Poundstretchers have improved over the years, I remember in the 80's their stores used to be huge…read morevast shops with stuff thrown all over. The words organised chaos comes to mind. These days they are a lot more organised and offer a good range of products which are reasonably priced. Theyve recently started selling food too, their teabags and coffee are cheap. Staff are pleasant enough.

Founded in 1888 and now in its 4th generation of family ownership, Tyrer's is dubbed by some as…read more"the Harrods of the North". Quality and service are two good words that sum up what Tyrer's is all about. They provide a range of top class fashions for men and women, together with beauty products and their own restaurant and hairdressing salon. It is a department store that has retained a little bit of tradition. You shouldn't have any problem finding it as it is in the town centre. They have a 'genuine' sale on at the minute, declaring that you could save 70% - it all sounds very good! I am not the best when it comes to sales and tend to have a brief filter through the sale items and then get totally put off and then swiftly move onto the full priced stuff! I am just no good. I need to be sent to sale buying training school!

A quality family owned business that has been here in St Helens for a very long time. There…read morecosmetics dept is great all the best names and free make-overs for men and women. As you would expect the fashion is a bit out there, but the quality is wonderful especially if your shopping for a night out or an occasion, Wedding, party, job interview. You can even get your hair done or have a cake and coffee. One of the best if not the best shop in town. Down side it's not cheap but you always get what you pay for.

Makro is a wholesale store similar to Costco. It sells a wide range of goods all under one roof…read morewhether it is food, electrical appliances or video games. The store mainly attracts those who own businesses as items are usually sold in bulks, hence you have to become a member which requires certain eligibility. Prices do not include VAT until you reach the checkout so this is something to be wary of. However, it is a great store that you could probably spend a good few hours browsing. Prices in general are affordable and not overly expensive. The location in Liverpool is rather in an isolated position with it being in an industrial estate and away from the main road. Most people have to have a car to use this store which makes sense when you're buying products in bulk form!

Bargain Buys is one of those shops that you seem to find in every town or little village…read more Bric-a-brac would probably be the correct way to describe it, but judging by the stuff on sale here, bric-a-crap might be a bit more accurate. The shop itself is not particularly large, but Bargain Buys makes up for this by literally cramming in as much stuff as possible, preventing even light from entering into the shop through its windows. Looking for some plastic chairs? They've got them. Children's toys? They've got them. Learner 'L' plates (for a car or hen do)? They've got them. It's hard to really pin down what they specialise in at Bargain Buys so it's probably best for you to visit here yourself but chances are there'll be something there that catches your eye. Whether you actually need it or not is another question, but everything's so cheap that it doesn't really matter too much.

Robin Retail Park is a nice complex, it has improved a lot since my last visit and now features…read moremany more stores. Brands located here include JD Sports, Sports Direct, Marks and Spencer Simply Food, Boots, Argos, EE and Next. The location is easily accessed, with a large car park, with buses serving the area nearby. It is also a stone's throw away from the DW Stadium, home to Wigan Athletic FC and Wigan Warriors. A large ASDA supermarket is also nearby. The retail park doesn't have much of an online presence, I couldn't find a list of stores and restaurants located here anywhere, which was pretty frustrating. In terms of eating and drinking, the selection is good for fast food with Subway, Greggs, KFC and Burger King have outlets here, the latter two being drive-thrus. The only coffee shop would be Costa (inside Next), in terms of more of a restaurant, there is a Nando's in the process of being constructed (September 2021), but it isn't much else. 3* - A-OK, there is a good selection of stores here.

I often use the shops at Robin Retail Park in Wigan. I have just received a Parking Charge Notice…read moreas I have been informed that I over stayed the parking time by 13 minutes. I find this absolutely ridiculous as there is just not enough time to use the shops in a relaxed way. I intend to boycott the retail park and protest. I think that the media needs to be informed of this situation. I can certainly understand if people leave their cars parked on the car park for hours and hours. I am most unhappy about this situation. Thank you. Kind regards Gary K Tame

If the whole family needs kitting out in new shoes at affordable prices then take a trip to shoe…read morefayre. Mens, womens, children boys and girls, and even the babies can all get something here. They do stock a wide range of shoes and sizes in the store and if they don't have the shoe you want in your size, they are so helpful that they can tell you when a particular shoe will be in. They also stock children school shoes and wellies. A good bonus here is that you can pick up the kids school socks as well and they are also reasonably priced. They always have the sales isles down the middle of the shop so even though the shoes are cheap enough, you can get some at rock bottom prices. Please beware when you get to the till - if you don't want to buy a shoe cleaner or boot polish then say no - you will be asked.

