This department store reminds me of just what quintessential department stores should be. Ornate,…read moreold, on a main street, looking pretty as can be, even more enticing at Christmas. And that's just what Broads and Booths is. Plus it holds great nostalgia for me, a pair of my friends used to busk outside it when I was working as a chambermaid at Squire's. We'd spend the morning making moolah and count our cash in hand earnings to spend at Aqua in the afternoon after lunch. Ah, those weekends. The irresponsibility of youth. Part of the Beales group, Broads has survived for eons in its convenient location and sells everything you could need, from fashion accessories for men and women to clothes, soft furnishings to gifts, fine fragrances and cosmetics, there's a cookshop and a bed and bathshop and a restaurant and café for when your legs refuse to carry you any longer. You can even order all your lovely things online too. It's kind of like the Southport equivalent of Harrods or Lewis's, obviously on a much smaller and simpler scale but that's how much it's shaped the Southport landscape. Definitely worth a browse.

This is actually called Bealls now but Je refuse to write a Bealls review. Broadbents and…read moreBoothroyds has so much more panache. I remember as a little girl being amazed at all the luxury items and then being herded off to Woolys. Upscale, the old staircases are still intact but alas alack a little too crowded for me. The spell is broken.

Debenhams Browns of Chester is the only Debenhams store to retain its' original branding, Browns of…read moreChester. It has been owned by Debenhams since 1976, yet the store is fairly old being founded in 1780, while it doesn't seem to compare to the older department stores in London, it still is a fairly nice branch, you can enter the store through street-level or through the Grosvenor Shopping Centre. The store is pretty old and you can tell that through shopping inside, they have random sets of steps and ramps all over, so it isn't just one straight/flat level, so do be careful where you're walking to avoid tripping. They had a huge clearance sale on my visit, due to Debenhams' facing difficulties and having to close many of their stores, including this one, I still found many of their prices to be high even after the discount, I found the promotional offers to be inconsistent and it was hard to tell what item costs what as each part of the store/product range would have a different % off. The store did seem a little messy, but it did have some good products overall and it is nice to see they haven't ignored the history, it's a shame to see this store earmarked for closure as although it isn't perfect, it is and remains a nice addition to the town centre. 3*

This is a large department store where you can find really gorgeous bags, shoes, make up and…read moreperfume on the first floor and loads and loads of clothes on the second floor. This place really is fantastic for womens clothes - like debenhams it has all the usual brands such as Jane Norman and Oasis, and it has a great underwear section with huge variety of pretty knickers. It also has a wedding section with loads of higher quality dresses. Of course these come with a higher price tag that the high street stuff that can be found there but this is where I would come to look for something to wear for a special occasion.

'Outlet Shopping Village' just outside Fleetwood. Shops include Mountain Warehouse, Thornton's,…read moreCadbury, M & S Outlet, Denby, Antler, Gap, Past Times, Paper Mill and many more. Several of the shops are meant to be discounted and some do seem to have sale prices a lot of the time but I wouldn't really describe it as chock full of bargains by any means. There's a food court which overlooks a pretty marina with its assortment of yachts and boats. A MacDonalds on the outskirts and a Costa Coffee within the village itself add to the eating and drinking possibilities. I'd describe it as a nice place to visit for a morning or afternoon out if you're in the area but you may be disappointed if you travel many miles to shop here as it doesn't compare to serious shopping venues such as the Trafford Centre and in all honesty I don't think it would make any claim to.

I agree with the previous review: it's a really good place to visit but if you're comparing it to…read moreMcArthur Glen or any of the larger outlets you'll be a bit disappointed. It's got the essential M&S and Next Clearance though, so I was happy enough! The play area is a massive bonus for those of us with men and kids: one place to dump them both for a couple of hours of shopping in peace! It's not the best in the world but it is perfectly adequate and if it's somewhere you don't visit often then there would be plenty to keep the kids amused. I liked the fact that at the end there's a sort-of marina, so you can watch the boats (ok, I only did it for about 2 minutes then got bored and went to buy chocolate in Thorntons instead, but I liked the idea of it). Definitely worth a visit if you're having a good old British holiday in Blackpool and want a bit of civilized retail therapy.

I'd like to start by pointing out how strange it was for me to find a branch of House of Fraser in…read moreAltrincham, House of Fraser have never appeared to me to be a brand that put stores in small towns like this one, especially so close to a much larger store on Deansgate in the city centre of Manchester. This store however is okay, but does have a really old fashioned feel to it, it is over around two or three stores and it is really old fashioned, it was the old Rackhams Department store, before being taken over and HOF have seem to followed in the footsteps of many branches by keeping signs from the old building, and the old name as they did in the Manchester branch, which was formerly called Kendall's. I came in this branch for two reasons, the first of which was to check if their was any fragrance samples, the staff members I spoke to were really unhelpful and slightly rude, and told me they had nothing and didn't even offer the use of any testers or try to recommend any best sellers, which was a shame. Especially on the Upper part of the store, it just felt deserted, it really wasn't a nice place to shop. or in general which was a real shame. Unfortunately, my pictures of the decor and feel and looks of the store were no longer on my Iphone, due to an issue with Apple which basically deleted most of my photo's from the day beyond recovery which was a real shame, but overall this store is really poor due to the selection and range of products as well as feel of the store, it feels too old-fashioned and not a nice place to shop and in a way this store is irrelevant with Altrincham being such a small town just around a half hour drive from a much larger branch in Manchester, a much larger city.

