I called into A - Z Family Discounts recently to buy light bulbs and inevitably left with several…read moremore things besides... I can't resist a bargain! Especially when I go into shops that stock gardening equipment. I'm a recent convert to the delights (and frustrations) of gardening, and so there always seems to be ever more equipment that I can buy to make my life easier. (If only they would produce some sheers or pruning sheers that automatically killed nettles and brambles at the root, then my life would be a lot easier!!!) A - Z Family Discounts don't do a huge amount in the gardening department, but I still found myself buying a couple of things that I needed. A - Z Family Discounts is run by a really lovely couple that will help you navigate the shelves if you get a little lost. It's not that their shop is so vast that it's impossible to find things, it's just that they carry such a diverse range of stock that things are not always easy to find. It's a case of there being a bit of this and a bit of that, and so it's difficult for consistency to be achieved in the layout in certain areas of the shop. They stock a good range of cleaning equipment and household items as well as a variety of tools, fancy goods, gifts and toys as well as the gardening range.

great shop and the staff are fantastic very polite and helpful definitely recommendedread more

I love this little shop. You can pop in for a sandwich, for a drink, for some sports wear, or to…read moretop up your phone - and every time the service is fantastic. I went in for a pair of shorts and found some in cardiff university colours (all shorts are cardiff university colours but you can also buy hoodies and t-shirts in a whole range). There was a good range of sizes available. I was also looking for some jogging bottoms but they didn't have them in my size. The shorts were £10 which I felt was quite reasonable, though not cheap, because they are good quality and I'd rather pay for that than go into town and get either a cheap pair that won't last or are ridiculously expensive for the logo on them. The shop also offers a good range of vegetarian food in the chilled cabinet - worth a look!

This is one of those shops that seems to sell everything - catering well to the student union crowd…read moreof university staff and students. When I worked at Cardiff Uni, on Park Place, we always used to nip in here on milk runs for our tea breaks - picking up any chocolate requests at the same time. You can also grab birthday cards, a drink or some lunch, some cigarettes, university sports hoodies and t-shirts, phone top ups, the odd toiletries, and more. The service is always efficient and friendly, and even when there's a queue it goes down quickly - but watch out on the opening times because it closes at 4pm and is only open weekdays.

I honestly have no idea how these shops ever open. I can imagine the meeting with the bank manager…read moreabout the business loan; 'So what's your shop gonna sell?' 'This and that.' 'Specifically?' 'All sorts, bits and bobs.' 'Give me a specific item you're going to sell.' '... Tiki Torches.' Honestly, I went to this shop today and I can't remember a single thing it sells other than Tiki torches. It's not that it doesn't sell stuff, because it does, it sells a lot of random goods. I expect it sells toilet seat covers and sellotape and foam bananas. I remember that it was cheap and everything was made of material that looked like it would last until the first time you used it. I'm also not sure where to trust items that are made places like Kreturgifakeistan. Saying all that, this is the kind of place you'll find something you really need or where you couldn't find anywhere else.

This place sells a hideous and rather random selection of tat that is either horribly tacky or…read morehopelessly poor quality. If you dig really deep, however, Worth It does have the (very) odd item that's probably 'worth it' - but you have to shop really carefully and I just don't have the patience. Their outside display seemed to be focusing on fishing nets when I last wandered past - those little scoop nets on the end of canes that generally break within the first hour of children getting their hands on them. Most of their stock, however - mops, plastic plant pots, watering cans, electronic bits and bobs, tools, and so on - can be bought for only a little bit more at your average supermarket, and the quality will probably be better too. It's a bit like some of the stalls downstairs in Cardiff market that sell home ware along with a slightly bizarre array of other items. You're never quite sure what you're going to stumble across, and most of what you do find you probably wish you hadn't.

Supposed to be a car boot sale. 90% traders today with very few car booters. I won't be going back.read more

Bessemer carboot is so close to me that I rarely venture the extra 5 car/bike minutes over to…read moreSplott. However, on a rainy day to get my carboot fix Splott Market can trump Bessemer as a greater portion of Splott is undercover. Splott is about 30 years old and sells everything - 3 dvd's for a tenner, shiny new kitchenware, diy clutter, brass knobs, last seasons Primark, coloured glass lights, antique pine tables, knock down meat, apple pies, well loved toys, oh yes and the kitchen sink! The Splott vibe is similar to Bessemer - loads of jam packed stalls, 'cept at Spott many of the stall holders seem to be regular, professional car booters, rather than families having a clear out. At Splott there's both the grimy and the shiny, but the fun of the carboot is of course diving in and retrieving hidden treasure for bargain prices. Note: *Carboot Thurs and Sat. *Fruit and veg market Sun

