Poundstretcher evokes a whole heap of nostalgia for me, it was always the shop we wanted to go in…read morewhen we were little and it always meant fun. To be honest not much has changed it is still jam packed full of random things and its selection of sweeties is amazing. Me and my big brother used to spend all our pocket money in pound stretcher but it certainly went a long way as we came out with bag fulls of rubbish. This shop has gone a little up market recently focusing more on home wear and I quite like it. It has a huge selection of little items like throws for your couch and decorations that could spruce up your house/flat. It is an ever present of the shopping world but my one criticism of the place is that they stock there products to the rafter and it is often out of the reach of my mum who is a titch and told me to include that criticism. If you are over 5 foot 5 then you shouldn't have a problem, but if not bring the yellow pages.

I'm a big poundstretcher fan, this store isn't as big as the connswater store but still stocks a…read moregood range and is ideal for confectionery and toys as well as homewares . There's parking at the side of the store as well as the front. Mirrors and pictures are good value and good to decorate with when you move house.

There are so many of this type of store springing up all over the place that you have a tendency to…read morethink that they are all the same. Well believe me this one has got to be visited to appreciate just what an alladins cave it is. So many bargains in one place can be a little overwhelming and all great brand names at that ! I couldn't believe how some items could be sold so cheaply This store sells everything including fresh food and frozen produce so it is possible to do all your shopping under one roof! The store itself is very well laid out with lots of space between the aisles. staff are very helpful with a welcoming g smile. There is good parking facilities at the door and ample disability parking. The store is easy to find being just off the main Belfast to Bangor road. I really am impressed with this store and will certainly be back and recommend it to others.

Blimey, Wardens should be renamed "The Never-Ending Store That Has Just About Everything"…read more Seriously. I have many fond (ahem) memories of being dragged, I mean brought, down to Wardens with my parents. Usually the visit was a long and tiresome, er, lengthy and informative one, consisting of mum and dad dandering round the furniture department, the decorating department, the gardening department, and the kitchenware / appliances department. Every ten year old's dream really. These days, I definitely appreciate Wardens much more than I used to. You could literally spend all day in the place, browsing the various departments. If you come in off High Street, you are greeted by a beautiful gift section, filled with ornamental goods, china, glassware and the like. You can find everything from Alice in Wonderland figurines to Goebel cats to Denby pottery to Tyrone Crystal. Seriously good stuff. Following on from this is the gardening / pets / kitchenware / decorating department (they sort of merge into one), in which I found a little jar of Jellybeans (considered purchased). Really goes to show the variety of goods Wardens has. The furniture etc department (you know what I mean...pictures / frames / carpets / rugs and all that jazz) lies beyond this, leading out towards the car park which is located off South Street. Parking here is advisable - Ards is an absolute madhouse when it comes to trying to find yourself a space. You just never know what you'll find in Wardens...there truly is something for everyone.

Warden's is, for me, the best bits and bobs shop in Newtownards. It's one of those huge big…read moredepartment stores with lots of different areas and slops and upstairs and downstairs areas and parts where tall people have to duck and fat people have to squeeze. It stocks everything from bespoke wedding hair pieces to hose pipes. It's a general store not unlike the department store on the popular BBC comedy of yesteryear 'Are You Being Served?' There is a section for wallpaper and paint, cookware, furniture, artwork, jewellery, screws and garden accessories to name only a small fraction. The only thing I will say is that it can be expensive and parking out the front is impossible. Go out the back to park, you will have to pay and display even if you are only nipping in as there is a traffic warden lingering somewhere all the time - don't risk it. Although the store is expensive it does stock a lot of bits and bobs and the sales are pretty good.

I spent ages looking for a small brown coloured pearl with a diamond drop on a thin long chain for…read moremy bridesmaids to wear at my wedding. For some reason I never thought of Samuel's and spent ages going from shop to shop on the hunt. This is going to sound toffee nosed but I had always thought of Samuels as a cheap jewellery store full of yellow gold and little figurines - I was genuinely happy when I called in and found the perfect necklaces for very good prices. The girl who served me informed me that they only had two left but, as I needed three, she immediately jumped on her phone and located some in Sheffield - these were than shipped over for me and I got them a week later - really happy with that result and they gave me a money off voucher as well which I am going to use to buy my own bridal necklace - i've seen the perfect one in Samuel's as well. Not tacky but classy and full of many designs to suit all needs and pockets.

