Gromit Unleashed to open largest store yet at Bristol’s Cribbs Mall
Walace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the dedicated charity for Bristol Children’s Hospital, is set to open its largest Gromit Unleashed shop yet at Cribbs Mall in Bristol.
The new opening will see the shop relocate from its current pop-up location on the scheme’s top floor into the former Harrods Beauty unit.
Gromit Unleashed sells entirely brand-new products designed by The Grand Appeal alongside official Aardman merchandise, with all profits supporting the charity. This strategy sits in contrast to the wider market, with new goods accounting for just 8.8% of charity shop income in April to June 2026, according to the Charity Retail Association.
The retail model follows the success of the Gromit Unleashed sculpture trails, created by The Grand Appeal in partnership with Aardman, with the opening building on the long-standing partnership between Cribbs Mall and The Grand Appeal, which dates to the first Gromit Unleashed trail in 2013. Since then, the scheme has supported the charity through retail space, sculpture displays, fundraising, and major campaign activity.
The new shop has also been designed to function as an experience in its own right: visitors can engage with an interactive store and exhibition space featuring sculpture displays, photo opportunities, creative corners, replicas of Wallace & Gromit’s rocket and motorbike and sidecar, and a shorts cinema celebrating the worlds of Wallace & Gromit, Gromit Unleashed, and Aardman.
Lizzie Taylor, senior centre manager at Cribbs Mall, said: “Cribbs Mall has been proud to support The Grand Appeal and Gromit Unleashed for many years, and we’re delighted to be part of this exciting next chapter. The new store and exhibition space will bring something truly special to Cribbs Mall, giving visitors even more reasons to come together, explore, take photos and support a cause that means so much to families across Bristol and beyond.”
Anna Hitchcock, head of commercial at The Grand Appeal, added: “We want people to walk through the doors and immediately feel that unmistakable Gromit Unleashed magic.
“Our shops have always been a little different. We create products people genuinely want to own, inspired by the incredible artwork and characters that have captured people’s imaginations through our trails.
“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.
“And underneath all the fun is something incredibly important. Every purchase helps us continue supporting Bristol Children’s Hospital and the remarkable children and families cared for there. It means you can come in, have a brilliant time, take home something you love and know that your visit is helping make a difference too.”