Who would have thought a small clearance store in Parnell would have lasted long? Years ago, when M…read moreClearance first opened, I was convinced it was just a pop-up store. To see them still trading today is like watch a uplifting Disney under-dog story. M Clearance stock housewares and glassware, so is a great place to buy cheap but quality wine glasses. And you don't have to know the difference between Swarovski or Zwiesel. Just honest and decent products, with cheerful service usually reserved for outside of the Parnell suburb. If you are growing up and moving from being a student into "in a relationship" M Clearance is a great place to get some reasonable kitchenware. Or if you have recently moved into the fancier side of town and have just been made aware of the difference between a red wine glass and a stein, you can step up your game here without breaking the bank.

Okay, so this store has pretty much every bloody kitchen appliance you could ever want in your…read morewhole entire life. If you like homeware or you're my mom, you'll be able to spend hours in this joint. Hours and dollars. The Home Store stocks pretty fancy kitchenware - KitchenAid, Le Creuset etc. Basically, if you need a gift for someone who likes to cook or bake or entertain, this is the place to go. You literally will not be able to leave this store without finding something to buy someone for their wedding, or for your aunt or your sister. There are other home accessories as well as kitchenware - straws and cookie cutters, teapots and porcelain and pegs. Another plus: their gift wrapping service is on point, so that's a bonus.

This store is one awesome store. The Home Store has the good stuff. Not to name drop but they sell…read morethe likes of Cuisine Art, Kitchen Aid appliances, Le Creuset, Villeroy and Boch. If you love baking, they have an massive selection of cupcake and cookie things as well as anything you could possibly need to decorate a cake. This would be the place to come if you are really into entertaining, no matter what the occasion you'd entertain in style. The Home Store also stocks cute things like pretty coloured paper straws, little glass milk bottles, ice cream cups, popcorn bags which would be great for kids birthday parties or baby showers. The Home Store has a great range of high quality brands, a great store to find gifts for others and things for your home that make every day chores more fun, such as pretty coloured pegs and peg baskets and the Joseph & Joseph range. The merchandising in this store is equally fantastic and they do have a gift wrapping service and wedding gift registry services.

I had a disappointing experience with this store…read more I received my order and immediately noticed that the clothes had a very strong fragrance smell. Given that I ordered premium organic children's clothing, this was quite concerning and contrary to what many parents expect - minimal processing and no added scents. They also sell diffusers and candles, which may explain the scent contamination. I emailed the same day I received the package to request a return and refund. It then took a full week to receive a response, which simply instructed me to return the items to a warehouse address, with no clear process. I replied the same day asking reasonable questions -such as the warehouse opening hours, whether I could drop the items off in person. It has now been another week with no response. This was also confusing because their company policy states that online orders can be returned to any of their retail stores. This would have been far more convenient, as they have multiple locations with set opening hours and staff available, so you know you can actually speak to someone and have the return handled properly. Overall, the lack of communication, slow response times, and inconsistency with their stated return policy have been very frustrating. For a brand positioning itself as premium, I expected much better customer service and handling of returns. I would also caution other parents who prefer unscented, minimally treated baby clothing to keep this in mind when ordering.

Father Rabbit is the absolute best. It seriously turns me into a gushing 16 year old. They've got…read morebeautiful, beautiful homewares, candles, children's clothing and there's a small amount of adult clothing too. This store is larger than their Ponsonby one and is located inside Bloc, which is dangerous in itself. But back to F.R, the brands they stock are all seriously stunning - lots of whites, neutrals and soft pastels.... it's my dream to make my house look like this one day... Not surprisingly, Father Rabbit has become my go-to for gifts. It isn't outrageously expensive and they've got a wide range of products, something for everyone. Check it out next time you're in Mt Eden....the ultimate one stop shop.

Wah Lee is such a delightful oriental emporium…read more They stock all sorts from teapots, ceramics, and paper lanterns, to beaded slippers and jasmine tea just to name a few. I really enjoy wandering through the store and stocking up on something different and quirky every visit. I have been to San Francisco and it reminded me of a few stores I had seen while shopping in China Town. I love that they have a real mix of products not just one type you have a vast variety! During Guy Fawkes celebrations they are mega popular from 2nd-5th of November when then sell a few popular brands of fireworks. The tea pots and Chinese vases are my fave at the store they have some really beautiful designs that compliment the home and kitchen. Worth a stop in to funk up the flat, home or grab some cool gifts for friends.

Wah Lee's was the one of the first shops to stock "Asian" food in Auckland; it's been around since…read more1904 and is still possibly one of best places to go in the city, mostly 'cause it's maybe the furtherest thing I can think of from a chain store; totally idiosyncratic and full of personality. As they say on their Facebook page: "We have had many chats, possibly not the best for someone that likes efficient service-although the staff may think that is what you want." It's almost impossible to explain Wah Lee's to someone who hasn't been there: they sell food, but also fireworks, but also health supplements, but also bamboo blinds, plus shoes, plus tea. It's really just a treasure trove. You could spend hours here digging through everything, and the staff would probably just help you rather than scowl and try and move you on as they would in other places. Look, it's just great: please go there and spend money so they can last another 109 years. (There was a great documentary about this place on Nat Rad a few years ago; tracing both the change in shopping habits but also Auckland's Chinese community; it's probably still up on the Radio NZ website if you're interested.)

