Must admit I hate B&Q. Every time we go there it seems almost impossible to find what you need. I…read moretend to spend most of my time desperately searching the isles looking for a staff member (which you can never find) for help. I don't like to take my young son into the store as it is quite dangerous with people walking about with huge planks of wood under their arms mostly not looking where they are going. It's ok if you are going into the outdoor area looking for a potted plant or indoors for a pot of paint and a paintbrush but anything more complicated than that and you are likely in for a frustrating shopping trip. I can't count the amount of times we have been there and come away with nothing simply because we can't find what we need and there isn't anybody to ask for advice.

I am writing to tell you about the very very low level of service I have received from B & Q…read moredeliveries. I purchased a kitchen through Tradepoint which was fine apart from 3 times let down on the delivery which caused a bit of upset with the customers. Their attitude is chronic as if it isn't on the list we can`t do it even though it was on the list 3 times. A clerical error I was told. Then we found that 2 out of the 3 worktops were seriously damaged and a pelmet so they promised they would be replaced fast track then told the day before delivery they didn't fast track it so I would have to wait a further 2 days for the delivery meanwhile I had a guy booked to fit the worktops the same day as they were going to deliver them.. Not happening is it . The most frustrating company. I suppose if you buy cheap that's what service you get

On the old road from Winchester to Basingstoke, this is a typical garden centre, with a good…read morevariety of plants for inside and out. Particularly good orchids to be found here. At Christmas they do a Santa's grotto and all the money goes to a local childrens charity, the display is really good and they use items which they sell in store so if you wanted to make your house like a grotto and had the money you probably could! They do a good selection of gifts, i'm talking books, cups, and food items, they are often something you wouldn't see elsewhere so worth a look. There is also an aquatic centre, although i've not used it, it is average prices and the guys know there stuff. Great xmas trees if you buy them with a root, i've still got mine from last year all ready to bring in for this year!

Harveys is a huge furniture shop on the retail park opposite the football ground in Basingstoke…read more There is aways plenty of free parking outside, and once inside the store is light and airy and full of enticing furniture. The shop is set out in proper room mock ups so you can imagine what it would look like in your home. Harveys is often busy at the weekend so its advisable to visit in the week, where they are open late into the evening. The staff seem to be very knowledgable and are always friendly, but the fact that most items seem to have a delivery time of 10 weeks is a bit off putting. My children love the water beds.

The service isn't in your face like some stores. No atmosphere there, lovely furniture, but you can…read moreget it else where cheaper.

Debenhams is one of those stores that you walk round but hardly ever buy anything I think! Well…read morethat's what I tend to do anyway. There are a vast array of different departments but I can't help feeling that everything is just overpriced and over rated.

The Debenhams at the Festival Place is a fairly large department store covering three floors. It…read morehas all the basics that Debenhams do, luggage, clothing for men, women, and kids, housewares, electronics, toys, perfume, jewellery, etc. It's kept in pretty good shape, clean and tidy. Things are generally in the area they are supposed to be. The staff are generally helpful and polite - of course there are always those who are the exception to the rule. The store is generally not hugely busy and when it is they do a pretty good job of making sure they put the extra staff on the floor and on the cash registers.

Brilliant service at fantastically competitive prices with all the tools you could ever want to…read morehire at the Basingstoke office.

This is definately a store to visit if you are interested in saving money. I often have a quick…read morelook in here as sometimes there are great bargains to be had on branded items such as PlayDoh, Bob the Builder toys but it is not a great shop for buying branded toys. It is mostly a shop that sells cheap day to day items and if you wanted anything of real quality then this isn't really the store for you.

Wilkos, is not a place of beauty, but it does have great prices on beauty items most of which are…read morebrands you would find anywhere on the high street but here priced at far less! Wilkos is a great all round store with a diy section to envy diy specific stores! Particularly competitive is the price of Dulux paint! This store has a particularly good pet section, with everything you need if you are buying a new small animal including rotastax cages for hamsters at around £5 cheaper than pet stores. There is always a section of the store devoted to gardening and prices are definetly cheaper than leading garden centres! There is a large toy department, selling not the most up to date toys but certainly a good variety of affordable toys. There can be some bargains to be found in the sweets department, but mainly this is the least money saving part of Wilkos!

I love Conkers Garden Centre. It is a very large store which sells indoor and outdoor plants and…read morethere is a wide variety to chose from. They also sell garden furniture and near enough everything else you could think of to cater for your gardening needs inside and out. They also sell fish and have a large tank showing differen varieties available. The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful and it is also a good store to take children as there are many items of interest that they would like too.

We visited this garden centre looking for a good deal on turf. The manager was very helpful and…read morequoted us a competitive price, which we accepted. As it was a Saturday he promised to call us on the Monday to confirm a delivery day. I am disappointed that he has not done so and the store is now closed, I will be phoning them first thing tomorrow morning. They have lost a star for this reason only!

Super value and quality plants, good choice of shrubs perennials and bedding, helpful knowledgable…read morestaff