I got a bit confused at the entrance because it was unnecessarily huge but other than that really…read morecool place! You could watch glass blowers and buy things from the gift shop.

TL;DR - Great museum, but fantastic demos of glass making are the real star…read more We came here whilst looking for a day out on a wet and cold day and were pleasantly surprised by what we found. Firstly, admission is free which is always welcome. The building is a mixture of new and old - you enter through an amazing old brick chimney, but inside you find a modern gallery (shared with the local library). There are exhibits on the history of glass making in the area as well as displays of art work. There's a well stocked shop, and a cafe too. A connecting bridge over the canal takes you to the museum part of the site, based in old glassworks which have been partially restored. The real highlight though was the glassblowing workshop. You do have to pay to watch these, but it was well worth it. When we went, we were the only two people present so effectively got a personal demonstration. Absolutely fabulous and highly recommended.

Female staff have synchronised menstrual cycles - passive aggressive, terrible communication…read moreskills, not polite, resting b*tch faces, pretentious makeup, sloppy attitude, absolute simpletons, that remind me of those entitled girls in high school that screw their face when something is expected of them, that are too stupid to even realise that 'customer service' is not the job for them! Really condescending and poor people skills, you get the type of smile that's completely void of any human emotion that makes them look uncomfortable to even acknowledge you, that type of smile that looks like they're trying to deepthroat a stale bagel. These are the kinda girls that are keeping ITV2 in business. Always stalling to serve you, for what ever reason (maybe because their precious ego demands that you should offer them a sacrifice for having the AUDACITY to expect them to be attentive to customers ) I thought Poundland was bad This is all except for one nice lady who has a brown fringe - we like her But if she's not on shift - expect to leave with a sour taste in your mouth. These girls need to look into developing their interpersonal skills - and I wish them all the best in doing so, but let's face it - they're probably just gonna scroll Pinterest for new tattoo ideas and and look at homes they can't afford, and blame their partners for their own shortcomings in life. That said... it can be fun to spectate, just seeing a circle jerk of estrogen fuelled hate for customers, with a face that looks like it should be on a promotional leaflet for the awareness of IBS. I've seen more personality in a wet cream cracker. but there's something comforting in knowing that they're having a worse day than you

This is part of an increasingly large chain. They specialise in obtaining items extremely cheaply…read moreand passing that on to the buyer. I was amazed at the variety of things you can buy at a B&M's, from really good quality real ale in bottles to household cleaners and almost everything in between. As Ryan-ere points out, don't assume that everything is cheaper, it isn't, but the majority of things for sale are sufficiently cheap to make it a vital stop on any serious shopping excursion.

This place is stuffed full of useful things and it's all cheaperty cheap cheap! If you don't have…read moreyour England flag yet (I am sure you will do, but well just in case) there are plenty on sale here. Outside dustbins (£8.99) - they have plenty of these as well, as compost bins. I found a really useful wash basket to put my washed clothes in as I hang them up on the line or take them down. Plastic seats and plastic steps - hmmm rather a lot of plastic, it's not good for the sea, as it will eventually get there, I don't doubt that. Most of this shop is probably my dad's dreamland - paint galore, brushes, gardening pots of every kind, pet accessories. Would you believe it - reading glasses as well!

The Chandlers discount store in Allerton sells a wide variety of household goods, especially basic…read moreDIY equipment and other bits and bobs (that's how I shall put it as I'm no DIY expert)! Oh, and they sell chocolates too! Anyhow, if you're looking to replace your broken brush or mop, then you're in luck here. Everything in this store sells well in terms of price but I'm not sure about quality as I've not actually bought anything from here. From what I have observed, they have a generous selection of garden related items; this is what hit me most when I first entered. I would consider this store as very handy indeed because it provides all the home and garden essentials and if you're a hobbyist of such trades, you'll enjoy what the store has available.

Although relatively small, the Hardshaw Centre is always very busy as it caters for most shoppers…read moreneeds. The carpark on the roof is well maintained and not too expensive - £2 usually covers a full shopping trip. I always end up taking people to the Poundland or Poundstretchers whichever it is. They have an enormous variety of goods for, would you believe it, £1. Especially favourite with our clients are the four cans of fake red bull for £1 - they all say it's exactly the same, but I have to take their words for it as I hate the taste of all energy drinks. There are also many other shops from huge departments to small jewellers and most things in between.

The Hardshaw Centre is the best shopping centre in St Helens but that isn't saying much. The best…read moreshop is M&S all the others are cheap shops - it's certainly not as good as it use to be. The parking is handy and cheap and they do nice things at Christmas.