“I wondered if Bristol would ever be commended for its shopping amenities again”
06:00, 30 Apr 2026
(Image: Bristol Live)
It feels like no time has past since I wrote about how Quakers Friars and Broadmead seemed to resemble something of a ghost town.
And in recent years, the future had looked uncertain – and a little bit bleak at times – even for Cabot Circus. We lost a flagship cinema venue – a huge one at that – an anchor department store, a local book shop, several fashion and beauty brands, and restaurants. I wondered if Bristol would ever be commended for its shopping amenities again.
And now here I sit on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, having just ventured out to Cabot Circus, to write about how the shopping destination seems to be stealing all the spotlight of late, thanks to some of the massive name brands and businesses that have, or are set to, open up shop here.
While not packed full of people, there was certainly a swarm of shoppers exploring all that the outdoor, glass-covered shopping venue now has to offer today. Earlier this month it welcomed global fashion brand Uniqlo to its shopping line-up and this seemed to be where a vast number of people were visiting as I passed.
Inside, it was very busy, the exclusive Wallace and Gromit Uniqlo Bristol merchandise seemingly sold out (until a colleague told me that there was also a downstairs to the shop and I suddenly realised I hadn’t paid attention to that factor since Topshop had resided there years ago). Topshop closed its Cabot store in 2021 and the shopping venue certainly feels different to those days.
Speaking to some shoppers outside, a few of them said that the new Uniqlo opening was the main reason for their visit to Cabot Circus. One shopper, Hermione from Bristol, who was armed with a Uniqlo bag having just made a purchase, told me a visit to Cabot Circus would come maybe once a month if that, and said: “I don’t really like shopping much but I bought something from Uniqlo just now.
(Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach Plc)
“I think having these big brands will entice more people to come shopping more here, but I would love to see more vintage shops.”
Two gentlemen, who didn’t wish to be named but were keen to share their thoughts, said: “With the cinema and things like Uniqlo opening, it feels like there’s a bit more of a buzz around here and it’s certainly bringing us into Cabot Circus more often now.”
Others we spoke to were either tourists from miles away – we encountered people who’d travelled everywhere from Pontypool in Wales, to Cornwall, and even Manchester – who were visiting Bristol and were browsing through Cabot Circus to see what all the fuss was about. To them, of course, it was assumed those most recent openings had been here far longer.
Two more locals, who had an appointment at a nearby medical centre, were making a pitstop at Uniqlo to bag themselves some goodies on their way home, but said that before now they wouldn’t really make the journey into town to shop at Cabot Circus, because it hadn’t been all that exciting.
You only need to venture to a new store opening in Cabot Circus to understand just how excited shoppers can be when a new brand arrives here. When M&S opened in the former home of House of Fraser back in November 2025, queues and crowds were massive, with Percy Pig posing for pictures and a ribbon cutting welcoming in what is now one of the busiest stores in the centre of Bristol.
Queues, ribbon cuttings, music and more have also recently been seen at Uniqlo, Lookfantastic and Dave’s Hot Chicken – all fresh new faces this year to the Cabot Circus scene.
(Image: Bristol Live)
And we still have big hitters like Sephora – which opens today (April 30) and Boots Beauty to come.
With The Galleries soon to be no more and emptying out day by day, and Broadmead seemingly catering more towards those who like merchandise, collectibles, gaming and other hobby equipment rather than big brands, Cabot Circus is forging a pathway right to the top of the podium when it comes to where to shop in Bristol.
It’s evolving back to something of a proper shopping and entertainment destination as it was promised and perceived to be back when it first came to life in 2008.
The question I have right now is, with the number of big brands also opening up shop at The Mall Cribbs Causeway (AllSaints, Animal, Honest Burgers, Wingstop, Miniso, and even a new Loungers venue among them) will Cabot Circus’ ever growing line-up of globally known brands be enough to entice people to pay for parking and come here instead of Cribbs?
And just how long will these new global names last in Bristol in today’s current climate? Will the excitement and novelty wear off after a while? After all, so many have opened in quick succession, you wonder what the atmosphere will be like on an ordinary day when all the units are full…