For me, Ards Shopping Centre isn't the kind of shopping centre you go to for a premium shopping…read moreexperience - it's more of a Bon Marche and Claire's Accessories kind of place. There are a couple of redeeming shops - River Island and McGees Butchers are worth a visit as is Belleek Living which is upmarket and a little out of place. Looks like it's showing off a bit with its luxury ceramics. I am also a bit of a Primark bargain hunter and while the branch in Ards is small, it seems to have some of the better bits you find in the bigger stores, particularly PJs. For a Primark raid, park behind the centre rather than in the car park and nip in the back door. If you do, you'll pass a line of cafes which are dated and forlorn but seem to do good business nonetheless. There are a couple of nicer places to grab a sandwich like Esquires coffee shop and the juice bar next door. There is a really big branch of Asda which does a good range of ladies and kids clothes and I've picked up a couple of good bits and piece for the kids there. All in all, Ards is somewhere for a functional shopping trip rather than a leisurely browse. You'll get your groceries and maybe pick up something in River Island or Primark. Or a fancy ceramic vase in Belleek Living.

About time I updated my review for Ards Shopping Centre from 2010 - so, what's changed? Much like…read moreother shopping centre's this one has a whole load of vacant/closed shops which is always sad to see. But let's focus on the positives. Ards has a good amount of big brand stores - River Island, Asda, Primark and a Boots store. One class addition to this centre is a soft, FREE children's play area - a perfect place to leave the kids or appease them after shopping. One thing Ards has abundance is parking - you won't struggle to find a space. There's also a Burger King and a Movieland cinema on the grounds so if you want to make a day of it you can. I'm taking a star off Ards for the amount of empty stores - perhaps give the empty units to independent retailers - it would definitely take the bad look off the place.

Bloomfield shopping centre is one of those places that I don't choose to go to .I only come here if…read moreI have too. I just feel that it is either quite a dead place to visit or it is so busy that the experience of shopping here can be quite traumatic! In honesty the place has improved over the last year and there have been quite a few new business opened up and some of the original ones have restructured but there still is something about the place that unlike other shopping centres doesn't entice me to want to stay and browse . In its defence there are a lot of new business opening which might improve the complex but I don't think anything would make me want to give up my precious time and come here for a days shopping .

Lots of decent shops. And growing…read more Can be very busy with people. Good that there is a food court. It doesn't have loads of seating though.

Spires Retail Park is an open air stretch of shops located on the Moy Road just outside central…read moreArmagh. It's easily accessible for both car drivers and pedestrians. A clean, tidy, well maintained retail park which is small with a good range of shops including Lidl, Marks & Spencer Simply Food, Heatons, Iceland, Argos, Sports Direct, Poundland and Peacocks. A Costa Coffee has recently opened too. There's free car parking but Spires is extremely popular so it can sometimes be difficult to get a parking space. I would advise visiting outside of peak times so you're best to go either early morning or late evening. I really like Spires and always find everything I need in it. Not a shopping centre I would travel a large distance from elsewhere to visit but for locals and tourists already in Armagh it's excellent.

This is a fairly small retail park, with quite a bit of variety. The M&S store is very small but…read moreit has all of the basic goods. There's also a costa coffee, if you need to take a break during your shopping. The only significant problem with this location is parking. The car park is too small and the haphazard parking of some drivers only compounds this problem.

The area around the Abbey Centre has grown over the last few years to become as much of a draw as…read morethe shopping centre itself. My first stop is always the huge branch of TK Maxx. How I love that shop, with its shoes and home wares and clothes and jewellery and stuff, stuff, stuff. Always a bargain to be had - I even lugged a huge chest of drawers out of there once. After paying for it of course. Curse those efficient security guards. There is a branch of every high street shop you can think of - Mothercare, Pets at Home, M&S, Tesco, JJB Sports, Matalan to name a few. I always like a look around Matalan where there are some bargains in ladies and children's clothes and a selection of birthday cards and invitations which has to be seen to be believed. Make a quick pit stop in McDs and you'll be ready for round 2 in the shopping centre itself. The Abbey Centre is pretty big, with several different 'wings' coming off the central point. Highlights for me are River Island, the bargain emporium that is Primark, Top Shop and Wallis. Apart from clothes, I also like going to the Abbey Centre for books - Stewart Miller and Easons always have offers on new releases. Chick lit I'm afraid to admit but someone has to read them.

Ah, my good old friend, the Abbeycentre. How I love it…read more Just a short trip up the road from me, I have been shopping here for as long as I can remember, and take a browse around its' many shops at least once a month. There is a large amount of on site parking, so you can usually get parked with ease (unless you go stright after Christmas when the January Sales are in full swing) then its an absolute free for all! There are many shops here to suit all pockets, from sport shops, to fashion clothing, from banks to mobile phone and gaming shops, from card and gift shops to butchers, you will get pretty much anything you want at the Abbeycentre, without the headache travelling into the city centre can bring. There is even a new Poundland store for some of the old bargain hunting. And long may it continue!

