This is a standard convenience store and stocks all of the usual items that you would expect; some…read morefood, snacks, a few household items, newspapers, alcohol and tobacco. I have been in a couple of times when I have been in Harborne. The chap who works there or who owns it seems really friendly and chatty. Several times he has made small talk with me, which is nice as it makes me want to pop back in here. I have always found what I needed in here, which is usually just some chocolate and something like milk to take back home. The prices are fairly reasonable for a convenience store and I have been to more expensive stores in the area. Overall, I like this store because the service is great and it has been convenient for me.

The old motto of writing about what you know rings true here (and for the next few reviews) as…read moreHarborne Convenience is very much my local shop. Open from early morning until at least 10pm every night this isn't somewhere you'd travel miles to visit but if you live nearby it's a great place to purchase things like compost or barbeque briquettes. They are also notable for stocking a good range of real-ales, an extensive selection of doggie treats (which get the seal of approval from Dave the greyhound) and the man who runs it is a really nice chap who often compliments us on how well Dave is looking and very much lives by the adage 'the show must go on'. Not only does the shop stay open at Christmas and New Year but perhaps most memorably of all through a recent power cut where thanks to a torch-lit fetching service the people of Northfield Road were able to continue to make their essential purchases of booze, fags and Monster Munch.

This shop smelled a bit weird and there was some random guy jabbering away at me whilst at the…read moretill. Yet he was friendly enough and the young guy behind the till clearly had to give him a good listening to. It is a pretty standard convenience store, with basic food and household items alongside booze and newspapers. I purchased some chewing gum so I didn't exactly do much in the way of in-depth research. It looks massive from the outside, but is actually rather small inside. There are lots of convenience stores in Old Hill and this one is perhaps middle ranking. It is convenient and it is a store. I've been in better and I've been in worse.

This is a fairly standard Costcutter store located within what used to be The Broadstones pub. You…read morecan easily make out its pubby past from the distinctive "1970s boozer" architectural flourishes. The brick work is a depressing shade of grey/brown and there are bars on the windows. It is a bit grim. They have a cashpoint and sell phone top-up credit. They have some decent(ish) deals on a range of food and drink items. My favourite bit about this shop is the view that you get - it is perched high on a hill over looking Dudley and Halesowen. Ideal if you fancy a Frey Bentos chicken and mushroom (pie) with a view. Sorry, I couldn't help it.

With neither my girlfriend or I able to drive and Asda a miles walk away, this newsagent cum…read moremini-supermarket is ideal for us for picking up things like milk which are a pain to carry from the supermarket and, if you drink as much tea as we do, run out quickly. The two chaps who run the shop are personable and know their regular customers, which is always a bonus. As well as the usual ciggies, sweets and newspapers - they stock magazines (but no music ones, an annoying habit of a fair few newsagents round this way), booze (which is kept very well chilled and sold very well cheap) as well as groceries. As is always the case with these places, the groceries are a lot more expensive than supermarkets so I very rarely buy food from there unless it's desperate. There's also a pay-to-use cash machine and a DVD rental section at the back which costs a £20 deposit to join.

A typical green grocers shop selling fruit, vegetables and other items you would expect to see in a…read moregreen grocers. However because this is an Asian green grocers, the majority of products on offer will be targeted at the Asian community. Because my family regularly eat Indian food at home, this is the one place my parents come to when it comes to buying vegetables. This is also the place where we also buy our meat from. You can also buy Asian snacks and toiletries from here. My father and I always get along well with the staff here at Ghosia and we have never complained about the service they provide. The only complaint I do have is the number of flies you find where the fruits and vegetables are. It can be irritating when you have to get away from the flies when looking for the fruit and vegetables you want. But other than that I have no problems with this place.

This is one of Old Hill's larger shops and it caters for the local Muslim community as well being a…read morehandy local independent supermarket, with more choice than in the plethora of local convenience stores. It is really good for cheap fruit and veg, with a massive display outside. The apricots, cherries and plums looked delicious whilst I was browsing. The prices are really low, especially if you buy in bulk. They sell some small household electrical items as well as everything else you could want from a small supermarket.