Forest Hill Chase is never really springs to mind when I think of shopping centers. Located in the…read moretiny suburb of Forest Hill, I came here once and was pleasantly surprised at the center. It was clean and new-ish, it didn't feel like one of those old and forgotten places that nobody ever goes to. That said, it was relatively quite in the center- but it certainly didn't feel forgotten. Forest Hill doesn't have a huge variety of fashion stores, there are still a few goodies here though (such as Myer). Forest hill also have a Hoyts cinema and AMF bowling/M9 laser strike. My favorite thing about this place is the fact that there is a TGIF here! I think I would come back if I ever wanted to just wonder aimlessly through a center, without feeling rushed or buzzed like I do at Chadstone. Would also come here just for TGI and Hoyts.

Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre is somewhere I drop into if I am passing by, but it is not…read moresomewhere I tend to go to on purpose. While it is fairly big and there have been a lot of upgrades recently, the atmosphere here is pretty non-existant and I don't enjoy myself. One good thing about the centre is that there are over 3500 free car spaces without restrictions. These are spread all around and under the centre itself. The centre has 3 levels with the topmost (and smallest) being the best. This is the newest part of the centre and has been designed to be a bit of an entertainment hub. It features Hoyts Cinemas, TGI Fridays, Nandos, Timezone, Rebel Sport, The Chase Hotel and JB Hi Fi to name a few. Despite being the biggest hit of the centre, it still doesn't get very busy up there. The centre is never really busy so if you don't like crowds then this place is perfect for you in every way! The average shopper tends to be a bit older although most of the shops seem suited to younger shoppers. There are a heap of taxis that wait just outside the food court. Bizarrely they are often there during the middle of the day. Bigger, rival centres don't have this service so this is a definite plus.

Having been given facelift after facelift, and with more planned for the near future, Eastland is…read moreslowly enveloping the whole of Ringwood into one huge shopping complex. In terms of entertainment and dining, the upper level has a Hoyts Cinema, Pancake Parlour, and trendy restaurant named Balsamic on offer. If you're after clothes, there are tonnes of small stores through out and staples like Kmart, Myer and Big W are all inside. JB Hi-Fi is on the ground floor, and a Safeway for those who need to grab some groceries while out shopping. A huge food court offers a good range of cuisine, and although it's smaller than the neighbouring Knox City, there's not as many repeats, so to say.

This place is a bit of a funny little shopping centre. It's like Knox's little brother, and it's…read moredesperate to grow up to be just like dad (Chadstone). I really hope they give up trying to be a massive super-mall like those other two, because they aren't as enjoyable as they were when they were the size that Eastland is now. For god's sake, stop developing the place. Everything you could reasonably need can be found here. I really like this place quite a bit, and it's a pity that I don't live that little bit closer.

The Discount Clearance Centre on Mahoneys road just opposite Forest Hill Chase is huge. They have a…read morelarge range of privately sourced stock that is on sale for generously discounted prices. While I was there I saw almost twenty couches, beds, bicylces, a few coffee tables and a variety of home decor items. It seems to be a family run business and they are so new to the area that they are yet to set up a phone line. The people I spoke to there were absolutely lovely and were super helpful when it came to answering my questions. Whilst they are still setting up, I can hedge a bet that this store is going to be quite good. Stock changes regularly and they have a sale board out the front where they write up a bargain of the day. Keep your eyes peeled on this one.

Better than average. small shopping center but more choices with some good services.read more

I can't get enough of this place. I know it's a massive chain and they're all pretty much the same…read morebut I love that it's open 24 hours. The parking is 3 hour limit and plentiful and there's pretty much anything and everything you'd need! The store is huge and has great prices. Oh yah, and did I mention 24 hours?!!

Kmart is either hit or miss at times. If they have something on sale for really cheap, it is…read moreusually because of its dirty or weird-looking, something that no one would buy. But other times I find hidden gems there. For example, I bought a heat pack there, which was $10, and I expected it to heat badly and for the quality to be bad but it was surprisingly good. I have also purchased many makeup items from their brand OXX, which are honestly not great. The packaging is always dirty and the product itself has either no pigment or coverage. But it is cheap and can do a quick job. The garden area itself is quite nice, however in summer, the hot days, I realize that there are not many staff, if not any, and I usually have to go water the dying plants myself because they are not getting any care. They do have a wide range of beautiful plants though and I think it is one of the last Kmart stores in Victoria to have a garden. Something that is always a bit alarming is that there are a lot of broken items and items that have had their packaging wrecked, but Kmart is still a great place to go to for home decor. They have a large range of linen, candles, chairs, and home accessories which are always really nice looking, and decent quality too. Their home range basically has anything you need, from fake plants, cushions, cupboards. What is helpful is that they always have staff who know what they are doing and where something is, and if you do not know the price of something, they are quick to check how much the price is, and they are friendly and understanding of your needs. Although typically I have noticed that the lines are always super long, and you are waiting there for about 5 minutes at a time. What makes this even worse is that ¾ of the registers are self serve and only one team member to help. Everyone's had their fair share of experiences with those annoying robots, and with the limited staff there it becomes even more frustrating. But apart from all of this, I would rate Kmart at 3 out of 5, its just average.

Vermont South Shopping Centre is one place I would be happy never to visit again. It is like…read morestepping back in time and everything seems to take more time here. The building is very old, the shops look dated and not very many people flock there. The centre even has carpeted floors. Yes, carpet. It gets dirty and scuffed and I have not known it to get changed in years. There is parking all around the centre although it has time restrictions, mostly around 2 hours before you will need to move your car. The centre is tiny though, so unless you walk quite slow two hours is plenty. The centre has a small food court, banks, jewellery shops, florists, clothing stores, discount shops and specialty food shops. The stores here all run on their own opening and closing hours as they have found that there are days when the centre is terminally unpopular. Sunday is one of those days although some shops still open, hoping to get some customers.

It is easy to compare this place to The Glen and either laugh or cry depending on your point of…read moreview. This place opened when The Glen wasn't even a speck in a greedy developer's eye, and I don't think it was ever intended to compete with places like Knox (which at the time was probably smaller than The Glen is now). So you'll have low expectations before you even walk in those doors. And yes, generally your low expectations are well deserved. I don't think that the shops themselves can do very much, with the terrible carpeted floor (which seems to be worn down to the underlay), the awful lighting and the general dreariness of it all. It'd be enough to make a busload of interior decorators commit suicide. The shops though, they're okay. Not really many big names. In fact, Coles and Petstock would be the only ones with any interior presence to actually have a recognisable name. Still, it's just a local shopping centre, and it does alright for most things.