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. ;)

Bristol isn't short on department stores, but top of my favourites list is House of Fraser. Since…read moreit changed location it's undergone a swanky makeover making it as bright and shiny as Cabot Circus itself. It may be that I don't cope well with change but I find the layout of the new store a little confusing, often meaning I walk past the same rail of clothes several times before finding a polite shop assistant to point me in the right direction. In-keeping with the ethos of Cabot Circus, this House of Fraser stocks high-end lines such as Vivienne Westwood and Lulu Guinness in amongst Miss Sixty and French Connection which can push it into a "looking not buying" category of department stores. I tend to come for the small but extensive Paperchase and Benefit stands, and a bit of a window shop in the ladies department. Not great for every day wear, but worth a look if you're looking for a "special occasion" outfit.

When it moved from the Horsefair to shiny new Cabot Circus, House of Fraser had a bit of a…read moremakeover. No longer the frumpy department store most people walked past to get to Debenhams, now this has an emphasis on the higher quality (and higher priced) brands. Over four floors, with cosmetics, accessories and Paperchase on the lower floor, mens on the middle, women's fashion on the third floor and home decor on the top floor, it is a sprawling space with indiscernible boundaries between the brand displays. It doesn't have a great flow for browsing round, but its not bad. I come here mainly for Mango and Ted Baker brands (although there is a Ted Baker shop in Cabot Circus their women's range is better here).

Scene: A damp and dreary November morning. Bristol…read more Mission: Find a bikini for impromptu holiday in the sun. Jenni's reaction: Panic. Sheer panic. Having not actually gone on holiday for the last three years, I'd seem to have misplaced all my bikinis and so I was set the unenviable personal challenge of trying to find swimwear, in England, on the run up to Christmas. House of Fraser laughed and H&M asked, "You want a bikini in November?" Things weren't looking good. And then I remembered Debenhams. Lovely Debenhams. The place I used to consider "quite classy" as a child, and where I used to go with my Nan to try on perfumes. I hadn't been into Debenhams for over a year and it hadn't changed one iota. It was a little bit like stepping back into my childhood; smiling made-up ladies behind the counter, unflattering lighting, mums and their children looking for sensible shoes. I approached the nearest shop assistant and looked pleadingly into her eyes. Swimwear? "Let me show you Madam," said the lovely woman as she led me to the first floor sale section. There, in the furthest corner of the store, four bikinis - 70% off. A bit behind the times, but very reliable!

To fully appreciate Debenhams take a trip to Primark first. After the barely controlled chaos (well…read morethat's a slight exaggeration) to the latter shop, Debenhams will feel like a paradise of tasteful muzak and neatly folded clothes. The staff are keen, sometimes overly so, to help you out. The quality is always good - the suits in particular are lovely. Excellent ranges up on the upper floors in the home and electricals departments. Unfortunately this all comes with some hefty prices. Although the new Harvey Nichols has probably taken the crown for Bristol's most expensive department store Debenhams comes a strong second. This is probably why it's so empty of customers, and makes the rock-bottom prices of next door Primark all the more attractive. Give everything in there a 30% discount and I would be in there like a shot, at the moment Debenhams offers good stuff in a pleasant setting but is just a bit too pricey.

Despite being brought up to be confident enough to feel I can fit in anywhere, I still feel a pang…read moreof self doubt whenever I enter a high-end store. I'm all to paranoid that the shop assistants nonchalant stares are really saying "you're not welcome here... don't touch the things, you're making them dirty". All this self consciousness lifted when I walked into Harvey Nichols. As the doorman pulls back the door and welcomes you with a warm smile, you can't help but feel at ease even though you know in your heart of hearts (if you're anything like me) that you can't afford the bags their lovely products come in. All the staff are wonderfully cheerful and laid back; no pushiness to force you to make a purchase - but again, maybe because they know in THEIR heart of hearts you won't be making a purchase. To call it a department store is probably unfair to properly sized ones, with this Harvey Nicks feeling like a taster of what you'd get in one of their larger outlets. But there's still enough for you fashionistas to gawp at and long for including Moschino, Chloé and Vivienne Westwood. Not a realistic shopping venture, but a great place to play "when I win the lottery I will buy..."

