We're shopping our way out of the recession in Bristol

Shops are defying the economic gloom by opening new branches in Bristol city centre.

Five new store openings at Cabot Circus include a new occupant of the shop in Quakers Friars left empty when upmarket tailor Hardy Amies went into administration.

Fashion store Joules is due to open there next week and it will be joined by another fashion store, Gant, due to open between Chandos Deli and Fat Face on Easter Saturday.

Outdoor equipment and clothing retailer North Face has just opened in Cabot Circus and other new lettings there are food outlets Bella Italia and Hey Potato!, both on the third level of Cabot Circus.

The former Zavvi store in The Mall Bristol – formerly the Galleries – has re-opened as entertainment store Head, and the covered precinct has just seen a new baguette shop open. A further four new store openings are set to be announced soon and three more are in the pipeline.

When the £500m Cabot Circus opened last September, 90 per cent of the units were taken and there has been a steady stream of lettings since.

Shops which have recently opened there include Azendi and Rituals.

Cabot Circus centre director Richard Belt said: "These recent lettings to well-respected brands continue to demonstrate retailer confidence in Cabot Circus, despite challenging market conditions and a UK-wide downturn."

David Ball, retail property manager for Joules, described Quakers Friars as a "perfect" spot for the company to open a branch.

He said: "Bristol has undergone a face lift in the past few years and is a vibrant city. A number of great brands have opened in the centre, which has really helped put Bristol on the retail map.

"We know that our target customer lives in this area."

Managing director Tom Joule said "Bristol is a fantastic city with lots to offer and we are thrilled to be opening our shop on April 2."

Gant spokeswoman Ella Hitchins said: "Our location and positioning within Cabot Circus is key for our brand as it provides our customers with easy access, plenty of parking spaces, in a premium location with excellent dining contained within a scenic square."

North Face's manager for the UK and Ireland, Andrew Barker, said the company was looking to expand.

Mr Barker, 32, a keen skier and climber, said: "We have been looking at major UK cities that have new developments such as Cabot Circus. It was an obvious choice for us."

Colin Lang, general manager at The Mall Bristol said: "Overall, the lettings situation is looking very encouraging, with new food outlet The Baguette Shop opening in The Mall three weeks ago."

He said a further four new stores were currently the subject of legal discussions and the names of the companies involved would be announced soon. Negotiations to seal three more lettings were also at an advanced stage.

The Mall Bristol is also supporting budding local entrepreneurs by giving them the chance to try out their business idea for free.

Local entrepreneurs were invited to submit their business idea for the chance to trade on one of The Mall's retail merchandising units for free for two weeks. The four finalists are currently battling it out in the Mall, with the winner going through to the national finals for the chance to win six months free trading.

The news of shop openings followed grim news for shops in Bristol. Hardy Amies was the first store in Cabot Circus to close, just three months after the precinct opened for business.

Former high street favourite Woolworths, which had a 12 stores in the Bristol area including a branch at The Mall Bristol, saw 529 people lose their jobs.

Ben Yearsley of Bristol's financial specialists Hargreaves Lansdown said the signs were good but the economy was still in a "precarious" state.

He said: "In general terms some retailers are doing well. Sainsbury's has just announced a 2.7 per cent profit for the fourth quarter and that's quite positive news.

"We have had four or five months of low interest rates and people are starting to feel the effect of money in their pockets. I think the five new stores coming to Cabot Circus have probably been given excellent rent deals. If they have driven a good bargain then you can see the logic.

"But Bristol is not out of the woods yet. There are bound to be job losses with the Lloyds TSB – HBOS merger. I wouldn't want to dampen people's enthusiasm. Lots of money is being chucked at the system, at the salvage packages."