I walk through the long passage of this Arcade daily on my way to the faculty, and the impression…read moreit makes is largely that of a bleak characterless provincial mall. There is no design creativity whatsoever with shops simply lined up along the way on two levels. It's filled with bland typical high street businesses like mobile phone companies' stores, HMV, Starbucks, Tophshop, etc. On the bright side there is also Hugo Boss here. An attempt to develop the upmarket retailing is also evident in a number of high end watch and jewelry boutiques. Overall though, with all the foreign tourists, students and the general reputation of Cambridge for being an attractive town, its premier modern department store could be somewhat more interesting.

What a shame... if all the story telling was to be beleived we were going to get exactly what…read moreCambridge needed - a quality new shopping area which met our needs. Unfortunately i would suggest the Grand Arcade ahs failed to deliver. Some units are still empty giving the impression that it isnt finidhed in parts, and many of the shops that are there are just the same old carbon copies you can get anywhere. The feeling inside is certainly lacking in something as it just doesnt create the right impression of somewhere you would want to stay to shop in. Good ideas.poor result.

Excellent range of really kooky interesting presents. The sort of stuff you couldn't justify buying…read morefor yourself, but really really want! Fake dog poo, rubics cubes, space hoppers, wind up sprouts - you name it they've got it, and to top it all, very friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended

This shop is such good fun! I go in just to have a look around a lot and even have the catalogue…read moresent to my home adresse. They do have usefull and fun toys for adults. But I think I just name some of the things they have: birthday party in a box (box with balloons and candles), pool in a box, mini glasses repair set, grow your own sunflower, paint your own piggy bank, jelly belly shower gel, make your own muppets, funny shaped pasta, ... enjoy!!

An excellent bookshop in the centre of Cambridge, with a huge range of both academic and more…read moremainstream texts. I was after a copy of Pevsner, (eclectic tastes, I'm afraid) and they had the full range in stock. Great stuff. Very knowledgeable and helpful staff. A long queue formed on my visit, but they got in 2 extra staff to tackle it after less than a minute. Recommended.

They don't take refunds on statute books (a book which has the law of something on it, in my case…read morethe Companys Act, 2006 and related laws). Something they didn't tell me when I first purchased the product. Something that wasn't reflected in the receipt. Something that wasn't on a sign on the counter. All they could offer was "sorry". What is the reason for this, I asked? Because statute books can be photocopied and returned. But that is the same for ALL books in theory. Actually it is even less likely for statute books, because YOU CAN PRINT IT FOR FREE ON THE INTERNET. I imagine they must have other nonsensical policies out there just waiting to bite you. Out of principle, I won't be buying anything from this place ever. Amazon here I come.

Excellent value for money - perfect for buying lots of colours and styles - can easily spend £50…read moreand end up with 3 bags worth of stuff - good place to bulk buy socks and underwear - Saturday is the busiest and most stressful day to shop here though so it's worth doing on a weekday

Best Primark I've ever been to, staff are well mannered and well presented. The size is brilliant…read moreand as always the prices are good and low. And unlike the Primark in Norwich, the clothes are always in order, I've never seen it a mess and there's plenty of room to move.

I loved the Grafton Center, though a lot of it stems from the fact that I lived across the street…read morefrom it when in Cambridge. It has a nice cinema, a music shop, and (i hope it is still there) an awesome cart that sold the best dried fruit and baklava ever. Not somewhere I'd recommend as a destination if you're there on holiday, but a good utilitarian mall for students.

Grafton centre is the best place I spend my Saturday mornings to afternoon. It has entertainment…read morerestaurants and shops to satisfy your shopping addiction if you know what I mean. Shops present are Next, H&M, Debenhams, Boot, Phone 4 u, Oasis, Millie cookies, La senza, Claire's accessories and many more designer shops all under one roof. The location in the city centre makes it sometimes exciting to leave your quiet room, sad you may think but it is quite thrilling. After my morning activities, I walk few mins to the bus stop to catch the park and ride bus all the way to the city centre. Then walk a short distance through the park to Grafton centre, where I fill my eyes with the things I can't afford and the things I can definitely go home with me. After all the shopping and the tired feeling, I stop at one of the restaurants to have my lunch before going home. It is a great way to spend ones Saturday and for family shopping.

