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 love Bed Bath N Table! If only I had a house of my own to decorate! As it is, I make do with just…read moremy bedroom, but the day I went and purchased my duvet I had - sad as this may sound - one of the most satisfying shopping experiences I've ever had! When I moved house I decided not to paint my walls and instead leave them the cream colour they are, so I wanted a bright, bold duvet and pillows to be the central focus of my bedroom. This may sound simple enough, but I have really particular taste and knew exactly what I wanted so it was a mission to find the right duvet. As soon as I went in to Bed Bath N Table I fell in love. With everything. Every single duvet and pillow set was so beautiful and original and bright and fantastic. Though a little pricey, the things Bed Bath N Table stock are well worth it! Plush, thick, soft towels. Gorgeous soap sets. Linen linen linen. It's fabulous! And the staff are wonderful and welcoming! Go to Bed Bath N Table the minute you next need anything bedroom or bathroom related - you won't be disappointed!

What a beautiful store and great young people who were so helpful at the Ponsonby store. I was…read moreshopping along Ponsonby Road and saw the store, so decided to have a look and found the most amazing mirror for my bathroom. Wow! Huge discount on it. This store is gorgeous and the sale discounts are massive! There were three young people who were serving, they were so helpful. By the time I was ready to leave it was raining. Imagine my suprise when they asked if I would like my mirror carried to my car - "No, it's too far down the road and it's raining." Their response "Would you like me to go and get your car for you" - from the young man, I was totally blown away by this act of kindness. This made my day - and I will recommend this store to all my friends. Well done to these young people who were polite and very helpful. From: Thelena N

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!

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.)

Milly's is like a fantasy land at the top of the magic faraway tree and a haven for any baker or…read morefoodie. Alongside high-end, luxury kitchen brands such as Le Creuset, KitchenAid and Dualit they also stock quirky and cute kitchen accessories, as well as lovely bakeware, stoneware and cast iron products. My only beef with Milly's, and the reason I'm only rating them three stars, is because of their price points. While I'm aware that everything they stock is of the highest quality, I still feel that some pieces are grossly overpriced and, having lived overseas and being aware of what certain brands cost elsewhere, I struggle to comprehend how Milly's (or perhaps NZ, for that matter?) can justify the cost of some homeware goods. And because of that, I window shop in Milly's, lose myself for an hour or two, then go and buy those must-have pieces online.

I guess the fact that I get more than a little excited when near any kind of kitchenware shop…read more Milly's of Ponsonby is about as titillating as they come. Absolutely brimming with culinary paraphernalia, equal parts pragmatist's larder and whimsical kingdom, Milly's has virtually any kitchen-related tool or piece of equipment imaginable. It's worth a look for the sheer wealth of unusual artifacts held within. I found myself drooling over the exhaustive range and palette of their Kitchenaide mixers, then basically fell to pieces when I found myself in the midst of a section containing mostly european ice cream scoopers and fancy-pants spoons. Yes, I am a massive loser, but that doesn't mean Milly's range is any less impressive. The downside is that everything here is obviously very expensive, but I suppose that's to be expected given the quality of stock at this establishment. Hey, if you want a shitty fork, go to the Warehouse. If you want something Parisian, magnificent, and/or baroque as all hell, head to Milly's.

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.

My partners been mentioning for months every time we are in the kitchen cooking together that I…read moremust take our knives down the road and get them sharpened. I would always reply, yea I know, then completely forget until the next time I wanted to slice something and the knife just didn't seem sharp enough, I'm sure you know what I mean? So I had a reason to pop down and check the Chef Shop located on Lake Road close to my neighborhood. The entrance to the building is shared with a next door real estate office. I met the owner Roy on my first visit, and he greeted me happily, and was more than happy to take my knives for sharpening. He told me that he would be off for the weekend, and would try to have them done by the Friday, if not they would be ready for me the following week, and to expect a phone call. I left my name and phone number, but didn't hear back from them the following week, so gave them a call, and they were there waiting for me. The cost of the 4 knives I wanted sharpened cost me 5 dollars each and I was super happy with the results. I now love chopping up anything and everything, and cooking is not so much a chore anymore.

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!

Gifts Galore is crammed with fun and one of those shops where you don't know where to look first…read more There's everything in here from soft toys of all sizes (even those excellent giant Hello Kittys that I'm really not allowed to buy because it's silly), to stationery, hair accessories, socks, mugs, posters, and make up. And everything has that awesome Korean twist to it, so if you need stickers of your favourite K-pop artists, here's where you head. The staff don't speak heaps of English but they are really sweet and approachable, and I'm sure their Korean is top-notch! When I had trouble figuring out if the alarm clock I bought there would play music or not (I really can't stand that end-of-the-world beep beep beep of doom), they unpacked the clock, put batteries in, and demonstrated it for me. Now that's good service.

I have been coming here for over a decade, just because you get older doesn't mean you have to grow…read moreup. Gifts Galore has just that, a lot of gifts, packed from wall to wall with cuteness. There are two sides to the store, one mostly stuffed toys and the other is stationary. Everything from pens and notebooks to mini staplers and writing paper, you will find it with Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty of Miffy the Rabbit all over it. The fun doesn't stop there, umbrellas, earphones, bento sets and flasks, absolutely everything. Gifts Galore also boast an impressive range of scented pens. If you haven't written with ink that smells of oranges, you're missing out. Such a fun shop, great for the young and young at heart.