Beaumont Beds are a small-scale chain of furniture shops and having found one for myself, I was…read moresuitably impressed. Despite having the decor and backdrop of any typical east end London shop, looking past the gentle shabbiness is easy once you look at the prices on offer. Only a couple of hundred for some of the beds and mattress combos - you're guaranteed to make a stealing if you're willing to overlook some minor quality issues. The range is large as well - older style wooden beds, metal frames, succinct pine furniture and even some novelty and interesting shaped beds. The service was friendly, and when I said I was 'just looking' she believed me and backed off, giving me space. A decent little place.

Of course, this isn't a proper IKEA as it is a mall location, it is mainly used as a Click and…read moreCollect store in a convenient location, compared to the large, out of town warehouses the Swedish hardware store usually have, this means you're unlikely to pick up items on the day without ordering in advance, as there is a limited selection on show in store, yet they do have some nice items. Sadly, there is no IKEA cafe here but that is kind of expected due to the size of the store and as a huge shopping mall and one of the busiest and largest in terms of footfall in the UK, there are many other places to grab a beverage and dine throughout the mall. The staff seemed friendly enough and there were some (albeit few) ordering stations, which is rather good for the location as one would often be reliant on them as this is an order and collect store. Pretty modern in general, and at times it feels nicer and flows better than larger IKEA stores such as their dreadful branch in Sheffield which is a disgrace for a new branch. 3*

This isn't really a proper Ikea. It is a small click and collect outlet in the middle of Westfield…read moreStratford. It is very small and quite cramped but it is fine, I guess. With their three flagship London stores in Tottenham, Wembley and Croydon, you would think that they wouldn't need any more space. Apparently not! And I have heard that they plan to expand even more by opening another one of these smaller stores on Oxford Street of all places! On Google, it gets dreadful reviews. I didn't buy anything from here though. I just browsed, so my experience was kind of neutral. They were doing free samples of Swedish food on my visit though which was a nice touch. I love Ikea's cinnamon cookies! I suppose it is convenient. You can get your furniture while you are shopping in Westfield's! It's good to have everything in one place. And the mall is well served by Stratford station, for both National Rail and Jubilee, Central, DLR, TfL Rail and Overground services, so you can bring it with you on public transport if you did not bring a car.

John Lewis is one of my favourite department store chains, and this location within Westfield…read moreStratford City is a fairly good location. The John Lewis Partnership has done an excellent job making both of their locations within the mall (The other being their grocery store, Waitrose) appear easy on the eye, with a good shopping experience. I did find it to be difficult to find an available staff member when I needed one, even though the store wasn't overly busy, the few staff members on the shop floor seemed to be helping other customers. I did have slight difficulty navigating around the store, so I do think the overhead signposts could be put to better use. The in-store selection was pretty good. I always love visiting the technology section here. They had some impressive TV's, although sadly some of the interactive features did not work. Facilities instore include an Opticians, Cafe as well as a beauty bar, personal styling, currency exchange and toilets on multiple floors. 4* - A nice large store and a worthy flagship of Westfield Stratford City, and one I will surely return to when I'm in the area again.

A nice big multistorey John Lewis at the back end of Westfield is a must visit for anyone heading…read moreto Stratford in 2012. Why? Because as well as being yet another decent department store (almost all John Lewis' are), it also has the best view of the Olympic Park and currently houses a giant Lego version of the Olympic stadium. The best way to the top floor is up the escalators at the back, and about the first thing you see as you get up there is the crowds around the Lego sculptures. As well as the mind-blowing stadium filled with literally thousands of assorted Lego men (look for Darth Vader) they also have Lego sculptures of a Dalek and C3P0. In fact, the toy department which is about half of the top floor, is pretty well dominated by Lego. Beyond the Lego and toys is the official Olympic store, with a panoramic view of the Olympic Park. Probably the best view you can get if you don't have a ticket that gets you in. The official store is a bit of a pain, crowded with Mandeville and Wenlock stuff that costs way more than it should and can only be paid for with Visa and cash. A useful tip if you don't have Visa is that you can pay for the same stuff at the tills elsewhere in John Lewis with any normal card.

Bought a bed via Amazon from this company. The absolute worst decision I've ever made. The bed in…read morequestion is the Caren Fabric Upholstered Bed. Drawer instructions were incorrect, slats fall through the bed nearly every day, delivery wasn't as stated. I just wouldn't even bother with the company. Had to buy a new bed after 2 weeks of attempting to sleep on this one. Unsafe and disappointing!

I opened a furniture shop in South London last year, I originally started using different suppliers…read morefor various different products. After 3 months a business partner recommended Ideal Furniture to me and I have been using them for all my products ever since. Only one year later and I'm already planning to setup my next furniture store in East London, closer to Ideal Furniture. They always manage to supplier me with all the products I need at very competitive prices which helps to make me more profit. I highly recommend Ideal Furniture to any furniture trader.

Your friendly local hardware emporium. They have it all - screws, hammers, doorstops, cleaning…read moreproducts. Yes, this is a regular one-stop-shop of the old-fashioned variety, where the owner knows the regulars and will cheerfully point you in the right direction for whatever obscure item you're looking for - and he knows, because he probably ordered it and placed it there himself. I've always had helpful and friendly service whenever I've walked in here - and have actually been pleasantly surprised to discover that I've also never left without the item I was looking for. It may look small, but this shopkeeper seems to have a sixth sense for what his customers will inevitably need.

Great hardware store, stuffed to the rafters (literally - there's stock displayed up to the…read moreceiling). Everything for home decorating needs including lumber - so if you need some 2" x 4" or dowel, they'll cut to your requirements. Also random stuff like baking tins, garden equipment as well as being suppliers for Dulux and other paint brands. It's a family run business and all of the staff are really helpful, particularly if you're a DIY novice.