The large wooden Indian with the parrot and the hat/glasses/necklace will welcome you with open…read morewooden arms. He stands in the street marking the entrance tunnel to this mismatch of second hand goods. There are cabinets for £35, tea sets for £4, sofas for £50 and random pictures for a few pound each. The place extends right out and off to the side there are second hand beds and other used furniture. The place is ideal if you need a few cheap bits for your house or if you want to get rid of things in your home that are gathering dust - I hate ornaments and I'm going to take a bag of them down here very soon. My junk can be someone else's gems.

With a second premises now just a few doors down, The Link Furniture is getting better!…read more The initial shop is still a great place to grab a bargain, with new stuff coming in all the time. Now there's a second unit to showcase some of the higher quality items- it's a great layout! All this from a social economy project!

I have been in Dale's Carpets about three times in my life and every time I leave happy having had…read morea good experience and a genuine belly laugh. The man who works there, Michael, is very pleasant and helpful and full of questions about who you are and what you're up too. He is always trying to pull a joke with you and isn't pushy or anything. Last time I was in I needed some basic carpet for my campervan floor. We eventually settled on a piece of carpet and a price but when he saw that I was paying with the contents of my moneybox (times are hard!) he knocked more money off and happily joked by asking if I had made the money singing in the street and tried to wind me up about it - he's a funny guy and easy to deal with. There is also a funny little dog in the shop who wants cuddles all the time and will stand on its back legs and do a bit of a dance if you sing to it - I always leave wanting to take him home. There is a vast stock with great prices and sales on off cuts and older stock. The staff members are friendly and approachable. Well worth a visit for that personal service that can be lost in the bigger carpet retailers.

My wife and I trailed around the various carpet stores getting prices and Dales were the keenest…read morepriced and the most friendly to deal with. they delivered our carpet and laid it beautifully with in just a few days of ordering it. We can't rate them highly enough. Really Really delighted with our new carpet. Thank you so much.

Not my local supermarket unfortunately but my favourite, I think its usually cheaper and the…read morequality is better especially the instore bakery. The tiger baguettes make great subs and the products are usually well marked down when they're close to their sell by date . Its a shame they haven't taken over the old Tesco site in connswater shopping centre. Everywhere should have an Asda close by.

This is s great big Asda inside ards shopping centre. There is a fridge as you come in with a good…read moreselection of sandwiches, chocolate and drinks great when your on your lunch and prices are pretty decent too. There are toilets inside this Asda and a baby changing room. The bakery in this shop has a good selection of freshly baked breads, buns and pastries, a selection of freshly made pizzas and calzones are beside a hot food counter which has whole chickens, sausages, wings and other hot food Theres also a good cheese counter with a variety of cheeses from stilton to cheddar to flavoured cheeses, perfect for anybody who loves cheese there is a great selection to choose from here. Has a home wares section which has bedding , towels and other home wares and selling kitchen crockery, toasters. Microwaves , theres a good tech section selling tvs, dvd players, iPods, mobile phones , dvds, there really is a good stock of everything in this Asda. Asda sell a wide selection of foods and drinks, theres a good off license part which sells a good range of wines, beers and spirits. There is a atm at the front of this store and a trolley bay outside the shopping centre. My favourite shop to go for groceries.

I find this shop to be filled with cheap tat and dust gatherers…read more It is reasonably busy of a weekday and you can pick up some bargains within but really the things are very cheaply made and quite disposable. I only ever buy two things from this shop - scatter cushions for 2 for £5 and big plastic storage containers started from a few pounds up to about a tenner. The clothes are cheaper versions of high street fashion and older ladies jumpers and coats. They do have quite a nice range of clothing for children and babies at very low prices. The one thing I used to buy in here was canvases for my paintings (I'm a budding Rolf Harris don't ya know!) I'll not be buying them again - the quality is terrible, just the quality you would expect for prices starting at £1.50. A good place to pick up little practice canvasses or for children to get art and hobby supplies but don't expect any quality. A lot of stock but no real substance. Not for me.

