Look Sharp is the kind of shop that makes me want to cry. It's stuffed with impulse-buys and…read moreplastic, plastic, plastic junk as far as the eye can see. I can understand why people get excited about it though- there's so much cheap stuff and it does all have a purpose...it's just that the purpose is usually one day of being a St Paddy's day costume or a party decoration, and then being chucked. I get even more moralistic when I think of the wages the people are paid who make this stuff that. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I never buy anything plastic or made in a developing country. I just don't want to see a whole shop full of the stuff. It brings me down.

One of the most useful and chaotic stores I've ever been in, Look Sharp Store does what other…read moredollar stores try (and fail) to do. It's clean, well laid out and easy to find whatever you're in the market for - from costumes to dress socks, candles to key rings, Look Sharp has it all... and it's cheap! Many times I've rushed to this store for that last minute item that will make a costume or decorated room really pop - I can't even count the number of times I've flipped on the hazard lights, parked in a place that really annoys the taxi drivers and run in to grab streamers, beer-drinking hats, striped armbands or paint. Seriously, anything silly and frivolous you could ever want is under this roof.

U-Mart could be just another Asian "stuff" store but it's not. It's actually full of some really…read moreuseful items, as well as the usual cheapies. I think its location next to Three Kings Countdown and Medical Centre really helps - its become the place I go when running errands and need a random household item, new nail polish colour (this happens more than you would think), Halloween costume item etc. It's a BIG space and quite well laid out as far as these kinds of shops go. There is a huge clothing area at the back, shoes all the way along one wall, bags on the back wall and curtains on the front wall. In between you'll find everything mentioned above plus party supplies, craft stuff, stationery, toys, hardware, make-up, toiletries, perfumes, wallets.... and on and on. While not fabulous quality, it's not bad and I've been surprised how long things I've bought from here have lasted. Bring the kids here with their pocket money and you'll find something for everyone.

I love Collected. It is possibly one of my favourite shops in terms of homewares, gifts and knick…read moreknacks. Plus everything is super bright that you'll just want to buy the whole shop! They stock Lindi King bracelets (which are all bright colours and come with different charms), wall art, gift cards, candles, home aromatherapy perfumes (the skull ones are amazing), children's gifts and toys, cushions, lampshades, and so much more! I love coming here when I need to buy presents for friends and family, plus staff are always super friendly and helpful and they offer colourful gift wrapping too!

I only just discovered this shop today and it was by accident! They are in the Bloc Building on…read moreNormanby Road (just across the road from the Normanby hotel). On the ground level is the Citta Design shop and then if you go upstairs you'll find the Collected. What a find it is! I wanted so much in the shop. And the really good part is there was some really nice stuff for around $20 or less such as dinner plates, various knick knacks, candles and other stuff made of awesome. There was so much I wanted to purchase. So once I have a bit more cash in the bank, I will definitely be back (come on pay day)!

This is such a cool store, one of the go to options for when I have to buy gifts because everything…read morethere is unique. Even though it is New Zealand designed and made, there is not too much kiwiana, that makes for good gifts for tourists or people you know who are overseas but much of the store is just products created by amazingly talented people of whom Texan Art Schools bring collectively into their store. You'll find textiles, glass, ceramics, jewelry and prints here as well as what I think must be feijoa candles because the store smells of feijoas. A while back I purchased some amazing glass vases and a dish for myself and had wanted to go back and get another colour of one of the vases. It was gone. So lesson here is that you need to just buy it at the time. Stock is often limited.

What a wonderful store, such a great range of product. If you needed to buy a gift for a female…read morethen this would be a good bet. I often come through Newmarket and admire their window displays which are lots of fun, but inside, there is so much to take in. You cannot go by what you see on their website, you have to go into the store. There is stuff in here you would not need until you saw it, such as an owl ornament and bright coloured candelabras. When Mothers Day is upon you, come here. You could pretty much by anything in here, the store buyers have made the gift selection edit, all you need to do is pay for it. To make things easy, they do have gift wrap and cards too so it is a one stop, Mother pleasing gift shop. Either that or good for female friends.

