Hmmm, in my opinion, Cheshire Oaks should have something a bit more well known such as HMV or…read moreZavvi...anyway, this shop is ok, sells most CD's and DVD's and games that you would expect but considering it is on the outlet side, prices don't seem all that much cheaper.....

There are two World's Apart shops in Liverpool and contrary to the name they are actually quite…read moreclose together. This building in Lime street is a mess and needs a sympathetic refurb and clean. I was surprised to discover that actually this shop is part of a small chain. I visited the shop for the first time this week. It's full of comics and toys you simply can't get elsewhere - not that I have tried. So many of the toy figures I could not recognise although I did spot some of the original Dr Who figures and some from Final Fantasy. Forget Toys R Us, this place is a wealth of badges, stickers, games and oddness for kids, adults and fans of things I've never even heard of.

Like its geeky counterpart, Forbidden Planet on Bold, World's Apart deals in all things cult. Cult…read moreis often a term used to describe things that have a strong, devoted core audience - or for studio executives something with low viewing figures. But no more, the popularity if this store can be seen on Saturday afternoons as children and adults alike fill the store and rummage through the amazing collections of limited edition, imported and new toys, comics, books, graphic novels, DVDs, posters and clothing for every genre and range of sci-fi, horror and anime franchise.

That's Entertainment is a chain of music and DVD shops, with a few games owned by Music Magpie, the…read moreonline giant in the UK. This particular branch is actually located in Liverpool, due to its' location I'm sure it is classed as being apart of the St John's centre. I basically came in here just to browse the games, I asked a member of staff and she pointed me in the right direction, but she sadly didn't seem really friendly and she didn't stand out on her level of helpfulness. The game selection was quite small, and in all honesty most of the stock was just rubbish even from old consoles such as the original Xbox, which I doubt have any value anymore since they stopped making the games and as far as I'm aware can't be used on the newer 360 or One consoles. There seemed very few games on the other hand on new consoles such as the Xbox One or PS4. The selection was quite weird, there was a small selection of books and a larger selection of CD's and DVD's which were the main things this store stocked. Inside, it carried on the tradition which That's Entertainment seem to do of being slightly basic. The range seems out of touch, they are stocking really old stuff and not the newer stuff which can be used from new consoles, most games stocked seem to be old also, for example the latest FIFA version was 2013, and they even had some dating back to 2009, this store is out of date, in terms of decor and stock and because of this sadly suffers the same negative fate as its' Oldham branch to warrant a single one star here in Liverpool.

Named for the pub nearby, this little shop sells CD's, DVD's, VHS's, etc. You will find all kinds…read moreof variety here, and some of it's good and some of it's pretty much crap. Prices are decent, though. It's the kind of place where you never know what you'll find, and if you can't afford the high street prices it's always fun to pop in places like this to try to find a cheap DVD for a movie night in.

This branch of HMV is smaller than the one that is within the Liverpool ONE development but it is…read morestill an excellent place. This store is not as busy and therefore it is easier to wander round and browse at your leisure. There is an excellent range of CD's, DVD's, posters, t-shirts, games, consoles magazines and books on sale. The store is brightly lit and is very well organised. It is easy to find items within the store, but if you have problems there is always a member of staff around that will be happy to help. If you need any information then the staff at the tills are happy to look it up for you and they are very helpful and friendly. All the items on sale are competitively priced and there are often offers on such as 3 dvd's for £20 or 2 t-shirts for £20. The opening hours are excellent, being open till 9pm during the week. I have found this to be an excellent place when looking for a last minute present for someone. The parking in New Mersey Retail Park is excellent and there is always a free space to be found. An excellent store.

Why every area should have an HMV?…read more - They have massive music from all possible genres and never really disappoints whatever tastes you may be into. - When you don't want to spend but still want to browse, HMV makes browsing fun by listening to new Cd's before you can save up and probably buy them if you liked them. - The posters are amazing to buy and be plastered all over your room walls making wall-papers look like shit. - Single people are likely to strike up great conversations considering music is probably the easiest ice-breaker while talking to that cute guy/girl you've been eyeing over the Cd aisle no.1. Overall this HMV may not win your hearts like the one in Market Street in Manchester, but hey, it is HMV at its best around here!

DJ Shadow would have a field day in X-Records…read more From the outside it looks like your average, old skool music store. Walk down to the basement however, and you're greeted with the sight of thousands of 7" singles, 12" EPs and 33" albums stacked floor to ceiling on weight-bearing shelves. Look around and you'll notice there's thousands more records housed in boxes and crates all around you. Some of them are clearly marked Hip Hop, Reggae, Northern Soul and so on, others are simply marked Sale and have reduced stickers on them. Gloriously, X-Records sells a combination of new and secondhand vinyl, making it a bit of a one-stop destination for collectors and deejays. Naturally, there's some records that were destined for landfill but dig carefully and you'll find plenty of gems from Patti Smith and Television to Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and Can. Prices are low, most of the stock is in great condition and there's lots of deleted and obscure titles in-between popular albums. As for the kind of music they stock, X-Records sells everything from prog-rock, punk, indie and heavy metal to country, folk, blues, hip hop, rap and ska to free jazz. DJ Shadow's score to Dark Days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgWn9ZdyiAE

X Records is a real forgotten gem of a record shop which should certainly be on the radar of anyone…read morehalf serious about their records. Basically, as no-one ever remembers this place exists outside of Bolton, you can find loads of ace deleted stock, usually at knock-down prices because the owner doesn't have a clue what he's doing. That means stock that is not available anywhere else, not marked up as a 'rarity'. There's a decent array of styles and genres, with modern releases nestled up against an extensive metal and hard rock selection. There's also a load of decent reissues on the shelves. Tucked away in the back is a dedicated dance area where you'll find shaven headed lads nodding furiously along to kiddiecore donk or whatever they're listening to that given week. Thanks to some changes in staff (be it that they left to pastures new or were 'let go'), X Records has sadly lost its way slightly and these days, it seems to be afloat thanks to Kiss memorabilia rather than selling records to enthusiastic teenagers. That's a shame as this is a shop that has done wonders in shaping me and my musical tastes over the years.

In these days of big companies like HMV and Zavvi (or whatever it's called these days) dominating…read morethe music retail business, as well as the rise of downloading music (whether legal or illegal), it's easy to forget the charm of independent local music shops like Quicksilver Music. Hidden down Market Street, Quicksilver is a small but appealing shop that sells a modest but varied selection of CDs and vinyl, both of which are split quite helpfully and comprehensively into different genres and artists. You do still have to search through them a bit for a few hidden gems, but that's all part of the fun. As well as selling music, Quicksilver also sells a small selection of electric, acoustic and bass guitars as well as a few amps. None of them are particularly expensive models (most are at the cheaper end of the spectrum) but some models there have been discontinued so would be considered quite rare. The selection may be quite small but there is quite a variation and if you're looking for a more original choice for a basic guitar then there are some bargains on offer there. Quicksilver Music might not be for more commercial music fans but if small independent music stores with a bit of character appeal to you, then it's definitely a place to check out and support.