Charles Tyrwhitt is opening in Bristol, marks homecoming for the brand

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Mar 17, 2023

Charles Tyrwhitt is returning to its retail roots. The UK menswear retailer is to open its first store in Bristol — the city where it was founded 37 years ago.

Set up as a mail order business by entrepreneur Nicholas Wheeler while he was studying at the University of Bristol, the label is set to open at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway at the end of March.

The 1,600 sq ft store is positioned on the upper floor near to anchor John Lewis in the out-of-town shopping centre.

The store will carry the brand’s full collection of shirts, suits, casualwear and accessories, while also offering one-on-one styling appointments and a made-to-measure custom shirts service.

The store will also include a range of new technological features set to roll out across its physical retail portfolio, such as interactive QR codes and engaging digitalised visuals to display the brand’s creative content.

And on the sustainability front, it will also include the Charles Tyrwhitt shirt recycling scheme where customers can bring in any old shirts and be rewarded with discounts off new shirts.

Wheeler said: “When I left Bristol, I had no idea that it would take me 37 years to ‘come home’. So, I’m now super-excited to be opening our 46th store in Cribbs Mall. ‘Better late than never’, you might say. It also gives me the perfect excuse to come back and visit my favourite city.”

The arrival of Charles Tyrwhitt is another boost to the Cribbs Mall as it continues to expand its fashion offer, having attracted Kurt Geiger, Carvela, Tommy Hilfiger, and Mango in recent months.

Mall portfolio director Scott Linard said: “Large regional retail centres in strategic, accessible locations continue to attract leading retail brands thanks to consistently strong footfall.

“We are particularly excited for customers to see Charles Tyrwhitt’s innovative and sustainable new in-store features, as it comes at a time when retailers look to create fresh and immersive spaces which appeal to today’s consumers, who enjoy the hybrid approach of online and experiential in-store retail.

“Over the course of the year, we hope to announce further new lettings as we grow our diverse mix of tenants to ensure [the mall] remains the South West’s premier shopping destination.”