I needed to pick up some cough meds while visiting Cardiff. This pharmacy was recommended by our…read moretour guide. Because I wasn't familiar with the brands, I got the assistance of a young lady who worked in the Medicine Dept. She asked thorough questions to make sure she recommended the right one. Although I went for the Pharmacy this store was quite large. There were cards, snacks, sandwiches and drinks. There also was a large assortment of beauty, hygiene and toiletry products. Probably even more departments in the back that I didn't see.

ABOSULETLY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE !!! I was looking for a…read moremoisturiser and went up to one of the sales assistant and asked her if they sold a moisturiser which I had seen online. She looked at me rudely straight in the face and blanked me completely and didnt bother to give me an answer. She just turned around to her colleague and pretended that she was speaking about someone else in front of me to her colleague. I am a person from a minority ethnic background and I just know the motive was pure racism. I didn't bother saying anything more because did not want to cause any DRAMA. I just turned around and walked away, this ruined my mood and shopping experience in Boots.

This was the pharmcy where I got my inhaler!…read more When I walked in I was a little bit confused by the lay out. There didn't really seem to be any coherence in the way things were organised - why was the make up all spread out? Where's the medicine? Where do I hand in my prescription? There was also a little table of 1/2 price toys but something about it just reminded me of those fetes your school runs. You've been put in charge of a stall but, let's face it, you're a child. You have no clue what you're doing... Not really a good look for a professional shop. The service was quite slow but when I got my prescription she explained to me how the inhaler would work and waved me off with a smile. Oh I do like friendly service. There are also a few chairs to sit on while you wait so, all in all, it wasn't too bad.

If you've seen a few of my reviews on this site, you'll know that I'm a glutton for old type shops…read more This is like pharmacies used to be, with a pharmacist and no sandwiches. It does seem a bit odd to go into a shop where everything is a bit spread out and there haven't been marketing specialists figuring out the best way to make you buy stuff you didn't know you wanted, but then this is a shop for when you know what you want. They've got a bit of everything, and you could do much worse in an emergency. Most important, though, is the pharmacist himself. Really helpful and friendly and really seems to know what is what. If you're ever worried, need specific medication or want to chat to someone before you wait two weeks for a Drs appointment, then pop in and see R E Hargrave.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have a weakness for junior doctors/surgeons/young cute medical…read morestaff in general so when I worked for one summer at the University Hospital I did feel like I'd died and gone to heaven for a little while. It's a boots, you know the drill, it's convenient, it has meal deals and paracetemol and it's familiar. I can recommend this particular branch for it's potential for people spotting. At lunchtime, gorgeous young nurses, doctors and all sorts flood in to grab a quick meal deal. Most of them still in their scrubs, stethescopes attached. Very nice. It's one of my favourite places on earth.

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.