Well this Sainsbury Local really packed a lot of items in the amount of space they have. I walked…read moreinto this mini mart to browse around and look at all the items they sell. If you want to get a bottle of alcohol for your hotel room I would suggest coming here! They have a variety of red wines to choose from and also other spirits as well. Also if your a chocolate fanatic or you have a friend that loves to eat sweets they also have a pretty good selection on that! I thought the price of everything was actually super cheap. Everyone always says UK is pretty expensive but I found going to this market it was pretty dirt cheap. For checking out you can either do it yourself or you can wait in a line for a cashier to assist you. If your buying alcohol you should wait for the cashier line. Tip- Right across the train station!

Since it was a local location, they weren't stocked in a couple of things that I was looking for…read more Overall, I find that Sainsbury's is a great place to buy snacks and some other pantry necessities. The staff were friendly and the place was well kept.

Marks and Spencers Sidney Street is a reasonably sized store that offers a very similar experience…read moreto most of M&S's other branches. This Marks and Spencers offers a large food section, catering for snacks and sandwiches, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads and boxed ready meals, either from a variety of cuisines or their own Gastropub range. All sections in the store are clearly organised so that it is relatively easy to find the items that you're looking for. The store is often quite busy, and the aisles can become crowded and slightly claustrophobic, but there are a good number of tills so queuing once you've chosen your items isn't too fraught with difficulty. The till staff themselves are friendly and helpful.

Not bad for an M&S, but the layout of the stores can be a bit confusing. It's split over two sites,…read morelinked by a passageway. This passageway is closed on Sundays because it's actually rented off the church and they don't want it used on a Sunday. In the Market Street store there's a nice café on the second floor.

Even the name Pia sounds sweet and sweet is definitely how I would sum up this little store. It has…read morea prime location, situated in the Lion Yard of the Grand Arcade in Cambridge, but I feel it doesn't get the attention it deserves. Pia offers beautiful jewellery, watches and bags in a setting that looks and feels chic. The prices are decent considering the quality and elegance. I find this store to be quite unique with a touch of class with that little cutesy appeal.

A shop that looks vintage from the outset, full to the brim with trinkets and treasures from all…read moresorts of decades! I love this store on Mill Road in Cambridge, it fits my bill totally! I saw a bike in here, a really nice vintage bike for £50! That's cheaper than some new ones and it looked so much better, more classy! The shop is just so unique and quirky and I love living just across the street from it!

I went in looking for some specific objects that the store didn't have. Not the store's fault, but…read moreMel was very helpful and we had a nice chat about antiques in general and the things I was looking for in particular. He recommended some other shops down the road who ended up having exactly what I was looking for. I wish I could have purchased something at his store and will likely go back but it was a good experience and I thought he was kind and professional.

I wouldn't recommend going into this store unless you have a bit of time on your hands. Sometimes…read moreit feels a bit like an upmarket jumble sale - items everywhere, not always in any kind of logical order! That said, if you do have the time to browse, you can pick up some real gems - anything from 'designer' clothes at a bargain basement price to cheap trainers to kitchenware, gym gear, luggage and beauty accessories. You have to wade through rubbish to get to the gems - but one man's (or woman's) junk is another man's treasures! I've got some real bargains at this store before so if you're not in a rush and don't have clear ideas in your head of what you're after, I would persevere because the stock is regularly updated and you might just find something fabulous! But if you go in there with a really set idea of what you want you could leave disappointed.

With T K Maxx you do not expect perfect order, or great customer service. It is bargains you are…read moreafter. One T K Maxx varies a lot from the next, depending on what stock is in. However, the Cambridge T K Maxx is the most chaotic I have been to. Clothes were all over the place, in the wrong section - trousers with tops, coats with skirts. And none of the sizes were in the correct places, so you really had to rummage to find what you were looking for. The staff were relatively helpful, although several of the items I found were mis-priced, or without prices altogether, which delayed my shopping further. It is great for a bargain, but if you are after a stress-free shopping experience stick to the high street and pay a bit more.