As a keen amateur cook, I adore kitchen shops and this one is pretty good. I go in to worship the…read moreLe Crueset cookware and usually ending up leaving with something much more moderately priced. Tucked away down in Queens Arcade, you wouldn't necessarily come across it unless you were looking, and I'm telling you: look! It's definitely worth a visit. It's at the mid-to-upper price range (think of the kind of kitchen implements they sell at Nosh, only with a zillion more options). They do kitchen applicances, utensils, crockery, and in fact pretty much anything you can imagine needing for your kitchen, minus the kitchen sink of course.

As my kitchen is currently devoid of all useful objects having been plundered by my ex flatmate, I…read moreneeded to go on the hunt for new stuff, so the The Kitchen Shop was a good port of call. I regularly wander through Queens Arcade so I had noticed it on my travels before. It's absolutely jam packed and crammed to bursting point with random kitchen utensils which is pretty helpful for a place called 'The Kitchen Shop'. I managed to find everything I was after with help from the kindly shop assistant and even discovered the most amazing array of specially shaped cake tins ever! So if you're an amateur baker this is the place to come. From love heart shaped ones to fire-trucks and tweety birds, there were cake tins for Africa!

The Homestore is a great addition to Sylvia Park and aside from being a huge fan of their tea…read moretowels (check them out, they are seriously great), its my favourite place to buy homeware. What I love about this place is that there's always something here that I know my mum will love. It could be a new cookbook or a new salad serving set, but whatever it is, The Homestore has it. It's also home to appliances, dinner sets and bathroom accessories. I'd like to think I become a little more domesticated after every visit, and i'm always sure to pick up something useful for myself. I'm an avid baker and they've got some great cupcake patty tins and some awesome cake decorating supplies aswell. If you're a party planner, they've got some cute decorations- think lanterns and garlands. A few days before Christmas last year this place was so busy, and in my haze of last minute Christmas shopping I found some comic relief in the lady who served me at the counter. I never got her name but she was hilarious. We didn't speak about much in particular, but I just remember laughing and joking with her about the perils of Christmas shopping. Just being able to have a normal conversation that wasn't about what I was buying was quite refreshing. I bought a few glass items and she made sure to double package them (I was carrying a lot of stuff already), so they wouldn't smash on my way out. She was so thoughtful and pretty much made my night! I really do love The Homestore- the ultimate stop for anything your home needs.

I've been in this store 5-6 times over the past 6 months as I love the stock however I have never…read morebeen greeted while in there. Often I am just browsing however today I went in planning on spending quite a large amount of money for a birthday present. I spent 10-15 minutes in store, first walking around and then looking quite hard at one shelf in particular. There were two ladies working and no one else in store yet I was not greeted or acknowledged in any way. I go into retail stores to get the personal interaction and staff knowledge about the items, since I can't get that service from this store I won't go back and might as well buy things online.

Do not recommend. Teapot broke when put down on bench - way too fragile. Also lid had to be held on…read morewhen pouring. Poor design all round

Don't order anything online over the Xmas period, you'll be waiting until well into the new year…read morejust for it to be picked! Don't trade over Xmas if customers are expected to wait for an unreasonable amount of time for their goods. You should be transparent at the point of sale about the wait times so customers can't then opt out!

I had a squiz at this garden centre when I stopped to get a coffee at Cigana which is just 50…read moremetres away from it. I'm not much of a gardener but I do appreciate a good stroll around a good garden centre. There's always a bit of a serenity about it. And this is exactly what the Sunhill Garden Centre is like. As soon as I walked in the shop assistant asked me how I was going and if I needed anything. The other staff member was busy helping a man with the best plants for his garden. She obviously was so knowledgeable plants and had so much information for him. There were loads of different plants and a cute gift shop too. I really love my fresh herbs and I was delighted to see they sell three herb punnets for $10! That's so cheap and they smelt amazing. Basil pasta here I come!

For being located on such a busy road, Sunhill Garden Centre is surprisingly peaceful. Perhaps it…read moreis the tree-bound setting combined with the trickle of the water features that distracts you from the sound of traffic, I don't know. But what I do know is that Sunhill Garden Center has a really great wide range of plants, from perennials and succulents to dwarf shrubs and citrus, which are all clearly labelled and well organised in the garden out the back. You can also pick up Oakdale Organics vegetable and herb seedlings starting from 3.99 each or 3 for 10, which seems to be a good deal. Inside you will find all sorts of gardening supplies and also plenty of gifts, such as potted plants, ornaments and various gardening accessories. And if you have a little one with you, then Sunhill has arranged for that too, with a small playground at the back overlooking the Apirana Reserve.