I was really excited about this store coming to Bristol and now I have mixed feelings. What it has…read moredone is bring a whole new set of shoppers into the city, and their money of course, which can only be good for Bristol. It also holds up Cabot Circus with its central spot on the main stretch. However with its bouncers outside it really intimidated me and it took me weeks to go inside after it opened! It has the sparse layout of you-can't-afford-this and even some areas have the we-don't-even-have-price-tags level of you-can't-afford-this. Needless to say with my budget that I haven't been back...

Once I had gotten over the massive shock of Woolworths closing down I had to find another shop that…read morecould offer the same variety of household goods, food and drink, entertainment (and of course Pick & Mix selection!) Wilkinsons is the logical replacement, in reality, although I hate to admit it, they are probabley better than Woolworths. I come here for many household items, from picture frames to lightbulbs, and from tea-towls to frying pans, they have a very good all around selection at very good prices. The top floor is dedicated to entertainment, cards, pick and mix and childrens items. The downstairs is for household items.

I'm not ashamed to say that I shop here a LOT! Whether it be for loo roll or a new shelving unit…read morefor my room, Wilkinson's have it in this shop for an insanely good price. What I like about it too is that it doesn't just sell its cheaper own brands if you feel like a bit of luxury. They sell all the usual 'Fairy Liquids' and 'Flash' products at a much cheaper price than a supermarket. Very good location in the centre of Bristol and it's a really large store which divided into two floors. The upper floor is for everyday household products and the lower is a larger section for kitchen, bathroom and bedroom goods. I have recently bought a lovely set of curtains for £7.99 which easily look like they are worth £30...bargin! Usually long queues of upwards of 10minutes though.

If you're one for quality food and happen to be in the area, Marks and Spencer Simply Food is…read moredefinitely your best bet. Otherwise, there's Macdonalds...A compact little shop, which stocks a good selection of wines and convenience foods, and a not-so-good selection of fresh produce, this store is okay if your intentions veer more towards tasty treats. The mini bakery boasts a mouth-watering selection of pastries, soft doughy cookies and the like and you'll also find an assortment of top quality confectionery (try the freeze dried strawberies capped with white chocolate - mmm) Prices are contestable but this is M&S we're talkin' about...

Marks and Spencer Simply Food...the saviour of the day on so many occasions. If you want something…read moretasty and are reluctant to (forgive the pun) fork out for restaurant prices, but haven't the energy to flip open a cookbook, this is what you need. There's not a lot to this little shop but it has all the essentials for a tasty meal along with various alcohols. It's also a good stopping point for a sandwich, which are so much tastier and better value than most other supermarkets. Marks and Spencers may have fallen from favour in recent years as a department store, but one area is never fails to satisfy on is its food. So don't pretend you prefer Sainsburys, just give in to those mouth-watering adverts they have on TV and stock up right here.

This Sainsbury's is one of the newest additions to the city centre convenience shopping scene…read more(should there be such a thing). Before Sainsbury's arrived here Tesco's dominated said scene. Having never really been a massive fan of Tescos, this was a little annoying for me so when Sainsbury's opened nearby I was pretty thrilled. Now I could finally get my Innocent Veg Pots, those luscious sushi selections and the be good to yourself range (for when I'm being a bit diet conscious). The location of this place, at the entrance to Cabot Circus, means it is perfectly positioned to grab some cut price drinks and snacks before heading into the Cinema de Lux across the way, which is much more expensive. As with all new mini supermarkets in city centres there are a fair share of self service tills but at least the queues go down fairly quickly.

With plenty of clothes shops in Cabot Circus to choose from it's more than likely that you might…read moreoverlook Next. But the next (ha!) time you pay a visit to the shopping centre, you might want to take a detour to this well-loved classic of a shop. With two floors, trendy designs and a range of styles it';s not the Next I remember it to be! The shop is well laid out with friendly, helpful staff who'll help you find an outfit given just a few key words. I went in looking for a black cardigan and within two minutes the shop assistant pointed me in the direction of 5 black cardigans of various designs and materials. The prices are mid-range for the high street but the quality is undeniable.

I normally like shopping at Next but I didn't like this store. It can get very busy and it feels a…read morebit like a maze. The childrenswear is kept separate from the womenswear, for example, but when you're in the depths of the store and it's busy it can be very hard to find your way out again! That said, on a quiet day this would probably be much like any other branch of Next, although it's a new store and looks 'flashier' than most other branches. The clothes are affordable and good quality, and you can find things instore that are not available in the catalogue.