busy so they are obviously doing something right. You won't find any designer items in here, but to be honest anything selling high end things in this area won't survive. This area is all about the bargains! I would say this Poundstretcher is one of the better ones. There is enough space to maneuver around without reaching over and squeezing past other customers. They have organised the place well, which is another thing I really appreciate. The only thing that makes me drop a couple stars is that the quality of their goods isn't as good as what you would get from say Robert Dias.

I find the chain discount stores a little deceptive. For example you see all the low priced goods,…read morethink your not paying out much, and before you know it you have 7 items that are pretty useless or will not last long / break fairly quickley and your £11 out of pocket. The vaue isn't as good as, lets say, and poundland, but the choice is perhaps a lot more varied and you can probably actually find more stuff that you'd actually use. You can find cheeper stuff elsewhere, not so much a 'poundstrecher' as a 'these items are fairly cheap' store...

I'm a passionate Bristolian. I love everything about Bristol and every inch of this beautiful city…read more However, every time I go through Broadmead I can't help but ask: what happened? What went wrong? I know that the high street has been in decline for a while now, and that it's not only Bristol that has empty shopping centers, but that doesn't make it any easier watch. When I was a kid I used to love going into town and going to the galleries to by someone a birthday present, or go to choose my own. But now broadmead and the galleries are a non-event. There's not really anything there apart from boots and a few discount shops. Saying that, every christmas the German markets come to town and liven the place up with mulled wine, bratwurst and some much needed christmas cheer. It's a really nice place to go on your lunch break or to start a night off. Without it, this would be a 2 star review!

This is Bristol's main shopping precinct, complete with a mall, two cinemas and various department…read morestores. It's always felt a bit tired and run down, with too much concrete and boarded up windows. They've taken a step towards dealing with a recent refurbishment - cleaning the brick work and stuff like that. It's still a bit crap to be honest, especially next the brand spanking new Cabot Circus next door. There's everything you'd expect from a big city's main shopping area. They've got a Marks and Spencer and several McDonald's - it's pretty much a clone of what you'd find in somewhere like Southampton or Wolverhampton. Everyone says Bristol can do a bit better - I suppose that's what Cabot Circus is all about. It's got a quite a Bristolian feel to it, which makes it feel a bit less soulless. Staff are a bit more likely to meet your eye than London and there's quite a friendly atmosphere. Anoyances include charity muggers and men standing around with microphones decrying your sins, but nothing too bad. Broadmead isn't flash, or even very smart but has everything you'd want when you go into town.

In this supermarket-hating age (or at least it should be) it's nice to be able to go to such a…read moregrand market and not be bombarded with pictures of Jamie Oliver with your school children, points schemes and other such ideas that slowly inject these big brand names into your everyday lives. At Aldi it's a simple turn up, get your food and leave sort of deal - and I'm rather fond of it. I'm also rather fond of the European chocolate selection or the bizarre sweets that I assume never leave your digestive system. I'm equally fascinated by the many jars of pickles - shaking them around and wondering what vegetable they've pickled today. The fresh fruit and veg section, admittedly, is something to be avoided but they also sell clothes! Cheap tacky clothes, but clothes none the less. Thus many many reasons to visit this humble supermarket.

This Aldi is pretty amazing. As well as the usual food stuffs you find in other supermarkets, at…read morethe middle of the shop there are a few huge baskets containing all sorts of bits and pieces. I have no idea how they manage it, but they always seem to have exactly what's needed on any given day. For instance, when the snow started falling, I ventured into Aldi to find a pair of snow boots and a ski jacket! Perfect. If it's raining you're bound to find a load of umbrellas and raincoats and if it's sunny there will no doubt be stacks of flip-flops and sunglasses awaiting you. It's truly ingenious. Apart from the weather related apparel, they also have some really random stuff in here, so if you're on the look out for a travel pillow, boiler suit, or badminton set, then it's worth checking out. You never know - you might get lucky.

I attended your Fox Den store in Bristol on the 23rd of August at about 3.00 and left at 3.47. As…read moreI left the checkout area a store detective stopped me and asked if he could see my receipt. I duly obliged . The he asked if he could look in my bag , There was a half drunk bottle of water in my bag, he asked "have you paid for that?" I had to think for a moment as I wasn't sure if I had picked it up in your store. It was a very hot day and I normally carry a bottle of water in my bag; I remember taking one from my car earlier, but I wasn't sure if that was the same bottle. So apologised and said that I must have absent mindedly put it in my bag after drinking some in the store. I offered to pay, still not sure wheather it was my bottle or yours. The Store Detective then said to me "you have done this before with some clothing, the security guard recognised you as he stopped you last time". I was absolutely dumbfounded! I have never ever been stopped by any security guard in your store, 'or any store for that matter.' I responded that "this is mistaken identity as I have never been stopped in this store before; I requested to see the CCTV footage, but was refused . The Store Detective said he would get the security guard out to ID me which he did; I told him that he was mistaken and requested once again to see the Cctv footage. I was refused and told I would have to ask the police . I responded well call the police. Then the store detective told me not to raise my voice (well excuse me, I am 62yrs of age and have never encountered this in my life. I have video footage and so does your store. I would like to request the CCTV footage of who the security guard thinks that I am regarding the clothing. If this CCTV footage is not available I require a sworn statement from the security guard regarding this event as this is slander and defamation of my character. I also request to see the CCTV footage of the water incident. Kind Regards

