• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Tuesday October 20 2026

Gromit Unleashed to open biggest shop yet at Cribbs Mall

Gromit Unleashed is opening its biggest shop yet at Bristol’s Cribbs Mall, transforming a former Harrods Beauty unit into a retail and exhibition space supporting Bristol Children’s Hospital.

The new store opens at 11am on Friday, October 23 with Wallace & Gromit performing the official opening.

It will replace the charity’s existing top-floor pop-up, combining merchandise with interactive attractions designed to encourage families and fans to spend more time exploring.

All profits will support The Grand Appeal, the dedicated charity for Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Alongside gifts, collectables and homeware, visitors will find sculpture displays, photo opportunities, creative corners and a cinema screening Aardman shorts.

Replicas of Wallace & Gromit’s Moon Rocket and Motorbike and Sidecar will also feature.

Anna Hitchcock, head of commercial at The Grand Appeal, said: “We want people to walk through the doors and immediately feel that unmistakable Gromit Unleashed magic.”

Unlike most charity shops, the Gromit Unleashed stores sell entirely new products, designed by The Grand Appeal alongside official Aardman merchandise, rather than donated goods.

The operation grew from demand for miniature versions of sculptures featured in the charity’s trails, developed in partnership with the Bristol animation studio.

Anna said: “This new shop allows us to take that idea further. It’s bigger, more immersive and somewhere we hope families and fans will want to spend time, whether they’re watching an Aardman short, meeting a familiar sculpture, getting creative or posing for a photo.”

The opening extends a partnership between Cribbs Mall and The Grand Appeal dating back to the first Gromit Unleashed trail in 2013.

Last year, Cribbs hosted the public exhibition and auction for Gromit Unleashed 3. The campaign raised more than £2 million, including £1.6 million from the auction.

Lizzie Taylor, acting centre director at Cribbs Mall, said the new shop would give visitors more reasons to explore while supporting families across Bristol and beyond.

During the opening day and weekend, the first 100 customers each day will receive a golden ticket with their purchase, offering the chance of discounts or small gifts.

A handful of randomly selected tickets will offer the chance to win a signed copy of Grand. The Autobiography of Gromit as told to Nick Park.

The launch coincides with Aardman’s 50th anniversary and 25 years of Bristol Children’s Hospital in its purpose-built home.

The Grand Appeal contributed £12 million towards the hospital’s original £30 million construction cost through its first capital fundraising appeal.