Having a mother with a passion for anything remotely shiny or antique, I spent many a time waiting…read morearound in the car around the corner of Mansell Antiques as a young boy. It was only as I got a bit older and started to appreciate some of the items that she was buying and selling with them that I realised what a great little shop this is! They buy and sell a wide range of furniture and curious that make your grandma look young and your modern pad look art deco and unique! They are a really friendly couple of guys and they always used to make a fuss of me and make me feel at home, despite being one of those hideous kids that wants to pick everything up that looks as though it may be remotely breakable! So if you have an antique that you want valuing or that you want to sell, or you're after something to spice up your pad, pop down to Mansell's, you won't be disappointed!

Now this is what I call an antique shop. From the very moment you lay eyes on this romantically,…read moregorgeously, rose-bowered, gilded shop front you will fall in love ... Okay, so I may exaggerate, but only slightly. This antiques shop is one of the best I have seen in the North West of England. It may be small, but it's fabulously decorated and arranged from the blue painted exterior to the shop front displays, and from the way the furniture lines the room to the arrangement of the dishes and collectables on the shelves. The prices are more than you will pay in a junk shop or charity shop, but that's what you should expect, my fine feathered friends--these are rare treasures, mysteries and delights. Keep tight hold of your purse strings as you browse--everything is so tempting!

As soon as I saw the building, I was skipping up to the door!!! I bought two miniature vases that…read morebring me so much joy. My only regret is that I didn't buy more. The pottery is absolutely stunning. I will definitely be back!!

Very cheap high quality hand made pottery. The potter comes out of his workshop to sell the items,…read moreso a one man job. Cash only. I think this guy would sell hundreds of items if he went online.

Colwyn Bay's branch of The Works is pretty much like every other branch of The Works I've ever set…read morefoot in. There are plenty of reduced price books of all descriptions as well as a selection of cds, dvds, stationary and arts and crafts materials. You won't find any recent releases but I often dig out a bargain. They also from time to time stock slightly random items, at the time of writing for example they've got a wide selection of flower and vegetable seeds. Not what you'd expect to find in a bookshop but very competetively priced none the less.

If I need to buy a greetings card or gift then Card Factory is the first place I look. It's…read moreconsiderably cheaper than the likes of W. H. Smiths and Birthdays. The quality might not be brilliant but it's usually good and certainly they offer excellent value for money. They sell cards for all occasions along with mugs, small ornaments and so on. The only problem is that the shop is so brightly lit you need sunglasses to go in there!

With the credit crunch continuing to bite it's no wonder that Home Bargains are going strong. The…read moreBangor store is one of three new branches to open in North West Wales recently, along with Rhyl and Llangefni. It seems that they have bought a job lot of old Kwik Save stores as like quite a few of the others this shop is located in the an Kwik Save. For the uninitiated Home Bargains sell various household products at bargain prices. The range includes food and drink, cleaning materials, toiletries, toys, soft furnishings and kitchen equipment but you really need to visit to get a better idea. Some items come and go very quickly. For example they recently had packets of McVities mini digestives for 10p which had an rrp of 49p. These disappeared more or less overnight. However they also have permanent product lines. I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else for toilet rolls, toothpaste, deodorant or microwave rice amongst others. This store is handily located on Caernarfon Road (it's not far from Matalan) and has a more than adequate carpark. It's a big store for a Home Bargains and has wide aisles so it's easy to get round. The product line is much the same as other branches but because of it's size it's well stocked. If you've never been to a Home Bargains give it a go, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Being tight as I am, I'm a big fan of the Home Bargains chain of stores. Rarely do you find…read moreanything cheaper elsewhere that you do in Home Bargains and often, even when you think you've gotten a good deal from somewhere such as Poundland, you find the item in Home Bargains for 79p or even less. I'm amazed that they can sell products so cheaply. The Bangor store opening recently is brilliant because before that I had to travel 30 miles or so to Llandudno to visit one. The Bangor store is a good size, which is pleasing, but it's still full to the brim with items for sale. I last went in there today and they had lots of new lines in, which is always a good thing. Some baskets are in there for £2.99, which seems a bargain as they're a good size and they look good quality. They had their usual arrangement of sweets, followed by toiletries, then gifts for him and for her - which make ideal Christmas presents for teenage girls and boys, as well as adults, then the toys. They had a variety of nightwear and baby items, and medicines, then cleaning products, and then the bottom half is concentrated on foods and drinks, whilst the top half is divided into household goods such as baking equipment, rugs and pictures, with some more toys and games at the very top. The Bangor store seems very well organised and the shelves are always fully stocked. It also seems to be in a prime location - not too close to Bangor city centre, but definitely not too far a walk, and worth the bus fare anyway.

Popped in here early Saturday morning as my better half's boots had given up the ghost immediately…read morebefore we set off to take on the Watkin Path. We were expertly and enthusiastically aided by a chap who's name I unfortunately didn't catch who found us a great replacement pair (to some very stringent requirements) and went very much above and beyond to make sure we were fully set. I'm glad to report that the boots made it comfortably up the path and back down again and are ready for their next adventure. Many thanks!

ideally located near all the main shops i find this is a good shop to have…read more Cheap toys and gift ideas and a good range pf products from cleaning to DIY

You gotta love Wilko's. They stock just about everything and the prices are VERY reasonable.read more

For most of it's life this shop was called 'Instore'. Although it was obviously part of the…read morePoundstretcher group from the product range unlike the Poundstretcher shops I'd been in (Llandudno, Rhyl and Caernarfon spring to mind) this store isn't long, narrow and difficult to move about in. Admittedly though they have always tried to recreate an authentic Poundstretcher experience by piling stock in any aisle that may be wide enough to negotiate. Stock wise there's a wide range from food to homeware to toys. They also have lots of seasonal stuff so lots of gardening items in the summer and Christmas items in the winter. It's all fairly cheap and cheerful. They possibly suffer a lit bit from being next door to the superior Home Bargains but it's worth a look if you're passing.