Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal, the charity for Bristol Children’s Hospital, is to open its biggest Gromit Unleashed shop yet at Cribbs Mall in Bristol.
The shop will move from its current pop-up space on the top floor of the centre into the former Harrods Beauty unit, with a grand opening set for Friday 23 October. The larger store is intended to be a more interactive destination, with 100 per cent of profits supporting The Grand Appeal.
The shop works differently from most charity shops. According to the Charity Retail Association, there are more than 9,900 charity shops across the UK, with new goods accounting for just 8.8 per cent of charity-shop income in April to June 2026. Rather than selling donated or second-hand goods, Gromit Unleashed stores sell only new products designed by The Grand Appeal alongside official Aardman merchandise, with all profits going to the charity.
The model grew out of the Gromit Unleashed sculpture trails, which The Grand Appeal created in partnership with Aardman. What began with fans taking home miniature figurines of their favourite trail sculptures has grown into collections of gifts, collectables and homeware.
The new shop is also being designed as an experience in its own right. Alongside Gromit Unleashed and Aardman merchandise, the interactive store and exhibition space will feature sculpture displays, photo opportunities, creative corners, replicas of Wallace & Gromit’s Moon Rocket and Motorbike and Sidecar, and a shorts cinema celebrating the worlds of Wallace & Gromit, Gromit Unleashed and Aardman.
“We want people to walk through the doors and immediately feel that unmistakable Gromit Unleashed magic.
Anna Hitchcock, Head of Commercial, The Grand Appeal
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.”
The shop builds on a partnership between Cribbs Mall and The Grand Appeal that dates back to the first Gromit Unleashed trail in 2013. Since then, the centre has supported the charity through retail space, sculpture displays, fundraising and major campaign activity.
In 2025, Cribbs played a central role in Gromit Unleashed 3, providing a prominent retail presence and hosting both the public exhibition and the auction at the Gromit Unleashed Pavilion. The campaign raised more than £2 million overall, including £1.6 million at auction, for sick children, babies and their families across Bristol, the South West and beyond.
The move also adds to recent changes in the centre’s line-up, with Rodd & Gunn announcing in April that it would move from a John Lewis concession into a standalone store, and Moss relocating to a larger unit.
“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.”
Lizzie Taylor, Senior Centre Manager, Cribbs Mall
Wallace & Gromit will officially open the store at 11am on Friday 23 October. Over the opening day and weekend, the first 100 customers each day will receive a golden ticket at the point of purchase, offering the chance of a discount or a small Gromit Unleashed gift. A handful of tickets, picked at random, will include the chance to win a signed copy of the new Aardman book Grand. The Autobiography of Gromit as told to Nick Park.
The opening comes during a milestone year for the charity and its partners. Bristol Children’s Hospital is marking 25 years in its purpose-built home, which opened in 2001, with The Grand Appeal having raised £12 million of the original £30 million build cost through its first capital appeal. The year also marks Aardman’s 50th anniversary.
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
Related Posts