When it's my mum's birthday, this is the first place I'm going to come to look for a gift to send…read moreback to the UK for her. The store specialises in inoffensive jewellery, nice smelling soaps and body lotions--Mum Mecca. They've got a great selection of Kiwiana- so perfect for gifts to send abroad- and they have a really good selection of jewellery from popular NZ brands such as Kagi and Karen Walker, so it's nice to know that what you're buying is locally sourced. It's not a place you're going to find the most fashion-forward or out of the ordinary gifts, but what they do sell is of great quality and reasonably priced. The store is clearly aware that it is a "gift" shop and that they are selling things for people to buy for other people. The staff are attentive and clearly know what they're talking about, which I imagine must be a godsend to men looking to buy gifts for the women in their life!

As the name suggests, Studio Art Supplies is a brilliant art supply store that is designed to cater…read moreto students and budding young creators. Located in Grey Lynn, this store stocks everything from oil paints to charcoals and pastels, canvases to recycled papers, brushes to spatulas and anything else even remotely art related. The staff are all very helpful - many of them are artists themselves and offer their advice and expertise as soon as you walk in the door. Although I'm usually happiest left to my own devices, they were particularly helpful when I needed advice choosing different paper weights for printing. Outside the store is a big board which customers are encouraged to leave their mark on. This is a really fun and inspirational wall, as it is a good place to share your ideas and sketches. Often local artists can also be found in the store creating their masterpieces - it's a great way to keep us stressed students and designers motivated. I definitely recommend this store to any local artists, as it will provide you with any supplies and all the encouragement you need! Tip: Studio Art Supplies offers specials and discounts to customers upon the presentation of a student ID - so students get those ID cards ready!

As a professional artist and teacher I need a top art supply store that not only helps me with my…read moresupplies and in-depth technical knowledge of the range of products I require - or products I am interested in researching for potential use - but I also need an art supply store that reliable and is able to supply, help and advise my students, answer their questions and send orders well packaged. Studio Art supplies is my NZ art supply store of choice for almost all the products I use. These people really know their products and being artists themselves, they have the knowledge and expertise I can rely on and recommend to my students. This is why I have stayed with them for over 20 years. Susan Harrison-Tustain

I tend to visit Surprizes when I'm after something and I don't quite know what is it yet…read more Basically, I go to Suprizes to be inspired. There's just so much to look at here and they're always adding new items- its hard to keep up! From mini glass sculptures of...well, anything really, to canvas prints and shot glasses, they cover a lot of ground here and for a gift shop they're definitely stocked up on almost anything you could imagine. Unlike other gift shops, I'm always a little scared that I'll knock something over here- there are fragile items everywhere! One of the best things I've ever seen at Suprizes was a modern take on the 21st key; it was a beautiful silver key that doubled as a giant bottle opener. I'm not sure how common those are, but it was my first sighting of one, and I instantly want to rewind time and tell my 20 year old self about it. I also enjoy their section of photo frames and albums- its really hard to find nice, elegant and plain frames like the ones at Surprizes. The only bad thing about Surprizes is that I can't take my Tank smoothie in there with me for a browse- rough times for a multi-tasker.

Surprizes is really just another way of saying 'we sell whatever we like'. There's a great variety…read moreof ornaments, toys, useful cooking implements, pens, notepads, etc. Nothing particularly stands out from the rest of the gift shops, as this place looks a lot like Acquisitions at the other end of the mall. However, it's worth a squiz if you're looking for something a tad different, quirky or just to kill some time while you're waiting for a friend to arrive. They always have an intriguing window display, and a big smile to offer when you walk in, so that's something to look forward too.

What a way to run a business!!!! Hoping to buy some supplies for my upcoming art class I rang your…read morenumber several times but all I got was the answerphone, so in the end I left a message asking for the location of the shop. The day later there was a message left on my phone, so on Sat. I made the trip from Pukekohe to Howick only to find the shop closed and no explanation why ,even though the web site still said they were open. The girls in the shop next door said that several people had been enquiring but they had no idea why the shop was closed. Please keep your web-site updated and leave a message on the door. I shan't be making that trip for nothing anytime soon. Joan A

Paints, brushes and canvases galore, Art supplies is filled from top to bottom in the best array of…read morecolours you've seen since that HP Inkjet Printer advert. I'm not much of an artist, but I know good paint when I see it. They also have some great gifts, including face paint, glass and mug painting kits to colour the hours away. If they don't have what you're looking for, then they'll order it for you. Their website is really useful too if you want to take a look at what they have before visiting. It also has some artist tips for those determined to master the talent. Tucked away in the Meadowlands Shopping Centre, you may be travelling out of your way to get there (unless you're a local), but I doubt it will disappoint.