Cribbs Causeway (Bristol)

CRIBBS CAUSEWAY
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Last week I was sat at home feeling a little bored and wondering what to do at the weekend. My partner suggested a visit to The Mall @ Cribbs Causeway. It was such a surprise as my other half hates shopping but he was suddenly keen to drive for three hours up to Bristol. I soon realised the next day that this could have had something to do with the fact Katie Price aka Jordan was visiting ...
...shopping at the Mall @ Cribbs Causeway.

GETTING THERE
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We travelled up from Cornwall and the journey was about 3 hours long. For us the journey was quite pleasant as it was straight up the A38, then onto the M5 we left the motorway at junction 17. When we left the motorway however we spent a while in stationary traffic. I would guess that on a quiet day the centre is relatively easy to enter ... more

CRIBBS CAUSEWAY
-----------------------------
Last week I was sat at home feeling a little bored and wondering what to do at the weekend. My partner suggested a visit to The Mall @ Cribbs Causeway. It was such a surprise as my other half hates shopping but he was suddenly keen to drive for three hours up to Bristol. I soon realised the next day that this could have had something to do with the fact Katie Price aka Jordan was visiting to sign her new fragrance.

Although the South West have been blessed in recent years with two major shopping centres we still feel a little deprived compared to London, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle etc. The Princess Hay in Exeter and the Drake Circus in Plymouth are all lovely shopping centres but do not provide the same sort of experience as shopping at the Mall @ Cribbs Causeway.

GETTING THERE
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We travelled up from Cornwall and the journey was about 3 hours long. For us the journey was quite pleasant as it was straight up the A38, then onto the M5 we left the motorway at junction 17. When we left the motorway however we spent a while in stationary traffic. I would guess that on a quiet day the centre is relatively easy to enter but on this particular day there seemed to be chaos all around.

PARKING
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When we arrived we went in search for a parking meter only to find that parking as free and that it was very easy to find a space. The parking bays are labelled by letter and number so finding the car after a tiring day of shopping is pleasant.

THE BUILDING
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From the outside the building is awesome; I had to stop wide mouthed for a while to take it all in. At this time of the year they seem to have an ice rink, rides and Christmas lights, all of which look amazing against the superb backdrop. I will say that on the day we visited the weather was frosty and bitterly cold outside, and one would expect the heating to be on full and the place to be overheating but it was appropriately heated with air conditioning. The overall conditions and style of the building made the experience an amazing one.

THE LAYOUT
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The store is set out like a boomerang. There is a large John Lewis store on one side and an equally sized Marks and Spencer's on the other. These stores are set out over three levels and can be entered from each floor of the mall. I found this quite a good way to get customers into the store as many people used it to cut through to reach the next level.

The other stores are arranged along a wide corridor which makes it easy to move around. There are a few stalls, cafes and salespeople selling products within the corridors and due to this accessibility was a little difficult especially with a high volume of pushchairs and wheelchairs.

SHOPPING EXPERIENCE
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The overall shopping experience was amazing, I could visit shops I had never seen or heard of before. I will only refer to some of my favourites as this review is not about each individual store. For a full list of stores and outlets visit this site --- http://www.mallcribbs.com/store_by_cat.php

For those of you who have read my other reviews will already know that I am a bit of a gadget fan. I came across a fabulous shop with many gadgets and novelty items, unfortunately I cannot remember the name but the prices were great and a place I would be most happy to return to.

Whilst Virgin is a well known store I must mention this one as it went under the name of Savvie rather than Virgin despite all the shelf edge labels and merchandise saying Virgin. I wasn't too pleased with the paper bags they gave out as it made carrying several DVD's quite tricky.

I must mention John Lewis as I had never heard of them until my trip to Cribbs. I was most impressed with their stock and would love to go back and by most of the shop.

Although I am sure it's a chain store I couldn't help but love 'Past Times' I could think of many gift ideas for my nan, grandad, mum and dad involving a few nostalgic memories. In fact I was so tempted to get a space bouncer my partner had to drag me out before I made an 'impulse buy' that I would regret a few hours later.

My jaw dropped when I saw the Disney shop as it was huge and it was practically empty due to the more exciting subject of Jordan so for the first time ever I had the Disney shop to myself. I managed to spend my money without having pushchairs rammed into my leg or children having tantrums…ah bliss!

I found the clothes shops quite expensive but loved Kew, Mandolin and Coast all of which were new to me. I still prefer Primark for clothes shopping though…sorry Cribbs!

Overall my partner was amazed at the fantastic selection of shops especially the huge Game store and excellent electrical section in John Lewis…I think I may have just converted him from shopaphobic to shopaholic!

FOOD AND DRINK
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I can't normally seem to go shopping without having a bit to eat and a cool drink to guzzle. ON this occasion however I was having such a great time I didn't feel at all hungry until my partner advised getting a quick snack. We were spoiled for choice and as it was so busy with no space to sit we decided to get a KFC. The prices were amazingly the same as those in the high street (I usually expect them to be higher in a pace like Cribbs) and the service was great. We managed to get a table and set in the centre of the 'food hall' and were rather disappointed to realise they had a mezzanine level with a pizza hut. I must admit I sulked for a few hours after noticing this. There was a food oulet for almost every taste with a 'Flaming Wok', 'Burger King' and 'Spud 'u' like'.

CLEANLINESS
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Despite the chaos of Jordan and huge crowds causing riots the place was kept clean, tidy with a little bit of order. I could see cleaners wandering around with brooms and a dustpan, showing that cleanliness is valued. The toilets were very clean and smelt pleasant.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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There is a small creche at Cribbs Causeway which will obviously make Christmas shopping a lot better. I did notice buses arriving at the entrance so I would guess that the Mall is easy to reach by public transport from Bristol City Centre. I know that a few WI's, PTA's at local schools and other charity organisations organise excursions to the Mall. Some companies such as Western National organise special shopping days at Cribbs.

CONCLUSION
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Overall I felt the whole day was great. I really enjoyed shopping at Cribbs. I would love to return after Christmas to get a look in during the January sales. I would recommend this Mall to anyone visiting the South West. Its a prominent place off of junction 17 makes it a great place to stop on your way up or down the country. 

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