I first came across Bishopston Trading Company, somewhat strangely, when I lived in South Devon…read more There's been an outlet of this shop on Totnes High Street for as long as I can remember. When I moved to Bristol and discovered that Bishopston was a district, and that Bishopston Trading Company had a shop on Gloucester Road smack bang in the middle of it, things started to make a lot more sense! I've always considered the shop to be a little pricey, but the quality of the goods is unparalleled within this niche market. Stocking clothing for adults and children and sundries of Indian origin, it appeals to the urban hippy and artistic communities that thrive in this area. I have bought quite a few items of clothing over the years, as I know that they are durable, and the dyes won't send the rest of my wash a universal colour. These are important factors, but the main motivation to support Bishopston Trading Company is that they are devoted to a practice of fair trade, which is something that I am devoutly in support of. (I used to set up projects in South India for the Trade Not Aid arm of the Body Shop).

Perfectly placed in an area full of quite affluent, eco-conscious, stylish families, this gorgeous…read morefair trade clothes and soft furnishings shop sells brightly dyed clothes in natural cottons and linens, lovely homewares such as teatowels and hot water bottle covers, and bags and accessories. Beautiful high quality garments, all imported from India, for men, women and children hang on the rails in rainbow colours. It's a soft, gentle, friendly shop which is happy to let you come in and browse. I have to say I didn't buy anything here, but I think I would come back if I was gift shopping, because they have some lovely soaps and bath treats made from all-natural ingredients. It's a good place perhaps for the older, arty Bristolian to buy his or her clothes; I imagine the experience of trying on clothes and making a purchase here would be thoroughly lovely, as the shop assistants are very smiley and caring.

This is a brilliantly named shop for the sort of items it sells - cheap and cheerful household…read moreessentials. Need loo roll? Toothpaste? Shampoo? They've got it! And at a fraction of the supermarket price. The most handy item I've bought here is 8 Litre storage boxes at just £4 each which were an absolute lifesaver when I moved house. The shop itself is messy and unorganised but you can't have everything!

So your looking for that infamous orange handled brush, or a selection of vaious different sized…read morered storage containers, or that dog chew toy that will keep the mut entertained for hours... but wait... you only have £5.74 i your pocket and you lef your wallet at home, surely there is no where that will stock all those things for that price, think again! ok so it might be a little exageration but it is a multi purpose cheap store, that does as the pack man style logo suggest help you beat the credit crunch. I am a fan of stores like this, more so of the smaller versions, but with each one you walk inside with that sense of the unknown, you could come accross anything within 4 seconds of stepping inside... what an adventure!

I love that you can follow the progression of this Bristol store by old shop signs at increasingly…read morebigger stores up Stapleton Road, up to its current destination in Fishponds Trading Estate. It is difficult to describe - basically a homeware shop with a bunch of oddities on top - think pictures of Jesus standing beneath holographic waterfalls. Apart from the sheer fun of going round here, during the heatwave five years ago this was the only shop in Bristol still to stock fans. Genius.

Rajanis is the stuff of legend for the cheap and cheerful. Only if you're prepared to trawl through…read morea warehouse of junk, tat and odds and ends to find what you're after. And if what you're after is a job lot of chairs, or a mop or a big bag of mixed sweets. I'm doing it an injustice. Wholesale is the right name for it (despite selling to the average person off the street too). They stock a whole host, floor-to-ceiling - gifts, cards, stationary, candles, ornaments, mirrors, luggage, beauty and cleaning products, household goods, crockery, catering supplies, DIY products, pet supplies, gardening goods and furniture, curtains, towels, cushions, blinds, bedding, toys and electrical goods. All at warehouse discount, bargain basement, super-duper low prices. The Xmas decoration section itself is breath-taking - you could decorate an entire village with what they have here - tinsel, baubels, trees and lights a go-go. Rajanis also has a café on site, a cashpoint, delivery service and pensioner discounts on a Thursday. Phew... it's like an entire new city of stuff.

Huge store with great staff and a wide range of good selling everything from quilts to compost at…read moresuperb value for money

My lord, i love crafty shops. This is like a mecca for…read morecrafty people! I've shopped around for various craft supplies and hobbycraft isn't as expensive as i thought it would be, it has the added bonus of being all under one roof. I don't agree with previous comments that it's a shop for lazy people, if you are short on time then it's the best place. Smaller more personable hobby shops which are lovely will inevitably be more expensive and smaller in size including options for stock so it depends what you are after. i used to buy online from independent sellers but you do get less for your money and if you are intending to sell your items you create like i do, every penny makes a difference. Another good place to check out is local garden Centres, would be surprised the things i've found! They sell an abundance of Christmas crafts, ribbon, buttons, pendants, beads, modelling craft, decoupage, flower arranging, kids crafts and art work, cake decorating icing/ materials and that's just down stairs! It does get very bust on weekends, deducting a star for the times i've had to wait in the que for half and hour or more. They do seem to lack the correct number of staff in my opinion but the staff they do have are helpful as can be. If you are just starting off looking for a new hobby or unsure where to go with some craft ideas, just go for a visit, your not obligated to buy anything. You'll get 1001 ideas and inspirations :)

