Not nearly as you might hope it's going to be, Allkinds seems to have set itself up as a sort of…read moreodds-n-sods, charity shop type store for electrical and audio goods. Of course the only - and I will go as far as to say major - drawback to this type of store is that it is rare that electrical goods will be the type of thing you will want to pick up from a charity/second hand store. It's not snobbery or a need to keep with the constantly rapid changes to electrical goods that causes this but simply that these goods don't really last that long. It may be that they're not built to last - as everyone now knows from the need to upgrade your mobile every year or 2! - but often it is usually the software or hardware that you need to use with these items. Of course you can see Allkinds as some sort of Be Kind Rewind thrift store for the analogue junkies who wish to preserve the beauty of tapedecks and 8 tracks in valiant attempt to stave off the digital onslaught. There is a growing number of people seeking out analogue gems in order to play their old mixtapes and being a vinyl fan I totally agree but be warned I am yet to find anything in such a store that will work well or not need a little work. However that is often the beauty of hunting down these items.

All Kinds is a real blast from the past and I absolutely loved everything about the place from the…read moremusky smell to the retro produce. There aren't many places left in Liverpool or indeed even in the country which still stock and sell cassettes and vinyl's but it is nice to see that there are some places with real passion which are not letting this fantastic trade die. The selection inside was astounding with music from various different eras and even such classics as BBC sound effects albums last seen on an episode of Father Ted I believe. The owner of the shop could not have been more friendly as he indulged me naive requests and questions regarding old music as I was desperate to find out as much information as I could. Even though this place could do with a bit of a refurbishment there is no cause for complaint from me. It is like stepping into a simpler world and for a few minutes you can browse the store and forget the mayhem outside and if you have a cassette of vinyl player you might bag yourself a bargain.

They have been there since the dawn of time. I would go there for my bits when I was at school and…read moreI am now 57. They have the usual resistors and ICs but bins you can rummage in and find a something you didn't know existed but you know you are going to need sometime. Staff are well friendly as well as knowledgeable. Maplin has come and gone but these guys know their stuff.

Simply my first point of call if i need an electric cable, screw or obscure electric fuse of some…read moredescription. Fair enough, most larger items (mixers, teevee, CCTV, kettle etc) can be found cheaper online, but attentive customer service and an answer, if not product, for most queries.

During my time in the UK, I knew absolutely nothing about where to shop. That changed quickly when…read morethe homie Shay M. was hooking it up with the hints on where to go for some of the good stuff you can only find out here! Enter... ASDA!! It's a grocery store, but this particular location has 2 stores under 1 roof. The Home Bargains store houses "hardline" items as well as a few food and drinks options. It's here at this location that I was able to find and snag the well-known English cookies (or "biscuits" as they're locally called) which are branded as "Digestives." I do believe these can be found in San Diego's Shakespeare restaurant and store, but they're probably limited on flavors and guaranteed to cost more. While here, I found some of the hot sauces Shay told me about. I have a friend who loves hot sauce, so I'll be gifting that to her along with other yummies. The Cadbury chocolate tub was also here, and on sale. 2 tubs for £9!! That's an unbeatable price! There's a small selection of fruits and veggies and also fresh flower bouquets. I love the prices at these grocery stores. If I lived here, I wouldn't worry too much about sales, but the ones they do have make the prices even more amazing! Gotta love it here at ASDA! Get your shop on and save a grip of money doing it! ;)

Smithdown Road ASDA, or officially Sefton Park ASDA. Everything you expect in a large supermarket…read more This branch has an extra 'string to their bow'....... the staff. Last Saturday, I approached 3 different members of staff with different enquiries I needed resolving. I can only say they went above and beyond what I expected and remedied all my requirements . Many thanks to you all. I had earlier visited the instore Opticians, my original reason for attending the store and was served by a young lady, Kia. She was obviously well informed and trained. A credit to all trainers and recruiters at the store. I have never thought this before but I left feeling as if I was a truly valued customer, due to Kia and her 3 colleagues. I can only recommend visiting this store as it makes shopping a pleasant experience and not the usual chore. I hope the store general manager and department head take note of this review.

