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

7-Eleven has a reputation for being really dodgy and low-quality despite its convenience in…read moreeveryone's life. That's pretty much how I feel about it. In comparison to bigger and better 7-Elevens, this one's only positive side is being right next to my apartment building. Customer Service: I understand that it's a 7-Eleven. But come on, a smile would be nice. Maybe even a "hello". Customer service is important regardless of where you work and every single time I come here the only reaction that exists is a poker face. In terms of variety, it's not a super large store - a pretty standard 7-Eleven though it's probably bigger than the cramped tiny ones in the CBD. You'll probably find what you need here. NOTES: ~ This 7-Eleven is open 24 hours a day. This was really great for me because when I go on late night study sessions, I pop over to grab a bag of crisps and some energy drinks to tide me over. ~ Next to a gas station. I personally don't drive but this is for the Yelpers who do.

Brunswick Convenience store pretty much sums it all up in the name. It's a run of the mill,…read morenon-chain convenience store near the corner of Albion St and Sydney Rd but with internet café facilities. There's your usual selection of cold beverages, general assortment of foodstuffs and last minute items such as deodorant and feminine hygiene products, along with a couple of varieties of phone credit. It has a better than average collection of loose sweets, with individual Trolli jelly lollies, Wicked Fizz, different flavours of Mentos and Zombie Chews among the highlights. The prices across the board are about the same as you'd find at a 7/11. They no longer stock metcards. It's open until midnight seven days, so it's a good late night alternative to the bevy of other supermarket-esque facilities that close up a tad earlier in the area.

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.

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.

As another review said, the woman running this place is an obnoxious, odious, nasty piece of work…read more We went in for some food before a scary day at school for my kid who has been experiencing anxiety about school partly because of what people say about him. She told him he was fat, he eats too much, and he's probably lazy. I told her to stop saying that and she argued with me. She is awful, it ruined not only our day but a lot more than that and she was the opposite of apologetic. She swore at us as we left. My child is ten.

This milk bar certainly means business. It's got your standard issue, condensed supermarket thing…read moregoing on, but it goes a little beyond that. Bocastle handmade pastries, croissants, sandwiches and, as the front window practically insists, sushi. All in all it's more of a cross between an old fashioned milk bar and a jack of all trades café. Though I haven't tried the sushi, I can vouch for the goodness that is Bocastles pies and other hot pastries, and the range of cold drinks is better than your average corner store fare. It's a shop that clearly tries to support local where it can, and the straws are kept in an old fashioned jar that splays them out when you lift the lid. Aw. However, there's little in the way of loose lollies. Oh well.