Cardiff is cementing its position as one of the UK’s most compelling Christmas shopping destinations, with a powerful mix of major brands, independent makers and a compact, easy-to-navigate city centre that starts the moment visitors arrive in the city centre.
Record Occupancy at Wales’s Premier Shopping Destination
St David’s Dewi Sant, already established as Wales’s premier shopping destination, is enjoying unprecedented demand from retailers this year having introduced a variety of global brands to Cardiff, many making their Welsh debut.
In October, global beauty giant Sephora chose St David’s Dewi Sant for its first store in Wales and first location outside England, marking its 11th UK store and underlining Cardiff’s pull as a flagship market for international brands. The glossy new opening joins European fashion brand Mango, Korean skincare brand PureSeoul, East Asian-inspired lifestyle brand KENJI, plus menswear specialists Charles Tyrwhitt in opening new stores in the centre in the last couple of months, with Hollywood Bowl, a new JD, and more to follow in 2026. They join more than 150 shops, cafés and restaurants – giving Christmas shoppers access to everything from high-end beauty and fashion to tech, toys and homeware under one roof.
Helen Morgan, Centre Director at St David’s Cardiff, said: “It’s been a bumper year for us here at St David’s. We’ve welcomed a number of incredible new brands as well as store refreshes for some existing favourite names too, showing real confidence in the centre and Cardiff as one of the UK’s top destinations and creating an amazing day-out experience for our guests. We look forward to another exciting year for the city in 2026.”
Cardiff Christmas Craft Market: One of the UK’s Best
Just a few steps from St David’s Dewi Sant, Cardiff’s Christmas Craft Market winds through The Hayes, St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and Hills Street in a network of wooden chalets.
This year, the market has once again attracted national attention: The Independent recently named it among the very best in the UK for 2025, highlighting its buzzing atmosphere, 30-plus years of history and focus on independent makers. From hand-thrown ceramics and silver jewellery to Welsh textiles, glasswork and artisanal food and drink, visitors have the chance to shop small and local, while supporting Wales’s creative economy.
A Walkable Capital
One of Cardiff city centre’s biggest advantages as a shopping destination is its compact, walkable layout. From Cardiff Central Station, visitors are within a few minutes’ stroll of St David’s Dewi Sant, the Christmas Craft Markets, and the indie boutiques inside the beautifully decorated historic Victorian and Edwardian arcades, which play centre stage in the city centre’s annual ‘City of Arcades‘ campaign.
This tight-knit footprint means shoppers can move seamlessly between big-brand purchases, artisan gifts and food and drink experiences without needing taxis or complex public transport.
To support growing festive demand, FOR Cardiff has also brought back its Weekend Christmas Park & Ride service (until 21 December), helping to reduce congestion and emissions while keeping the city centre accessible for shoppers. The scheme, which saved more than 1.173 tonnes of CO₂ in 2023, allows visitors to park at the edge of the city and enjoy quick shuttle links into the centre.
FOR Cardiff is the Business Improvement District (BID) of Cardiff city centre – a private, not-for-profit membership organisation voted for by city-centre businesses in 2016. These businesses pay a levy that invests more than £1.5 million annually into additional benefits for Cardiff city centre.
And as part of FOR Cardiff’s A Very Cardiff Christmas campaign, new large-scale light projections created by renowned light artists Illuminos have transformed Cardiff Central Station and Cardiff Market into festive landmarks – including a refreshed animation inspired by Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales. It means that for visitors arriving by rail, the city’s festive feelings begin the second they pull into the station.
Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director at FOR Cardiff, said: “Cardiff boasts a great retail drink offering all year ‘round, but what we’re seeing now is the whole city centre coming together as one big Christmas shopping destination. You can wander from indie craft markets and boutique shops into Wales’ biggest shopping centre full of huge-name brands – all within a few minutes’ walk. It’s that mix of variety, quality and walkability that really sets Cardiff apart, especially at this time of year.”
For more info about Cardiff at Christmas, visit www.visitcardiff.com/christmas.