Cardiff Central Market is a real gem in the heart of the city. The Victorian building itself is…read morebeautiful, full of character with its glass roof and traditional ironwork. Inside, there's a fantastic mix of vendors... fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish other food traders, vintage clothing, books, unique gifts and much more. It has such a lively, local atmosphere and you can really feel the history while wandering around. There are plenty of food options too! Prices are reasonable, the everyone was friendly! Great experience!

If you find yourself in Cardiff, I'd recommend visiting the market (also known as Central Market)!…read moreIt's been around since the 1700s, and in the same Victorian-style building - with a big glass roof - for over 100 years. There's *a lot* to look at and take in, so heads-up if you're a person that gets overstimulated by noise (because that's what the market is: organized chaos of vendors selling anything and everything from coffee to clothing to walking sticks to fish). We enjoyed a bunch of food that we brought to the low, bar-style seating on the first floor, including... Tukka Tuk (5) - first floor, 219 - 223: Indian street food by a multi-award winning chef. And, yeah, believe the hype. This was one of the best things we ate in Wales (and it was vegan!). We did the Build A Bowl and chose 1) half pilav rice and half plain chips topped with 2) coconut dal and 3) cauli kemp. It was rich, creamy, and an absolute explosion of flavor! I regret sharing this with my partner, so - PRO TIP - get your own. Pierogi (4) - first floor, 213 - 217: Polish pierogis. These fresh dumplings prepared daily using their family's special recipe are DELICIOUS. We tried the vegan ones, which at the time were roasted buckwheat with onion and mushroom sauce. So, so good. There's usually five-ish flavors to choose from, and I think they come in two portions (small with four pierogies; large with seven pierogies). Cardiff Bakestones (4) - ground floor, 161 - 165: Known for their Welsh cakes (which are kind of like a scone or a biscuit; softer and slightly sweet, they're baked round with a crinkly edge. Cardiff Bakestones has LOTS of different flavors (like salted caramel, nutella, lemon curd, chocolate chip, etc.) and also vegan and gluten-free options. Definitely get a couple more than you think you're gonna want, because *trust me* you're going to want another right after the one you've just eaten!

Parking is fine, stall selection is amazing and if you love markets then this is the place to go…read moreall year round every Saturday and Sunday. There is a car boot on the one day and a market on the other - as far as i remember, the car boot is on the saturday! It would be great if other qypers could help out with details too? There's plenty of things t obrowse on boths days so well worth a visit if you like markets - on either day.

It's my first time coming to sell today and I have found people aggressive and very unfriendly…read more Don't think I'll come again.

W R P Jewellery is a very conventional jewellers on Clifton Street, near the city centre. It stocks…read morea good selection of silver and gold jewellery, a lot of which is really well priced and s make ideal gift ideas. Items include a good range of charms and fancy link chains as well as fashion pendants and crosses. They also carry a large selection of earrings, with hoops in both silver and gold. Somewhat inevitably they also offer a reasonable range of engagement rings and wedding bands. They also buy scrap 9ct - 22ct gold. After hours phone number: 01374 601470 Unlike many of the shops on Clifton Street, business levels at W R P Jewellery Don't seem to have been too adversely affected by the new one way system that the council implemented about a year ago. This is probably mainly due to the fact that W R P Jewellery have been around for quite a long time and are well known for performing repairs and modifications. They also provide a valuation service for insurance purposes, as well as reselling. With the price of gold going through the roof during the recession, a lot of people have been tempted to sell their unwanted pieces of gold jewellery for scrap, and so I imagine that W R P Jewellery have performed more valuations than usual over the last couple of years.

I can't recommend this jeweller highly enough. Following a reasonably priced chain repair I asked…read morethem to repair a very precious (to me) ring. It was a difficult job but they did it and now I can wear a very special item of jewellery that means the world to me.