CostKutter DIY in the Kensington area is one of those shabby looking shops which throws up some…read morereal surprises for those who decide to venture through the doors. It is a bit of a Pandora's Box in here full of all sorts of bits and pieces to please any type of customer. The products here are household and electrical and they can be found at excellent prices and this is the kind of place that dads can spend hours in looking at seemingly boring products which fascinate them. As I have said previously this place does not look fantastic but it really out does itself inside the store with value, practicality and above all brilliant staff. The staff know what they are talking about and they are very knowledgeable about the products that they sell to the public. On the whole a great little find with practical products that really are great value.

Richer Sounds is hands down the best hi-fi shop on the high street. Not only do they stock a wide…read morerange of stereo seperates including amplifiers, turntables, CD players and tuners but their prices are super competitive. You might be able to find a cheaper price for one of their products online but I think you'd have to search pretty hard. They usually have new stock in every few days and there's a special Bargains corner with seperates from quality names like Cambridge Audio, Wharfedale and Marantz. As I prefer to watch movies at the cinema than at home, I've never bought a TV or home cinema system from Richer Sounds. I have to admit though I was pretty tempted by the widescreen LCD TVs in the window. Starting at £129.95 they seem a bit of a scoop. What's more, the shop offer an installation service where they'll deliver and set up your Hi-Fi and home cinema equipment for you. Perfect for those who don't know what a spark plug is yet!

Richer Sounds are the UK's Hi-fi, home cinema and flat panel TV specialists selling all the biggest…read morebrands at the best prices and providing expert advice. The shop has really top notch hi-fi sound quality appliances at rock bottom prices. Additionally, it has cutting edge home cinema technology with big savings. Richer Sounds claims that they'll beat any price 'til it hurts, even from the web and give you up to £100. I don't know how much of this is true but it probably is unless there's a marketing catch. For those unsure of what amplifier or TV to pick, staff will be able to greet you and provide relevant advice; they do a good job of understanding the customers' needs and striking up the best deal.

This branch of Maplin is a fairly small store, located in Liverpool city centre in what is classed…read moreas the Clayton Square Shopping Mall, it is also near enough opposite a Tesco Metro store and within a few minutes walk of St John's and Liverpool Lime Street (Train Station). The staff here didn't seem too friendly, and the overall vibe from the store wasn't great, it seemed slightly darker and old-fashioned and not a really nice place to shop. Maplin is an electronics retailer, and the overall layout of the store didn't show that it didn't seem bright, vibrant or modern as one would expect a store of its' nature to be. The store layout made it a little bit tricky to find things, and in a way it felt like they were selling junk in parts, which also worsened the vibe. This place had huge similarities between a small section of Clas Ohlson selling similar products, which is a Swedish department store chain with a few stores in the UK, including one a few minutes away also in Clayton Square, Liverpool. Overall, due to the poor service and the poor overall feel of the branch, this isn't a very nice place to shop and probably somewhere I wouldn't visit again, and would also advise people against visiting, sadly warranting a single one-star rating.

Good things about Maplin -…read more 1. The staff are really excellent; no question too stupid, no electronics related matter too complex. When it comes to helping out with your hardware problems or advising you on your hardware needs the staff are it. 2. Whatever you need they usually have in stock - from memory sticks to lighting rigs. What they don't have they are happy to order in for you. Bad things about Maplin - 1. The stuff in here is hugely overpriced. Paying £15+ for a HDMI cable (which connects blu-ray players, Playstations and Xboxes to HD televisions) when you could get an almost identical one ordered over the internet for less than £3 including postage just seems daft. It's not only internet prices - they wanted almost £20 for a 2GB SD card (which are used in most digital cameras) when at WH Smith i paid less than £7 for the same size. 2. The shop itself is a little bit baffling, with tiny information markers and unclear pricing. Maybe I'm just easily confused. In fact, that's definitely true. Still though, it all could be made a bit simpler.