This shop has been in existence, in one form or another, for over 100 years and has evolved into a…read moresleek and stylish independent gallery and shop for homeware and art. Difficult to pinpoint, the Guild offers not just ridiculously over priced kitchen accessories but also smaller trinkets and gifts, postcards and gourmet food - you know the kind, fancy jars of jelly beans and unpronounceable preserves. The various sections within this surprisingly large shop cater for the kitchens, living rooms and what I consider the best bit - kids bedrooms. Cuddly toys and traditional board games are on offer, as well as the more unusual, such as life-size green dogs made from moulded rubber. Bristol Guild is the kind of place I imagine Kirsty Allsopp would frequent if she lived round these parts, and is somewhere that should make it on to your list if visiting the area.

Bristol Guild is a small gallery crammed full of things. It's quite narrow in here but they sure…read moreknow how to get as much in as possible! Just don't visit with large bags or a clumsy personality! There are some hidden gems in here if you are willing to give the gallery some quality time, however I have never really found anything that tickles my fancy. Staff pretty much stay in the background and won't approach you unless you go up to them. They have a nice coffee shop at the back of the gallery if you have exhausted all your energy supplies. It has a nice terrace overlooking Park Street if you are able to brave the cold and rain too!

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...

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. ;)

I had a bra t fitting today with a lovely lady called Lisa, she was so patient kind and friendly, I…read morespent a hour with this lady finding me the correct bra nothing was to much trouble for her two weeks previous I had gone to m&s for a bra fit and it was disastrous never again, thank you Lisa for all your help although the bra was from the more expensive range it fits perfect and I'm very pleased

John Lewis stands tall in both the Mall and the whole of Cribbs Causeway - like a beacon calling in…read morethe 40-something middle-class woman. Welcome it says. Shop for items of quality and value it whispers. Be given excellent service by staff who are wholly invested in their company even though it is a national chain, it nudges. So I am not one of those women in class or age, but I do like John Lewis. A proper old-fashioned department store with modern things for sale. They have a great cross-section of clothing ranges from Levis to Jaeger. They also have a great homes section with crockery by Vera Wang and Jasper Conran giving it cool points but their own brand range is pretty fine stuff as well. The beauty section is stuffed with goodies and I also really like their selection of notebooks and diaries. The best bit however is that they are possibly the only department store in Bristol to have kept their haberdashery section, and it is gorgeous - great wool, interesting selection of fabrics and of course, as with the rest of the store, really helpful staff.

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).

I love that you can follow the progression of this Bristol store by old shop signs at increasingly…read morebigger stores up Stapleton Road, up to its current destination in Fishponds Trading Estate. It is difficult to describe - basically a homeware shop with a bunch of oddities on top - think pictures of Jesus standing beneath holographic waterfalls. Apart from the sheer fun of going round here, during the heatwave five years ago this was the only shop in Bristol still to stock fans. Genius.

Rajanis is the stuff of legend for the cheap and cheerful. Only if you're prepared to trawl through…read morea warehouse of junk, tat and odds and ends to find what you're after. And if what you're after is a job lot of chairs, or a mop or a big bag of mixed sweets. I'm doing it an injustice. Wholesale is the right name for it (despite selling to the average person off the street too). They stock a whole host, floor-to-ceiling - gifts, cards, stationary, candles, ornaments, mirrors, luggage, beauty and cleaning products, household goods, crockery, catering supplies, DIY products, pet supplies, gardening goods and furniture, curtains, towels, cushions, blinds, bedding, toys and electrical goods. All at warehouse discount, bargain basement, super-duper low prices. The Xmas decoration section itself is breath-taking - you could decorate an entire village with what they have here - tinsel, baubels, trees and lights a go-go. Rajanis also has a café on site, a cashpoint, delivery service and pensioner discounts on a Thursday. Phew... it's like an entire new city of stuff.

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.

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.

Other people here have mentioned the hardware store on one side (they mix Dulux paint which is very…read morehandy by the way) but I just want to mention the garden centre which is on the separate building across the pedestrian/cycle path (which reminds me - do note the different coloured bricks and cycle images on the floor and watch out for cycles). The garden centre is pretty well stocked for peripherals, but also has a nice selection of instant colour seasonal plants as well as some fruit and herbs for kitchen gardens. Their willows and topiary are a bit old fashioned and I would recommend going to a specialist nursery for trees (try Chew Valley Trees) but this is great for a gardening hit in town.

This sprawling department store feels like one giant throwback to the 1970s. The design is dowdy,…read morecome here after going to Ikea for a real shock. You'll hear very British muzak plays over the speakers, interrupted occasionally by an announce who kindly reminds you to validate your parking when paying for your goods. Quaint to the point of being weird, and also almost always completely empty. Enough of analysis of the style of the shop, I should probably tell you if it's any good. There are sections for homeware and DIY, as well as a garden centre. You can get more or less anything for the home, a few things you didn't know you needed, and a few things no-one would ever need. There's an entire row of various things for your milkman to leave the milk in, to give you an idea of the range. It's not that cheap unfortunately. I think all there costs must go on the staff (who are very helpful), of which there seem to be a greater number than there are customers most of the time.

Until very recently the centre (being the open plan water fountain area by the Hippodrome) only had…read morea couple of independent newsagents, which was fine. Then in the space of a few months two of the big players popped up - Tesco Metro at College Green and Sainsburys Local in Broad Quay. Each can complete with a much-needed cash point in the area. Previously, people had to either walk halfway up Park Street to the HSBC or halfway down Baldwin Street to the Alliance and Leicester. Sainsburys Local is your bog standard Sainsburys Local but it looks much nicer and newer. It sells the usual from sandwiches to chocolate and soup to milk and eggs. It's also handy for the smokers in the nearby office blocks. I don't know about you but I'd much rather shop at Sainsburys than Tescos and now you can if you live or work around the city centre in Bristol.

Good selection of ready-to-eat sandwiches and meals, even late at night. Besides that, it's not…read moremuch different from any other Sainsbury's. Oh, unless you love Reese's. They also happen to have an epic selection of Reese's peanut butter cups, pieces and even the oft-unseen crunchy candy bar. Heady stuff.