I love this place...I could lose myself in it for hours, buried amidst books, cards, gifts and CDs…read more As the name would suggest, this bookshop is a Christian one, so if you need a new Bible, a CD by the latest Christian artist, teaching material etc, this is a really great place to have a look. They stock a huge variety of all of the above, and continually get new products in. I love the organisation of the shop - it's clearly laid out and you can easily find what you're looking for. If you do need a hand, the staff are really friendly and won't mind helping. There's a good sized children's department, with lovely gifts for babies right up to teenagers, as well as bargain room which currently stocks a few half-price books. Every so often, the store holds a magnificient sale, so don't miss those! I do love a bargain, and have had to restrain myself from nearly purchasing the entire shop. Nearly. Do check it out, even if its only to satisfy those niggly questions you've always had about the Christian faith, you won't regret it.

I have driven past this shop so many times and never thought to pay it a visit . I was so…read morepleasantly surprised when I called into it the other day looking for a book. You don't realise how big it is from the outside. The staff are so pleasant and helpful and I procured my book in no time which gave me time to browse round the shelves and stands. The name of the store definitely doesn't do it justice because it isn't just a book shop. I could have spent hours looking around and I now no where to go when I'm looking for that very special gift. There really is something for every occasion. I certainly will be back even just for a look around as I have still to explore the upstairs department which I'm sure will be as well presented as downstairs.

This place was absolutely jam-packed when I visited it today. Shoes strewn everywhere,…read moredisinterested children having their feet measured, irksome teenagers attempting to find school shoes, OAPs digging through the piles of sale shoes...it was crazy with a capital C. I used to come to Cordners to get my school shoes when I was younger (ah, those were the days), and usually managed to get a pair I liked since there was a decent choice. The best aspect of the shop is that the back section is dedicated entirely to children's footwear, and it even has its own entrance off Mary Street South. Perfect for those who don't want to be mobbed by a pile of screaming five year olds. The rest of the shop (entrance off Conway Square) is currently a mish-mash of sale items - women's on the left hand side, men's on the right. With customers and staff scuttling everywhere, I didn't get a great look at the shoes, but there really is a huge choice - everything from Ecco to Irregular Choice for the ladies, and everything from to Kickers to Wrangler for the men. I'll be back on a slightly less mad day, I told myself. As with most shoes shops, you have your insoles, balsams, polishes and the like, and I've often popped into Cordners for a pair of £1.99 insoles. I seem to be one of those people who try a pair of shoes on in the shop, they fit perfectly, and then I go home, and they're suddenly too big. Most annoying thing. Cordners has thus been something of a life saver for me in terms of shoes fitting properly. Perhaps avoid Cordners for a few weeks 'til the kids go back to school (unless that's your reason for going), and you'll find a range of good quality, reasonably priced shoes. What could be better?

My toddler was taken to the Newtownards store to have a pair of shoes fitted. After developing an…read moreextremely painful ingrown toenails, I had to take her to a podiatrist who told me that the shoes were too tight fitting. My 2 & 1/2 year old needed part of her toenail removed with a scalpel. She was in a great deal of pain & distress. She also required an antibiotic to deal with infection. The podiatrist a foot expert Informed me that the shoes were not appropriate & in fact too small, this was just 8 weeks after purchase from store, this visit to the podiatrist cost £45. When I visited the store for a refund I was met with a arrogant & aggressive employee who did not sympathise in any shape or form. Point blank refused a refund, also wouldn't accept any responsibility. So I have been left out of pocket for a child's pair of trainers that cost £35. A podiatry fee of £45 & have had the added distress of seeing my daughter distraught. From what I can tell these people don't care a jot about children's feet or their welfare. Avoid at all cost.