This convenience store in Collins Street was my saving grace and office escape in the corporate…read moreworld prior to working for myself as a freelance writer. One used to feel a little like a kid walking into a candy store at the time, and there would be some days where they would have items for purchase for only $1 to celebrate a particular time of day, and most recently their birthday. Cherry Ripe here I come. The staff always seem to be so glad to see you, it isn't stock standard chain based convenience store service. You would feel kind of special. The Freddo frogs (although simple) was a big deal at the time, like my office survival kit: especially during the last three months of my corporate career. They would always have specials for buying four Freddo frogs of different varieties at any given moment, and this convenience store would run the occasional competition where a pre-paid Visa card was up for grabs to entice you into buying more chocolate which stocked up my survival kit when one needed it stocked up the most. The ambience was inviting, especially the owl and inside (although a bit of tight space at times) allured that welcoming feeling for the tired office worker.

The local Milk Bar, good for last minute items or if you cannot be bothered with the extra 500m to…read moreWoolies. I've been in here a few times and just really shocked by the pricing in here. My housemate had fallen ill and needed some Soda Water, so instead of venturing a few more minutes down the road to Woolworths, i stopped in here and my god i left just as soon as i entered. I looked in the fridge and saw that a 2L Soda Water was around $4. This is something that the local Woolies stocks for 80c - $1. I understand that this small independent business is something of a dying sort but i'm not comfortable paying twice or three times as much for something i can get a few hundred meters down the road.

The name of this place suggests that this small family-run store, which has been here for over 30…read moreyears or more, is an in fact a convenience store. Phooey! I totally disagree with that and therefore refer to it as a milkbar, because that's exactly what it is. After all, milkbars are a dying rapidly and only a few now remain, like this one, and I'll be damned if I start referring to it as a convenience store. I don't know how many times I'd be on my way to work and completely forget to bring some change for the ticket machine on the tram. And, like a mirage in the desert, this little milkbar would come to my aid. It also looks after me on all those days when nothing can take away your troubles like an impulse buy of ice cream or chocolate on the way home. The prices can be a little higher than other places but for the people situated around this milkbar, and forgetful little me, the convince it provides more than outweighs the extra few dollars. Plus I quite enjoy the friendless and familiarity you get from regularly coming to a small place like this which you'd never get from a supermarket no matter times you go there or how much you spend. I applaud these guys for keeping the legacy of suburban milkbars alive.

The whole point of a convenience store is that you expect a quick get-in-get-out deal. The 7-Eleven…read morestores are small, so there's no much browsing you need to do. You probably already know what you want straight away. Unfortunately, since this particular 7-Eleven is located smack dab in the middle of Melbourne's CBD, everybody and their mothers want a piece of it. Sometimes at night when everyone's out and about, it can get as crowded as Coles. And I'm not exaggerating. I queued up for about 10 minutes before it was finally my shot at the counter. How unfortunate for 7-Eleven because its popularity isn't its fault. In fact, I suppose being bustling with business is a positive. Still, if you can, avoid.

Some of the friendliest 7-eleven staff (especially the slightly older bloke) I've ever encountered.read more

This is the neighborhood IGA express store in Southbank where I got my immediate grocery needs…read morewhile visiting Melbourne last spring. It is not a huge store but just have enough products. However price might be slightly higher than other grocery stores, but I guess it is fine since it is in prime area in Southbank and open late til midnight. I am not sure where to park if you drive there but tram or walk is much better and easy option.

It is convenient to have one of these below my apartment. Becomes very handy…read more Open everyday until Midnight. Good for those last minute things, its a little pricey, but its what youll expect it to be at a express store. Liquor store is also good awel, no need to worry about those people that come to your house empty handed, just send them down stairs to the bottolo.

CONVENIENCE +++. This place is so convenient, open til 10 most nights............a little of the…read moreexpensive side. great staff!!! You can get nearly anything here.............they have a great liquor store too.

This convenience store deserves note for the range of international products. There are lots of…read morelittle gems, particularly from the UK, to be found. Staff are always friendly and there's a well-stocked liquor section as well, where more or less anything can be found. Open until 10pm every night. Prices are a little extra, as you'd expect from this kind of place.