When am I ever out of this place. Love it! Great array of shops, plenty to go in and buy, the…read morehandiness of Sainsbury's, and clean public facilities. Maybe not the best choice for lunch, as there's not the most restaurants, just coffee shops, but No. 10 is your best bet for food if you're looking a meal.

Rushmere is a great place to go for any type of shopping, it has good service and an amazing and…read moreinteractive design! There are a few claw machines that clearly scam you, but I suppose alot of store have that and it's not really their brand, but I still don't like it. I really enjoy the selection of stores in rushmere and restaurants too! Especially no.7 which I definitely recommend. This is a great place to take your children or younger ones to because it is so interactive for them and has tons of stores they would enjoy! 9/10 definitely recommend.

The M&S is ok and it is likely they are their so called flagship anchor but I'm not a fan of having…read moreto pay to car park just to be able to shop. There are the usual suspects in terms of tenants H&M, EE, Boots, etc but what I have come to dislike immensely is that like others places they charge disabled persons to park. It often takes these folks longer to get in/out of their vehicles and slower at shopping so they are being financially penalised because of their disabilities - this ain't my type of society and reflects an insatiable greed I find really distasteful. I won't return to subsidise greedy bastards.

This is the more upmarket shopping centre in Ballymena. It has bigger and more upmarket anchor…read morestores and stores in general eg Marks and Spencer's and Tommy Hilfiger respectively. It's well laid out and has a distinct style and look about it, which I must say I like very much. It's got a food court upstairs and overall is a lovely centre!!

As far as the ubiquitous shopping center and relaxed "shopping experience" goes this is one of the…read moremost humane and practical in Belfast. Great car parking and easy access to other neighbouring shops and outlets. Slightly presumptuous and inverted but I can overlook that for it's relaxed and easy access.And with its variety of shops, doggy friendliness,it gets a thumps up from me & Ben!

It has happened to us all. Sometimes you just think you've nothing to wear for a night out halfway…read morethrough that afternoon and you cannot be bothered to make the trek into town. At these troublesome times, thank flip for Forestside. Bright and clean with loads of handy parking, this shopping centre has really upped it's game over the last while. The selection of stores is great, mostly all your usual ladies high street names like Next, New Look, H&M and Oasis. Now I write this I realise it does feature the ladies heavily, but there is always a big M&S for the boys to buy a pair of slacks or whatever it is you buy. Also at either end there is a Sainsburys or M&S food and a large off licence, so along with a new top you can get a bottle of wine and a load of tasty nibbles to accessorize it with. A perfect look for any evening ;-)

It's hard not to love this massive semi-outdoor shopping center. Steel and glass and lifts and…read moreescalators with so much fresh air moving through. It's clean and well patrolled by security and there are retail outlets for everyone and restaurants, too. I think what most people are missing is the rooftop atrium, called The Dome. The lift goes to the top and from there, a tremendous view over the city of Belfast. It's free and should not be missed. [Review 1885 of 2024 - 867 in United Kingdom - 22907 overall]

It is a massive shopping center, beautiful and made of mirrors. Lots of shops and restaurants to…read morenosh and spend your cash. I stopped at a few stores here, and partook of great hospitality and service. The spaces were immaculate and there were lots of places to sit, eat and meet. Great name eh.... Victoria Square.

This is a brilliant store with a large stock of everything you may need from clothes, school…read moreuniforms, nic-knacks, household items and bedding. If they don't have your colour or size they will try to get it for you. The staff are very courteous and polite and can't do enough to help you. Its great to just call in and browse or go for something specific.

The Flagship Centre is pretty basic. There is nothing really special or unique about it. Yes it has…read moreArgos, superdrug, Dunne's and primark but it just seems to be missing something? Perhaps the stores are influenced by the ageing population of Bangor and it just isn't really my scene? The food court upstairs isn't too bad with the usuals in place but with so many great restaurants right outside, why bother with fast, greasy food? I think the best feature of this place is the fact it gets you out of the rain which plagues us all year round!

Really, really bad. This place is so depressing even to walk through that I think I have went whole…read moreyears at a time avoiding being in it. The ceilings seem really low and it is just a terrible place to spend any time. The selection of shops is dreadful, with basically nothing of any interest to seemingly anyone. There is nothing unique about it at all and anything you could possibly need you can get elsewhere. Poorly designed as the back entrance takes you out into a side street and for tourists this could be a nightmare. Especially as this is a side street that many a drunken reveller relieve themselves in on a Friday and Saturday night. Avoid if possible.