This is a real little jewel this shop. Recently opened and the innovative folk who put it all…read moretogether have to be given giant pats on the back. It is a drawing card from start to finish. From it's colourful, bright window display and equally colourful interior. The décor theme is true American Graffiti - think Happy days, The Fonz and you'll get my drift - with posters, prints, ice cream sundae stands, all dressing up the place and creating that 'New' once over. The zappy 1950's, 1960's music bouncing off the walls, giving you a truly, marvellous spring in your step comes from an American styled jukebox that takes pride of place at the back of the store. This is, theoretically, a second-hand clothing and accessory shop, but with a difference. In fact, it is a YMCA charity store, but you wouldn't guess it in an instant, so the staff and associated people's altruism is commendable as this place is given true love, with astounding attention to detail. There is no musty smell billowing out of the once worn fabric, in fact, there is no stale odour emanating out of any pour of the building, something that you almost always find when browsing through a 'pre-owned' clothing shop. There is no feeling that the items have any negative aspect to them whatsoever, from being a 'reject' - someone's bad buy - 'had-it's-day', or.......formerly much loved but owner sadly said, Adieu! This place is bright and happy, and it's cheerfulness rubs off onto the staff and the browsing/buying public. All the items are donations from well intentioned people and are checked and cleaned at the association's recycling centre in Cardiff Bay before going on sale and they only stock good quality clothes and accessories - so no rubbish. I do so hope this shop survives as it is trendy and hip and it is a really positive place, but you know the fickle public out there, and in these tough times, they almost want it given away. The items are indeed good quality and priced like any charity store with items going around £5 - £8 or much less. Albany Road does have quite a number of charity stores, but this one certainly sets the benchmark.

This is probably the best Tesco ever…read more If you thought the Tesco on Western Avenue was big, you should see this one. I think the actual food section is really only slightly bigger, but the clothing section upstairs is huge. If you like Tesco clothes, this is the best Tesco to visit. The Western Ave Tesco is having a bit of a makeover, and their clothes area certainly looks pretty fancy now, but they only occupy a small space. The clothes at Culverhouse Cross covers almost half of the second floor, and its nicely spread out so you can actually see the clothes on the hangers, rather than having to filter threw the rails for what's hidden at the back. This is also the best Tesco to go to for bargains. In the home section, you can pick up end of the line cups and plates for as little as 10p, and many other items are super cheap while you wont find them in other Tesco stores. I got all the things I needed for my new flat here for less than £1 for each item. I have never been so excited about Tesco as I was walking around this store.

The biggest Tesco I've ever been in, this one's even bigger than the newly-opened one in North…read moreBristol. The Bristol one used to be my local, so what's confusing about this one is that all the aisles are exactly the same- except it's left-to-right flipped. It's surprisingly confusing, especially if like me you tend to go into some kind of consumerist trance when you're supermarket shopping. I like Tesco supermarkets, particularly this one. Yes they're not the cheapest for everything but overall their prices work out very reasonably. They have a good range of stock on most food stuffs, they put the effort in in their larger supermarkets to stock more imported and exotic brands, and they sell decent ranges of things like electrical and clothing goods. Some of the electricals in particular are priced even cheaper than you'd find them online, which is a pleasant surprise. The cafe is useful as well. It sells plain but very cheap meals with no frills. I tend to eat here before doing the shopping rounds, because if I go round a supermarket while hungry, I buy far too much food. Decent parking, straightforward service, no problems.

Afro Ethnic Continental is a reasonably well stocked shop on the City Road. My view however, is…read morethat it is trying to do too much, and should either specialise in food, or in African artefacts, because trying to do both seemingly compromises what it is able to do. There's another African shop a little ways down toward the centre of town on the City Road that appears to have got the balance about right. They specialise in food and beauty and hair care, and although it's possible to buy the odd ornament or artefact, they seem to use these colourful pieces to decorate the shop and are certainly not reliant on the sales of these objects in a commercially crucial way. Nevertheless, Afro Ethnic Continental definitely serves a niche at this end of the street, and the prices are pretty reasonable considering how far some of the food has had to travel. There is much call for food of African food in Cardiff and very few outlets catering for the demand. So, I guess this little shop does okay regardless of my speculations!

Not a great shop, as exotic food shops go. In fact, I'd go further than that. I would rather…read moresupport Tesco than this shop. And Tesco is a long walk from Cathays (the only Tesco with a decent exotic food section is all the way past Talybont). But I feel that I was treated pretty rudely for food that wasn't as great as I wanted it to be, at a price was just about acceptable. I don't know really what it was that they did that offended me so greatly, but something about sulleness and a failure to appreciate customers really gets my goat (odd expression, isn't it?). So, sorry, Afro-Ethnic Continental but, now, you don't get my vote. So there.