Hershey's craving? Need cheese in a can? Real tortillas? Specific brand of Indian roti? This is no…read moreordinary milk bar. If you're ever found yourself desperately hunting for a food item no one seems to stock, you need to check here first. I come for my Mexican fix. Corn flour or ready-made tortillas, El Cielo sauces, real agave for margaritas, and just about every other hot sauce, chipotle and salsa type imaginable. USA food addicts and expats can stock up on everything from Pop Tarts to twinkies. It's the kind of place you can get easily carried away with on first visit, so thankfully they have a Yelp check-in offer and we scored 10% off our impulse hot sauce spree.

Prahran Convenience is my go to shop for all things Organic and all my guilty pleasures…read more They have a vast range of all of your organic/paleo and health foods at great prices. I can pick up a 1ltr container of coconut or Maple water for under $4 here and sometimes they have bulk specials. They stock all the great brands like Zebra vegan ice cream, RAW protein & FOG milk. Apart from the healthy stuff, I love their huge range of American food. Candy, Cereal, sauces and products we find really hard to get our hands on here in AUS. They also stock Indian & Brazilian food too. I love that they are open 24/7. If you're in the area or in need of any ingredients that are rare, I urge you to give this store a try.

There are much smaller versions of 7-11 stores located conveniently on several main streets in…read moredowntown Melbourne. Even though they are small, they have what most people are looking for such as small convienent snacks, sandwiches, drinks, and pastries. I was looking for a quick freshly handmade snacks and found daily made sandwiches with lots of varieties and price ranges. A picked up flavored bottled water that was also reasonably priced. They will not provide a bag for you and many people bring their own bags or use existing carry-ons to transport their purchases. I will probably stop by this store again before leaving Melbourne at the end of the week.

Conviently located on City Road this very decently sized grocery shop is great for all the short…read morestay apartments scattered There is also a bottle shop in the back section. Prices are better than your smaller convenience store or 7 eleven, but if you are after something more than just your basic items best hold off until you can get to a Coles or Safeway.

There's something about little family run businesses that give them a superior edge over all other…read moreoptions. The Grange Mini Mart, which I always called the Milk Bar until I asked for a business card, is no exception to this. The service here is impeccable and always friendly. The store itself is warm and inviting from the moment the bell tinkles above the door to signal your arrival. There is a great range of products on offer including: fruit, chocolate, lollies, ice-creams, magazines, confectionary, milk, cake, cigarettes, bus tickets, phone credit and my personal favourite - Willy Wonka Nerds. If you are a regular customer here you won't get called by name but you will get special privileges. The amount of times I race down there to find that I'm ten cents short or my eftpos card declines have piled up in a corner where I store all my embarrassing moments. Fortunately, the owner of this Mini Mart is super nice when this happens. She pulls out a notepad and takes down your name and phone number before writing down how much you owe. Let her know when you will be down next and she'll pop in a date of expected payment too. Be nice and try to pay her quickly. The shop is always clean and well stocked and best of all - it is open until 9pm every night of the week.

I'm with the others here. Lygon (in)Convenience seems to overlook the obvious 'convenience' items…read moreand in doing so renders itself obsolete. Let's focus on the positives and eliminate the negatives. There are two reasons this place is good, three at a stretch. 1) the Commonwealth ATM out front. As a suffering Commonwealth Bank customer, you would understand the fucking hatred you get for using another bank's ATM at $2 a throw. Fuck you Commonwealth! I prize this rare gem of an ATM and will go out of my way to avoid filling you coffers any more than I must. 2) The dude who works here is a gent. He is so apologetic and seems genuinely concerned that they have nothing you require. He could be a fucker about it, but he's not. 3) They sell cold drinks on a hot day. That is all.

I'm not sure if Lygon Convenience has stepped up its game since I used to live around the corner…read more Back then it was one of the least convenient convenience stores you could imagine. No phone credit, no metcards and a small range of goods. Ahmed, the guy that ran it seemed to do the longest shifts you could possibly imagine. I'm sure it has to have stepped up its game since and the guy who runs it seems really nice. It's a good location so should be a prime spot for a more convenient store.