There are some good things about Superdrug, one must be fair. Shopping is okay. Well marked isles…read moreand competitive prices. But when it comes to "buying" at Superdrug, it is an experience I never look forward to. I was brought up in a time when the saying ran; "the customer is always right". In other words, the shop and the staff would bend over backwards to make your time with them so pleasant that you would not only be pleased with your purchases, but you'd definitely return for more goods and the genuine warmth of their personality... PLUS... you wouldn't hesitate to tell your friends what a lovely place to shop at. However, at Superdrug I always feel as though I'm left pummelled when I "eventually" get myself and my purchases out that front door. Last week was no exception, and the main reason I decided - once and for all, to write about my HORRIBLE time. After lengthy queueing, and when you finally get to the till with your chosen items, your eyes, ears and brain are immediately assaulted by a barrage of offers from the assistant who tries desperately to entice you into buying further goods that "just happen" to be left "floating around on top of the counter". Each time you say, "no thank you, I have what I want", still undeterred he/she goes prattling away with more sales pitch patter as if so totally brainwashed by their spiel, the fact you're still standing there seems to be of little consequence to them. They must at all costs finish their monologue. Something all staff have been told to do by "management" I'm sure - the same is done in Poundland. But in the end the staff are merely recorded voice boxes sprouting out the store's discounted offers. All of which is neither enchanting or appreciated when you've simply gone there on a particular mission. So, instead of contentment, you feel like you're being hammered into financial submission. My fun time is when it comes to pay. ALWAYS. Assistant: "Have you nothing smaller?" (I'm positive these people never want to go to the bank for change) ME: "If I had smaller I would surely give it to you. Sorry, I haven't been to the bank today, but I'm on my way". Assistant: "BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY CHANGE". ME: "Staff here always say this to me, and funny thing, when eventually they open their tills, miraculously change appears. Anyway... this is what I have, and as my purchase comes to £15... which isn't a meagre amount. SO... do you think you could check with your other operator's tills to see whether there's change in those, or... at least CHECK in your own". Assistant: "You're rude". ME: "Excuse me... I'm being rude? I thought you were here to assist?" By this time the Store Manager sees what's going on and tries to be of service. (I must emphasise; BE OF SERVICE - something I thought was a prerequisite for working in this field of work - but I'm often wrong). She maintained that it was the store's policy to ALWAYS ask people if they had something smaller. I pointed out that my purchase was not a small one and that surely if people had smaller they would give it over from the get go - albeit, in days gone by sometimes shoppers wanted change. Obviously THOSE days are long gone. However, is this not ALL part of the service? And then, of course, the store manager opens the till and FINDS change for my note I'd passed over. SIMPLE! SUMMARY: It bemuses me how a shop like this doesn't want to give it. Maybe they don't want to send someone on a Bank errand. It also amazes me how they have the gonads to want shoppers to do their work for them, when it used to be the other way around. It also riles me how shoppers are treated like "stain-clothed children", like we don't know what we want to buy, and how we want to pay for it. And if we so much as have the audacity to hand out a couple of solutions to a problem with a touch of common sense - or so much as HINT to staff to DO THEIR JOB... you get slapped in the face and called rude. This shop assistant forgot the actual MEANING of her title, "assistant". She forgot what her main aim as an "assistant" was. Not to have an almighty chip on her shoulder because someone buying something from her had the temerity to ask her to CHECK whether she had change or not. But somehow even though this lass' attitude was worthy of having her sent to the factory floor to stack shelves and forget about dealing with the public, I feel this is really the problem with management. They are programming their staff with spiels. Scripts for every eventuality, from selling more stock to pushing bags onto people who clearly have some in their hands. They've taken common sense off the shopping floor, and if by chance a shopper like me requests something that's not part of their regular format, a spanner is thrown into the works and they go on the defensive, and then, as I experienced become offensive. The best mode of defence is not always attack, especially if you are serving someone, and ESPECIALLY when you are caught out in a lie.

excellent service and friendly helpful staff. Always a…read morepleasure to come to Superdrug and be served by the lovely staff. Fantastic experience every time I visit my local Superdrug in Cardiff (Queens West) Love the makeup selection, love the perfume! I'm also really happy with the superdrug sim deal. Highly recommend!!

This new pharmacy has just opened at the top of Clifton Street (Newport Road end) as part of the…read moreregeneration scheme. It's small but well-stocked and is very white and 'medical' looking! I popped in at 10.30am on a Saturday morning not long after it opened and there was no one in there apart from the charming young guy behind the counter and the pharmacist out back. I was greeted with smiles and relief - 'at last, a customer!' I could almost hear the thought reverberating in their heads. The pharmacy had lots of deals and offers on cold and flu remedies and the guy serving me made sure that I had taken the Beechams Flu Capsules before and knew what I was doing. I hope this personal service picks up when their business does! One puzzle yet to be solved, however, is why, oh why, have they just opened a small pharmacy at the end of Clifton Street when the huge 'Clifton Pharmacy' is positioned just down the road and another, smaller pharmacy is literally around the corner on Broadway? Three pharmacies within meters of each other - surely we're not that much of a sick-note Britain?

In case you happen to be a regular reader of my posts, yes, as you have probably worked out by now…read moreI do use a different pharmacy every time I get a prescription from the doctor. Well, I'd have nothing to review if I always went to the same place! Anyway, as pharmacies go (and let me tell you, they're all very similar!) this one does have a little bit of an edge for two main reasons. Number 1 - the service is vcery fast. I always wondered why it took so long to take a piece of paper, go back behind a screen and find the matching drugs. I still don't know. I assume that they have to fill in some kind of paperwork? Well, this pharmacy seems to cut through that documentation like superman. I appreciate the hurry. Number 2 - I like the Co-op. It's a good business, with good morals, good ethics and a good level of customer service.

