Soukous

A great little independent shop with a selection of bunting, scarves, fairy lights, fair trade homewares, and other decorations you don’t need (but they’re just SO CUTE!). Some great unique greetings cards. Definitely a go-​to for girly gifts.
If you really want to see inside and get a feel for it before stopping by, here’s the panoramic tour:

We love Soukous because it captures the very essence of girly chic, with a vintage twist. It’s the perfect place to buy gifts for your favourite girlfriends or even just for you to indulge your feminine side.
Sian Hogan, Staff Writer,

Soukous is not a shop where I’d purchase myself a present, but for a bloke looking for a place which sells things for women and girls of any age, Soukous is a convenient one-​stop shop. They sell items to suit any price range and the very friendly (and quite attractive from what I remember) staff are on hand to help you permeate the female psyche and choose the right gift. Girls be warned, on entering this shop, you may end up leaving with a far lighter purse!

Soukous is a great little independent shop nestled in amongst the cafes and secondhand shops in Cotham, just off Whiteladies Road. Selling imaginative gift items and a good range of jewellery as well as cards and wrapping paper, it provides a one-​stop-​shop for the busy present buyers. Brilliant!
Similar in style to Iota on Gloucester Road, but offering a broader range of product, this is a twinkly, fluffy haven, exclusively for women. But, that’s not to say that there’s nothing for the boys… There’s another Soukous dedicated to men across the road.

It’s not often that a shop window is off-​putting but with the sugary sweet pink walls and cutesy clothes on display, I did have to think twice before entering Soukous. I was pleased I decided to see past the pink as this is a fantastic clothing, gift and homeware shop, split over two floors.
On the ground floor there are lots of cute greetings cards, stationary, photo frames and children’s clothing. Downstairs there is a wall of women’s clothing but it was all very floral and a little too hippy-​ish for my liking, but perfect for a festival-​goer or a yummy mummy. Whilst down here I barely got a look at the large range of Hello Kitty products before a gaggle of teenage girls swept down the stairs, cooing over which Kitty lip gloss to buy (I believe she picked strawberry in the end, much to the disgust of her friend).
There was also a large selection of plastic novelty bows and plates, including a cute red and white polka dot set that I know I would never use but want all the same. The prices were competitive and with so many gift type products in here I would defiantly come back here the next time I need a present for a female friend.

With its pink exterior and all manner of glittery bric a brac on show in the windows, it’s fairly clear who Soukous’ target audience is. For this it has proven to be extremely well located, right on the path that first year arts students pound to university, eager to decorate their rooms with fairy lights and all manner of intricate household items.
There’s some good jewellery, plenty of greetings cards and there are some excellent trinkets to buy for gifts. The fairy lights selection is unrivalled as well. It’s a tad too girlie for my tastes and the pink exterior is a tiny bit much (especially as it used to be opposite the fluffier than fluffy Cake café).
It might make you sick but if you are, or are seeking a gift, for a girlie girl, Soukous is your one way ticket to interior design heaven.

With the general look of a huge, disgusting, pink blancmange, Soukous sits gloopily on Cotham Hill calling female students inside to wander among sparkly, shiny things they can’t afford. I was one of these a few years ago. Every pointless pink coaster, every overpriced teapot, every string of beads, drew my attention and occasionally, just occasionally, I would give in and hand over some money for something I could probably find much cheaper elsewhere, and didn’t need anyway.
It’s the biggest gift shop in the area, and, even if you object to the pinkness of the place, at least it has a strong sense of identity and brand. Though it’s expensive generally, you’ll find small, cheaper things too, such as perfumed bath bombs and candles. There’s a good range of greeting cards, too.

It may look pink and revolting from the outside but this place is a real find and always worth a browse. Inside it’s like an Aladdin’s Cave of gifts and trinkets with some really unique items thrown in. And it’s perfect for buying little wedding day gifts for brides, stocking fillers and treats for yourself. They’ve got a fantastic selection of photo frames– from the froofy and girly to hammered gilt and slate ones. There’s also stacks of jewellery– cheaper beaded numbers and a cabinet full of lovely silver items. I can always find a gift in here even if I’ve only got 10 minutes to do it.

Pink, pink, and more pink! A shop that scares men and excites the girlie girls. Think of anything a girlie girl would like and Soukous are guaranteed to have it. I cannot imagine somebody failing to find something suitable here. The trouble with this shop is that, although everything is cute and almost perfect as a gift, it means that you begin to recognise where your own presents have come from. I love their selection of cards and bath goodies. The rest of the shop is full to the brim with fail-​safe gift options such as mugs, diaries, fairy lights, ornaments and candles. Being very gift-​like and fail-​safe, the owner has picked up on this and this unfortunately means that the items are slightly over-​priced. Expect to pay a little extra but content in the knowledge that your gift will be perfect.

This garish gift shop on Cotham Hill is enough to put any boy, or un-​girlie girl off just by the pinker than pink paint on the outside of the builder. But once you’re inside its glittery doors you’ll find a whole host feminine gifts to make you cringe either further.
There’s birthday cards, candles, soaps and bath bombs in abundance here to buy for cutesy girls, mums or girlfriends. Sadly I just can’t seem to see past the pink and have over visited Soukous twice. But there’s no denying that they do gifts for girls like no other shop in Clifton.

Another little business on Cotham Hill which is kept alive by the Student Loans Company, Soukous’ bright pink façade draws in the anxious males looking for girlie gifts and girlie girls looking for pink paraphernalia.
If you’re looking for fairy lights or fancy quilts, this is a great place to come. Also, Soukous stock Banksy cards if you fancy sending a Bristolian greeting to a friend. My personal favourite are the jelly bean candles, they’ve come in useful a few times!

This place has come to be referred to as the pink shop among my group of friends. It’s a real girly girl kind of shop — I’ve been in looking for presents a few times, and it’s one of those places that you think you’re bound to find something but I’m always a little bit worried it’ll come across a little bit too cliché. They have a good selection of unique cards, some nice jewellery at low prices, smaller gift items such as fairy lights and candles. There’s quite an intriguing stand selling bath soaps — only the soaps are all in the shape of fruits/​sweets and really look like they could edible — don’t be caught out! I’ve always thought the general gifts are a bit overpriced in here though, as most things seem to be a couple of quid more expensive than I’d think is fair to pay — perhaps it’s a location premium. A good place to find a present, or definitely a nice card, but expect to pay a little bit more than perhaps necessary.