Shopping in Cardiff

Whether you’re just in town for the day, or you’re enjoying a relaxing city break at one of Cardiff’s luxurious hotels, there’s no denying that the city offers a retail environment that is second to none. From designer brands to independent boutiques, Cardiff promises a uniquely rewarding experience for the discerning shopper.

St David’s Shopping centre: With more than 60 stores to choose from, including Marks and Spencer, Boots, Republic, Watches of Switzerland and Jones the Bootmaker to name but a few, St David’s Shopping Centre truly has something for everyone! Based in the heart of Cardiff’s busy shopping district, the centre is a mecca for shoppers on the lookout for top brands and great bargains. Open seven days a week, with late shopping on Thursdays, it provides a great way to get out of the rain and catch up on some invaluable retail therapy.
Queen St: The fully pedestrianised Queen Street is regarded as Cardiff’s main shopping thoroughfare, where you can find a great variety of popular chain stores such as Fopp, Qube, and Office. Queen Street is also home to the Capitol Shopping Centre, which contains designer shops such as Benetton and Karen Millen alongside large chain stores such as Zavvi and Top Man.

The Hayes: It’s not every shopping centre that can lay claim to being a top filming location, but the Hayes is one of them, by virtue of the fact that it contains the Howell’s department store, which is frequently used as a filming location for the BBC television series Doctor Who. The Hayes has just recently been refurbished and contains a number of brand new stores, including a flagship Borders book store.

Arcades: The shopping arcades in Cardiff’s city centre have retained a good many of their original Edwardian and Victorian details, and as such provide a uniquely atmospheric shopping experience. In them, you can find such varied delights as gift stores selling Welsh love spoons and handmade textiles, independent stores selling the latest designer clothes, and cafes specialising in such things as organic, fair trade and vegetarian food and drink.

For shoppers looking for something a bit more individual and esoteric, try checking out the Victorian indoor market, which contains stalls selling everything from designer fabrics and mobile phones to freshly-caught fish and traditional Welsh cheeses. For those looking for locally farmed food and delicacies, the Riverside Real Food Market, which is open for business every Sunday from 10am-2pm on the Taff embankment, is a great place to find produce that is low on food miles but big on taste!