Working on a business estate, miles outside the glorious centre of Bristol, can be taxing at the…read morebest of times. You have to commute, there's nowhere around for an after work drink and getting a decent lunch is near impossible. Which is why I'm oh so grateful to Sainsbury's in East Filton. This large supermarket was a mecca for office workers for miles around. With shelves filled with fresh sandwiches, a fully stocked salad bar and fast cashiers it's always easy to get a quick, tasty lunch here. But the reason that this Sainsbury's will always stick in my mind is the tasters it does on a daily basis. Not to make myself sound too cheap, but I always looked forward to my lunch time trip to Sainsbury's with my colleagues for a free shot of wine, a taste of local cheddar and a bite of chocolate cake - perfect for those on a budget! There's also an on-site cafe, great for breakfast "meetings", petrol station and free car parking. If all Sainsbury's were like this - I'd never shop anywhere else!

If (God forbid) you should find yourself stranded in Brislington, and are at a loss for things to…read moredo (as you would be), I'd recommend you visit Avon Mead Retail Park if you're looking for something resembling civilisation. Here you'll find a long line of huge shops, including The Range. For those of you unfamiliar with The Range, it sells everything from musical instruments to arts and crafts, furniture, outdoor living equipment, toys and pet care items to name just a few of its many wares. Moreover, these can be purchased at trés reasonable prices (but don't expect the greatest of quality). This branch of The Range is gigantic and pretty souless. But for practical matters and rainy days, it'll suffice.

There's apparently a whole host of these shops all over the country and yet before I came to…read moreBristol, I had never heard of them. The Range is one of those wonderful mish-mash shops which sells absolutely everything, except from perhaps vital organs, although they could diversify into that in the future. Seriously, going in here is a real treat. You can buy everything from bones for your dog to every craft item under the sun. Or there's jacuzzis, huge boxes of broken biscuits, wall canvases, dried flowers and garden gnomes. It's all stacked chaotically around so actually searching for something you need is a total mission. But if you want to go in and come out with at least 15 things you absolutely don't need then I highly recommend The Range.

In school I was always wary of other kids who had two first names as their whole name; it just…read moredidn't sit right with me. Dave Christopher is one of those such names but from what I can see, there's no reason not to distrust this place. Dave Christopher is a good solid jeweller with some very nice shops across the South West. The thing I like about this shop as opposed to other jewellers is how it caters for tastes right across the market. On one hand for instance they offer to buy people's gold for cash, alongside seemingly cheap and tacky earrings and gifts - clearly aiming at the lower end of the market. In juxtaposition to this you have a Rotary watch section with price tags that look more like phone numbers! It's a fair place offering good, honest jewellery.

I was taken aback at the quality of this shop because from the outside it looks slightly pikey and…read morethat it might only have those horrible Forever Friends style cards in there. To my surprise they have those cards but much more besides - they have lots of different styles of card, with the ruder/younger market near the back and the 'traditional' sort of cards that your nan buys at the front. In addition to the cards there is a few shelves on the right hand side of the shop with Thorntons goods for sale - great for an extra gift or a last minute gesture if you've forgotten an occasion and had to run to the local shops for a token gift! They also have the separate truffles and licquer chocolates under glass at the counter which you can choose from. All in all it's saved me many a trip to The Mall/Broadmead to buy a decent card so you should have a look before travelling further for birthday cards.

I used to work near this shop so went in here many times to buy cards and gifts. They have a large…read moreselection of good quality cards for all occasions. They also have lots of gift wrap and gifts bags etc.. The gifts they have are quite often very quirky and unusual looking, there is things such as ornaments, picture frames, wedding gifts, christening gifts etc Also they sell Thorntons chocolates and have seasonal chocolates.

Not as many clothing stores at there used to be but most stores are vacant which makes shopping…read moremore enjoyable. The mall is pretty clean in general and there are some great food options if you're looking for more healthy options. Parking is free and covered parking is available.

This is a great place to go shopping and grab a bite to eat. There's something for everyone here…read more Men's clothing, women's clothing, jewellery, kids toys and you can even book a holiday. There's plenty of parking outside and if you don't want to drive there is a regular bus service. The Mall is open seven days a week until 9pm but during the Christmas period it stays open until 10pm. If you don't like the hustle and bustle of the big city then this place is a great alternative.

The shop close to, and on the same side as the McDonalds drive through, but the new shop sign makes…read morethe shop harder to find as the shop looks closed, I think a led 'OPEN' sign is needed. The patrons are always friendly, and helpful. The shop provides groceries of English, Indian, East Euro, Turkish quite a mix, and getting a tin of Chickpea Chana Masala, to eat with rice or some naan...just lush. The store is like stepping into Dr Who's Tardis :-)

Nowadays it's very important to back the smaller stores as opposed to the larger, faceless…read moreorganisations (in my opinion anyway) and with the International Food Centre it couldn't be easier. Like the Sweet Mart in Easton this is a store that is all about the customer. They buy in only the best quality fruit and vegetables, for example, and sell it at reasonable and affordable prices. It's all organic and locally sourced where possible - stocked full of love and good energy. The Asian food section is immense with every type of spice and raw bean imaginable. It's a good place too to find adverts and posters for local and ethical happenings. A great store that comes highly recommended.