Hobby Craft is basically a craft shop for lazy people, who don't really take craftwork that…read moreseriously. For if they did they would almost certainly shop around and get things cheaper, better and more specialized. For what it is though (craft shop for lazy people) it is pretty good as they have a wide selection of materials and pretty much everything you need under one roof. I have to admit using this one in particular as it is nice and big and I know they will have the specific item I'm looking for. If only the prices were that little bit cheaper. Sorry, scrap that, if only the prices were a lot cheaper, it would be a pretty good chained store. As it stands at the moment it is quite frankly a rip off.

I was lucky enough to be given an Ollie and Nic bag as a present a few years ago by a very nice…read moreAmerican friend, not that being American has anything to do with it really, I'm just trying to build up a bit of a picture for you... Until i moved to Bristol I hadn't ever found a solely Ollie & Nic shop, I'd only ever seen it as concessions within other shops. It just opposite H&M / Topshop, and they always seem to have quite a good window display. The shop itself is quite small, and it's packed solid with all shapes, sizes and colours of bags, purses and general accessories, I sometimes get the feeling that I can't see for looking in here, and they might sell more if they took 10% out. Some of the stock I really like, some of it I don't, it's nice that it's maintain quite a local almost one off feel even though it's a well known brand.

Maybe it's down to having a short attention span, but I can't walk past Ollie and Nic's glittery…read moreshiny window display without walking in. I love browsing through their ever-changing collections, holding necklaces up to my collar and mentally playing a game of "when payday comes I will buy..." Apart from jewellery they pander to all girlie soft spots: make up bags, mirrors, handbags and hair accessories. It's at the high-end of the price range for a high-street store, but worth it when you find a piece you fall in love with. It's always a joy to window shop here - the bright, airy and colourful store gives me a lift just by walking through the doors. They often have sales but they tend to be on the extremely expensive stuff, so it's still unobtainable. But there is the odd gem to be had as long as you keep your eyes peeled and pop by regularly.

The non-food Tescos. The main sections are the clothes, homeware, electronics, kitchen stuff, CDs…read moreand DVDs, and they sell furniture and beds (look out Ikea) and there's even a Costa Coffee inside. The prices aren't outstanding though. There are some bargains to be found but for example a lot of the electronics stuff is the same price you'd find them in Dixons. Don't go expect a massive bargain frenzy. There are no 'normal' checkouts in this place- every checkout is self-service, which is fine if your shopping basket is not too big but it can end up getting chaotic if your basket has DVDs (that have age restrictions), or clothes (that have tags).

Much as I love to hate Tesco because it's taking over the world bit by bit, I have to admit that…read morethey know what they're doing when it comes to selling the public 'stuff'. right now, they have every single market cornered. If you can find something in Ikea, you can probably also now find it at Tesco Home Plusa big out of town non-food Tesco store. It's pleasant enough to walk round and browse, though the majority of things are in their catalogue and the actual store is just a fraction of what they sell. If you can leave your moral objections at the door, it's a good shop.

My Daughter has been a regular customer of this shop for some time and spent a fair amount of…read moremoney.. How sad then that when she tried to return a bag she purchased 3 weeks ago because it had a faulty zip, the staff were incredibly rude and ignorant with her. They clearly did not want to replace the bag even though you could see the fault in the zip. One member of staff actually grabbed the bag off my daughter and the other was shouting Listen to me I am speaking English. What an intelligent statement.! If this shop's owner is prepared to take people's hard earned money then they should be prepared to be fair when a product is not of merchantable quality or fit for purpose What appalling customer service. I will refer this matter further.

I found Quest to be FANTASTIC!!! I have never been into a small shop that has a new delivery of…read morestock every week. I have been shopping along with my daughters for many years and wouldn't think of going anywhere else. They cater for all sizes; my friends are size 12/14/16 and my daughters are 8/10 and never have difficulty finding what they want. If they sell out they have always ordered in from one of their other shops they did that for my daughter's prom dress which they wouldn't sell to anyone else who was at her school so she would be the only one in that dress. The quality of the clothes is fantastic; certainly not cheap rubbish!! If you want cheap trashy clothes don't go there, go to Matalan. The staff at Quest are great and very helpful. I strongly recommend you pay a visit, my friend travels down for a special visit from London once a month to have her fix of Quest. Their bags are particularly great, with a wide range of styles. Take my advice PAY A VISIT SOON; YOU CANT BEAT THEIR PRICES.