Although I usually lack adequate space for bulk purchasing, my mother-in-law (and her large chest…read morefreezer) can rarely resist the deals available from Costco. For instance, a 5lb block of mozzarella cheese is about the same price as 1lb shredded from Tesco... now she has to put in the effort of grating it herself, but she has two days off a week anyway so she might as well take the time and save the money. Costco's housebrand is called "Kirkland" and is actually very high quality for affordable prices. I can honestly say I have been buying Kirkland products for years and would highly recommend pretty much anything Kirkland brand. We usually try to avoid this store on the weekends because the traffic from Lakeside can make for some pretty scary encounters however the parking lot is very large so at least finding a spot will be painless. Membership is £50 a year but allows 2 adults so if you're savvy, you can possibly share a membership between two families like my MIL (she shares with one of her sisters). If you are having a party, I highly recommend the cakes from the bakery here. We ordered the chocolate bundt cake and a carrot cake for a party we had and both were cheap, moist and sinfully delicious - especially the carrot cake! Definitely worth the membership if you have a big family or a big event to host but make sure you check the hours first because on some days they open early to business owners and not to the public until noon or later.

I tried to buy petrol at Thurrock last weekend and was unable to do so as I had the 'wrong cards'…read moreIf you have a Halifax card or Nat West the chances are the pump will not accept it.We spoke to the guy at the pumps and he said yes that's right it probably won't work - there's a dispute going on. So we had to buy petrol In Aveley which was 5p dearer per litre. When I got home and rang them and was told it's my banks fault. Totally not interested in my situation. Definitely not going to help customer relations WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH THIS ATTITUDE Shame on you Costco you should sort your problems and look after your customers

New Look is one of my favorite fanshion stores around. When they opened the huge one in the…read moreLakeside shopping centre I was so excited. It is always jam packed with new fashions which are suitable for everyone. They have a kids range and a maternity range and it is well set out. Unfortunately cues are always long and there arn't many staff around. Still a good store though.

A large womens and tweens fashion stire based in Lakeside shopping centre. They offer fashion at…read moreaffordable prices and a great range of clothing, footwear, accessoires and jewellery. A large store which during sale time can get a bit jumble sale-ish. But overall well worth a visit they have some real gems. They have a huge changing area at the back of the store.

Good selection of jewellery and accessories at bargain prices. No real nearby parking but okay if…read moreyou are able to park in the car parks within a few minutes walk from there. Definately a good place to find that ideal gift.

this jewelers has been around for many years now and still delivers the top jewelery and customer…read moreservice, it has good choice of chains, bracelets and earings at good reasonable prices.

This car store is my favourite! Its about 3 miles from my home but if I have to buy a few cards, I…read moream quite happy to use the petrol to get there. Its fabulous. Cards can be as cheap as 29p which are still really lovely and even the handmade boxed cards are only £1.99 so the savings are fabulous. I bought a whole box of cards for my daughter to give her schoolmates for 99p and they are glittery and lovely. Exact quality you would expect at somewhere like Clintons. As well as cards they do all sorts of birthday good e.g. Candles, balloons, wrapping paper and also odds and ends which change seasonably that would be brilliant for stocking fillers etc. I would completely recommend.

I prefer this shop to any other card shop in the area, the cards are good quality, with an…read moreexcellent selection. The only downside is that the shop is tiny, but well stocked so you have to all sidle past each other. This is well worth it for the price of the cards though, especially after Christmas, where they have some excellent bargains. They have some lovely little gifts there such a photo frame for a new baby or a 21st birthday. There is a car park nearby for your convenience. Otherwise the train station and bus stops are close by.

Really good and clean overall, some stuff are misplaced but not the worker's fault. All of the…read moreworkers are kind, except one or two where I've had an unkind experience with. Food is fresh and easy to spot for going in and out of the store.

Great cheap alternative to morrisons down the road. range is dependant on the day but most of the…read moretime all the essentials are fully stocked, nice friendly staff and prices are very good for brand name products

Great mid point between a full scale supermarket and a small convienience store. Not as cheap as…read moreTesco or morrisons for most products and a much smaller range but perfect to just pop in and grab a couple of essentials.

Good place to shop for things you have forgotten at during the main supermarket shop. Bit of a pain…read moreto park at times and have to back out onto a very busy main road. Shop is clean with friendly staff.

This Asda is located in Tilbury, near the docks, you need a car to get to the store. There is a…read morelarge private car park next to the store, which also houses a drive through McDonalds and a petrol station. The store is a large store, and when you arrive there are always plenty of trolleys and baskets. They have a large clothing section as you walk in to the right, then the next few aisles are books, greeting cards electricals and cd/dvd's. The other aisles are food and groceries. There is a large variety of food there, and the aisles are well spaced out. There always seems to be a 'special' area, where they put items that are soon to be out of date. The staff always seem to be pleasant, and most of the time they have enough tills open.

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I love going into this store. There are always deals that arent publicised or on the internet and…read moretheres so many toys that its hard to not find what you want. Their prices can be a little higher than other stores in the area, but their customer service is really good. Also, it contains a Babies r us section which covers everything you could possibly need for a baby, right from pregnancy to birth and beyond.

Located on one of the retail parks, not actually in the shopping arcade. This massive store is…read moreabsolutely fantastic. Your guaranteed to find something here for those little ones. A lot of the items are on display which means you or the kids can have a hands on try at the items prior to buying. They have a good selection of bikes for all ages and plenty of staff available to give advise. They also have an impressive babies r us department which has cots, buggy's, prams, car seats all sorts. Keep an eye out for discount vouchers on the net, you can pick up a real bargain sometimes.

I love this shop. It is my first port of call for all my homeware purchases. The variety of…read morekitchenware is excellent and although it can sometimes be pricey I tend to wait for their sales to purchase these types of items. This shop is great if you need to purchase an outfit for a special occassion. On the first floor they have many concessions such as Ted Baker, Warehouse, Oasis, Top Shop, Coast and many others. In my experience the staff have always been very helpful. On two occasions they have helped me to put together a whole outfit (like a freee personal shopper). They also have great sales so look out for the sale dates in the press and tv.