Hoopers on James Street is the largest department store in Harrogate town centre, it is located…read moreover five floors in a fairly old building. The layout of the store did seem a little strange, which could be down to the building its-self, you have to pass through the Cafe, and then a set of doors after going out of the lift on the Basement, to get into the Menswear section, despite having five floors, each individual floor was not overly large, with the top floor being just "customer services", but the store was a reasonable size overall. I did notice some of the clothing sections to be a little laid out like a jumble sale, they did have some good items at reasonable prices though, so not a wasted trip by any means. The Ground Floor was nicely laid out, and perhaps the most welcoming and premium area of the store, showcasing a range of fragrances and beauty products. The opening hours are pretty draconian, so plan ahead, they are open between 10 am and 5 pm Monday to Saturday and do not open on Sundays. I probably wouldn't return, but a nice addition to the shopping scene in Harrogate's town centre. 3*

Fantastic store, lots of choice and some brilliant makeup counters- New Laura Mercier!!…read more Some great clothing finds- French Connection and Ted Baker are definately worth a look

I like this branch of John Lewis which is located at the Trafford Centre with plenty of parking,…read moremaking it super easy to pull up and head straight in. It's also very neat and tidy which is pretty important to me as I hate it when a shop is in total disarray (think the hellhole that is Primark) as it just makes the whole shopping experience more stressful than it should be. I've always found the staff to be approachable and friendly and will happily dispense advice on the best toaster or coffee machine for your buck, if you so desire. John Lewis is definitely one of the more premium department stores (not quite Harvey Nics but definitely not Debenhams) so the products and prices obviously mirror this but if you are after gifts or items that are of a higher quality then it's a brilliant option. Another major plus point for John Lewis is that if you sign up for their loyalty card online they send you vouchers for free coffee and cake every month - this sweetens the shopping experience no end!

This is just for the Cafe, Not for the Shop…read more We ordered a couple of coffees and come cake while browsing through John Lewis. I'm gonna keep this short as there isn't a lot to say really. The Cafe is drab and so is the food. I don't know why it's so busy. The staff eren't very friendly either, I can think of 10 places much better only a few minutes walk away. No second chances on this one i'm afraid.

Despite what my husband may think I'm not a big fan of shopping and spending time in mammoth…read moreshopping centres and hot, stuffy department stores where the exit is nowhere to be seen (think the Father Ted lingerie department episode) puts the fear of God into me. However, needs must and sometimes shopping can't be avoided so if this is the case I want somewhere that will make it as easy as possible. I like this branch of John Lewis as it's easily accessible by road (just off the M60 and Handforth bypass) with plenty of parking, making it super easy to pull up and head straight in. It's pretty big, spread over 3 floors, but still doesn't feel like it swallows you up and everything is very easy to find. It's also very neat and tidy which is pretty important to me as I hate it when a shop is in total disarray (think the hellhole that is Primark) as it just makes the whole shopping experience more stressful than it should be. I've always found the staff to be approachable and friendly and will happily dispense advice on the best toaster or coffee machine for your buck, if you so desire. John Lewis is definitely one of the more premium department stores (not quite Harvey Nics but definitely not Debenhams) so the products and prices obviously mirror this but if you are after gifts or items that are of a higher quality then it's a brilliant option. Another major plus point for JL is that if you sign up for their loyalty card online they send you vouchers for free coffee and cake every month - this sweetens the shopping experience no end!

Love the convenience of the café. John Lewis has always provided the best and delivery services and…read moreinstallation for all the appliances. This particular visit was for curtains. One star off because while there are many sizes and styles listed online, the stores usually only carry one or two of each variety leading you to have to purchase them online and have arranged for either pick up in store, or home delivery. So it is best to use the store to inspect the individual items first before purchasing, but you might end up going online to order them anyway. Prices were excellent as always and delivery was free and of course John Lewis has a wonderfully large parking lot. That is also free of charge. For online pick up or Customer Service head around to the parking behind the store and enter from the rear entrance.

This store closed down in the Spring of 2022 (I've reported this to Yelp but I don't think they…read moreupdate listings for place in North Wales any more?). A new M&S store has since been opened on the Parc Llandudno Retail Park.

There are two Marks and Spencer in Llandudno situated just a few feet from each other. One is food,…read morewith Ladieswear upstairs and the other is Menswear and Children. the extensive food department here in Marks and Spencers means you can always find the latest foods on offer, the shelves are never empty. The staff are always very helpful and polite. They also do a food ordering and pick up in store service

Quite a large department store with loads of different departments to suit yourself and your home…read more The prices are quite high but the products are of good quality. There is a multi storey car park provided.