This place is a little treasure trove of wonderfully useful gadgets for the kitchen…read more Half the time you never realised that there was a solution to a particular problem until you come across it in Lakeland, and then once you've bought it and taken it home you quickly realise that you just can't live without it. Items are always particularly well made and generally made to last. Prices are also very good and it is worth getting on their mailing list to get info on their latest offers.

This Lakeland Store in Chester is a hidden gem, it is located in the beautfiul area of victorian…read morebuilding in Chester. Lakeland is one of those shops that unless you go in it, you didnt realise you wanted or could use that product, its the same principle as Tupperware, no house is without it. This store is frequented by the 30+ generation, who appriciate the quality of the items. The store has a much wider range that the catalogue, and all the items are extremely well presented. The staff are really helpful and it is a pleasure ot shop in here.

Okay, a little backup here, friends who know me well. My name's Emma-Lou H, and I'm a baker. Cakes…read moreand crumbles, pies and quiches, brownies and flapjacks, cookies and shortbreads... if it can be eaten alongside a nice cup of tea or mug of coffee, I can throw it together. But every now and then a recipe will crop up that challenges me somewhat. I can find those ingredients, sure, but where's my springform tin? My electric hand whisker? My multi-tiered cupcake stand? Here! From knives Patrick Bateman would be proud of to decorative doilies for show-standard prettiness, everything for the amateur baker or serious chef is right where you'd need it. It's a tiny little spot in the Arndale Market crammed with delights from some hugely recognisable brands, and it represents a genuine treasure trove of cooking brilliance. Look out for little gadgets and measurers that make your job far easier and storage solutions for your kitchen. A classic example of how some great local shopping can be done in the eclectic Arndale Market - make sure you stop here before whipping up some Christmas yummies!

This is a great cookshop! I don't know if you'll find better in the city centre. He even has the…read moremore obscure items! For general cooking, catering, and especially baking, this guy has a great selection. If you're looking for something but can't find it, ask him and he probably will locate it within the shop. If not, he can probably order it in for you. The owner of this stall is very friendly and helpful, and has been able to get things for me I doubt I could get anywhere except the internet.

You know the window displays that always make you think "oooo I like that"?…read moreThis is one of them! Second hand? So what! It looks great! First hand as well did you say? Yes! Did you know that certain companies donate brand new items? *cough Miss Selfridge, Marks and Spencer cough* Like handbags and shoes and dresses and jewellery? It's light, airy, bright and spacious inside with the items well presented. Glass cabinets with bright lighting for the jewellery and the clothing is together on rails with similar colours in size order. It's great for matching parts of your outfit. Even better, this place now has gift aid available too, to make that donation go even further.

I always make a point of going to this shop as I have a great debt to the wonderful organisation…read more This is a very good shop who always have a large range of items. They have collectors items and items of interest which although are more expensive are still great value. They also have lots of really good books I always manage to get something fantastic to read from there. It is a clean shop well worth a visit. There are also Christmas cards etc available. The staff are helpful and friendly.

A fairly small Currys location (compared to their other branches) located in St Helens at Ravenhead…read moreRetail Park. I came here hoping to return my faulty printer, I was shocked to see a large number of staff on the shop floor who just seemed to be doing nothing, they seemed to be in a couple of groups just talking to each other, this was made all the more frustrating as the returns desk was understaffed and they just seemed to stare at me waiting to be served. The salespeople on the shop floor seemed really pushy to try and get me to spend more than double the value of my previous printer, despite telling them more than once that I would not be interested in spending £200 for a printer. They would constantly go on about how it is cheaper to run... even though I don't print much as it is and explained I wouldn't get the value out of it. The same people on the shop floor trying to hound me to buy a more expensive printer were the same people who ignored me waiting in a growing queue - I found this a little insulting. They seemed more interested in my money than my time and providing good service. The staff member at the returns desk, on the other hand, seemed polite enough though. Plenty of car parking outside the branch due to it being a retail park location. There was a good stock of items which were out on show, but the selection of products to purchase was a lot worse, there were probably half a dozen printers alone that were on show, which were not stocked in store. Available to order online but not physically buy on the same day in-store. The store is fine. I do think the staff standing around doing nothing, ignoring a queue of people is a huge issue, as well as the fact this turned out to be a wasted journey as I ended up having to go to a different store. A useful location in St Helens, but Liverpool Aintree and Warrington are much better and larger stores. 3*

Park Road Carpets and Beds is a decent establishment which actually throws up some good value and…read moregreat products. The staff are good here and it is a surprisingly interesting establishment which feels very relaxed and has a good atmosphere in which to shop. These independent stores can have lower quality products at times and are sometimes a bit of a letdown but this is certainly not the case with this establishment. They keep things simple here and it really pays off with a regular flow of customers through the door and a very professional attitude. A well run business.

This shop is amazing. Its like walking into an 80's shop…read more(not in a bad way, in a proper retro way!) I imagine. Alan & Viv sell everything you could ever need to use in your home from nail clippers to batteries to bins and garden furniture. Also everything in-between. Also - cheeeeep as chips. Or cheaper. Service with a smile isn't extra on the receipt either.

A family owned business that has been in St Helens for many years, mostly trade these days but…read morestill open to the public. A bit difficult to find if you dont know the area, lots of parking space and they will help with heavy items. There wallpapers are mostly Crown as are there paints, they also have lots of books to order from some with very expencive papers and some very reasonably priced. The best thing about shopping here rather than a place like B.Q is the staff really know there stuff and are very helpfull, we took a small section of wallpaper into them, they recognised it, ordered it and we had it within the week. Dont get that in bigger places.

Very good store this. Everything you could need…read more Good prices too.