A very clean and pleasant experience. The great snow dogs…read moreare currently a big plus on atmosphere! Always something to browse here... great place to kill time

The Bridges was opened in the Eighties, turning what was several open-air streets into one covered…read moremall. In 2000 it was extended and with that, Debenhams was opened. There are several eateries and coffee shops in the Bridges, such as Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, Nudo, Caffé Nero, and because it's north east England, two Greggs outlets ;-) There's also two cafes in Debenhams and one on the top floor of Waterstones. There's a good-sized Tesco and an Iceland in the mall, as well as a M&S nearby, so you do not need to leave the city centre to buy groceries. Though not a part of the mall itself, three apartment blocks sit beside the Bridges. If you've got a small fortune going spare, there's worse places to live - the city's just downstairs! Despite recent regeneration, the outdoor shopping streets of Sunderland leave a lot to be desired. The mall is still the 'big city' part of Sunderland, however if you want more choice or more independent shops, it's worth taking the trip into Newcastle.

This is a large M&S located on 2 floors. It's mainly taken up by clothes, and only a small part of…read moreit is the supermarket. The supermarket can often be quite busy and you will have to queue at the checkout, but the food is so nice so you can't complain! The staff are helpful and always apologetic when they have to ask for ID because the silly 'you must look 25 to buy alcohol or have ID to say you're 18' rule, but I understand they have to do this. You have to pay for your carrier bags so take your own!

Marks and Sparks in Sunderland is a large branch, selling food and clothing. It is spread across…read moretwo floors (hopefully I'm not confusing it with the Newcastle branch.. it has been a while since I was last there!) It is a short walk from The Bridges shopping centre. To be honest I find a lot of Marks and Spencer's clothing dated - they no longer offer a very good range for their younger clientelle, and many of there prices are high unless you can bag a bargain in their sale. I do think their underwear offers good value though and they always have plenty of sizes in stock. The changing rooms are always clean and there's usually a shop assistant around should you need any help finding a suitable size/colour of item. Personally my favourite thing about M&S is their food court! They sell the best prawn pasta salad known to man. It's expensive but worth every penny so I always get one when I'm peckish whilst shopping in Sunderland!

I visit the Customer cafe Very often and its Good food reasonable portion pleasant staff talkative…read moreto customers and even speak presently to children very decently priced clean and tidy area will visit again soon to try my monthly shop there

Wilksinsons - if you don't already know - is a large discount department store. The Sunderland…read morebranch is a short walk from the Bridges shopping centre. I always think the outside of it looks a little tatty and tired Like the signs need updating or something, the windows washed. Can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems to have lost its spark in recent years. At one time it was the place to get cheap household stuff such as branded paint, wall coverings, plumbing items, etc etc. Nowadays it has a lot more competition as all of the shops are in a bit of a pricing war! Its competitors have caught up with it in terms of value for money. Nevertheless Wilkos is still good for discounted food items. Its DIY items are also reasonably price, though probably the same prices as many other high street stores nowadays.

Wilkinson's is a cheap and huge department storew about a 10 minute walk away from the Bridges. The…read morestore is really old now and could do with a major refurb but it stocks all sorts! Everything is quite cheap, and you can sometimes get cheap tat but also find some good labels in there too! It has 3 floors and each floor has something different to offer. It even has a cafe which I believe is only really used by pensioners.