The Co-operative Pharmacy is one of the better chains of pharmacies available on the high street…read more There seems to be quite a few of them in South Wales, and as far as I can tell, they seem to even outnumber Lloyds, and possibly even Boots. The City Road Co-operative Pharmacy is quite small compared to their larger sites, and so they are limited as to what they can stock. Nevertheless, the carry a good range of products on the shop floor, and the pharmacy itself still manages to carry a full range of prescription drugs. They always have some great special offers on non-prescription drugs and toiletries too. I really enjoy the level of service that you get in a Co-operative Pharmacy. The staff are always really well trained and are consequently eminently knowledgeable about their product range. They can usually advise on local clinics, organisations and associations where appropriate. The pharmacists tend to be equally helpful.

impossible to get them to answer the phone !!!!! only one…read moreperson serving to collect my prescription, then he left to look for something in the store while the queue has getting longer. when i eventually got served to be told it would not be ready until next day ,although i was assured it would be ready for collection .

Whilst I haven't given a flawless score of 5 that's just because my item wasn't in stock. If it was…read morebased on customer service alone, I would've marked Abbie a 10.

The Co-op Pharmacy, located on the Mermaid Quay end of Bute Street, is a well-stocked and…read morewell-presented medicine dispenser with pleasant, knowledgeable staff. I've gotten a few prescriptions filled here, and the lovely ladies behind the counter are quick (less than a five minute wait) and cheerful, which is always welcome when you're ill and in need of a friendly exchange. I like the ethos of the Co-op Pharmacy, so I try to shop here whenever possible. They often have sales on a range of items, sometimes making it as cost-effective as shopping at Asda (my beloved bought Johnson nappy wipes here for only £1 a pack, which is really reasonable). If you head toward the back, right in front of the till, you'll find their marked down/clearance items. I found a few face masks priced at only 50p each and a nasal hay fever remedy that was half off. Bargain! I just wish they were open on weekends, but if I ever need a prescription that badly, there's always the Queen Street Boots, which is open until 8pm most days.

I seem to spend most of my time in pharmacies at the moment, though now that I have got this new…read morebrown steroid inhaler I'm hoping it will all turn around. This pharmacy is actually one of my favourites, though the reason why is quite hard to put my finger on. After all, it doesn't really provide either much more or much less than any of the (many) others I've visited. I think that part of it is just seeing how clean it is. I always feel that pharmacists who work in a clean shop will be able to help me better. Secondly, I like the Co-op as a business; the way it treats its suppliers, customers and employees. Maybe the sun was shining particularly brilliantly on it that day; I don't know why else I would have walked past Boots to get to this other pharmacy. But I'm glad I did.

Clifton Pharmacy is owned and run by Pauline M Driscol... and it has to be said that It comes as…read moreno surprise... this is a beautifully presented chemist that really could only be owned by a woman! The shop front is immaculate, painted in sophisticated tones of green and cream, and the shop itself is laid out with flair and imagination, as well as being well ordered and easy to use. Clifton Pharmacy also has to be one of the largest independent chemists in Cardiff, and whilst it struggles to compete in scale with the large outlet of Boots in the centre of town, it is nevertheless an impressively stocked shop that carries a really good range of stock. It is possible to buy pretty much anything here that you would find in a larger chain, and the prices are competitive too. What distinguishes this chemist from the chains however, is the level of service that you receive here. The staff are really friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, and so this is great if you are not entirely sure about what you are looking for. In my experience you also don't have to wait very long for assistance, which is a very different story to the chemists in town. There is rarely a queue for the check-out here, and everything seems to run as smooth as clockwork. Clifton Pharmacy also offers a free prescription delivery and collection service.

It's not been an easy time for independent pharmacists in Adamsdown and Roath over the years. The…read morerise of Boots and the out of town supermarket chains have made it difficult to make your local chemist a going concern. We've even experienced chemists closing on certain estates with break-ins, and intimidation a regular feature chemists have reluctantly closed their doors. So I'm really pleased to fly the flag for the Clifton street Pharmacy where I've been going most of my life and Driscolls Pharmacy on Meteor Street which is close to where I live now. I think it's so important for us to support our local chemists as once they go I think it will be a long time before we get this vital local resource back. The chemist is a place where you get a lot of useful health information and support. It means not having to travel far to get prescriptions. Most people in my area don't have cars and rely on public transport.