Real Groovey is on my top 3 retail stores in Auckland. Absolutely love the merchandise available,…read moreI'm a big kid that loves Vinyl Figures and they have a range that's large enough to satisfy my inner child ! I now have a child of my own and they have such a good range of children's books, from the classic to the quirky ! The Vinyl collection is extensive enough to please any muso and I was super gutted when I heard it was closing down and am glad to hear it is not now !

Fantastic store!!! Lots of vinyls, cds, books, t shirts all music related. I bought 2 albums I'd…read morenever seen in the US. Service was great. Value great. Loved this shop

Here are some of the records I have bought from Alien Records:…read more - a Serbian '80s electro pop record - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will by Mogwai - a NZ country music compilation - a recording of Shostakovich's 9th Symphony When people ask "where are all the good record shops?" the answer is: in a warehouse down a driveway in New Lynn, close to the RSA. Alien Records is run by what I can only lovingly describe as music nerds, one of whom will never fail to ask you if you play an instrument. This is endearing the first time but less so after the fifth or sixth. It's full of oddities, hits, classic hits compilations, and lots of top quality new pressings. I'm always slightly amazed they're still in business as it's got to be the most hidden specialty shop in Auckland, but they do know their stuff and it's good fun to spend an hour or so rifling through the bins so unless your ears are made of stone you're bound to find something you want. They also sporadically hold gigs in the room next door.

Having read Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, and then watching the movie of Nick Hornby's High…read moreFidelity, there's something that will always appeal to me about small, independently-owned music shops. Also I am a nerd and a bit obsessed with music, so music shops in general are just neat, in my opinion. Musiquarium satisfies all my requirements. It's small, has little natural light, and is painted a lurid shade of green. Also it has an excellent range of CDs, both popular and obscure. Their stock covers a range of music, but seems to be particularly extensive when it comes to 90s alternative rock and 50s/60s rock & roll (disclaimer: it is possible that it just seemed that way because I like those two styles). They also focus on New Zealand music in a way that other places would like to look like they do, but actually don't.

The music acts are always first rate. No cover is great. Drink prices are higher than normal, but…read moreyou've got great music and a place to dance if you wish. My problem with this place is that after multiple visits, I've come to the conclusion that the wait staff behind the bar give very poor service. I've experienced several different sets of staff and they all offer poor service. No personality. No water unless requested. Long wait times for even an acknowledgement that you are even sitting at the bar. Management needs to improve their interviewing when hiring. Yes, I'll go back there often because of the music, but I'm certainly not going to tip for poor service.

So I am no bibliophile (bookworm) but I love words. I went here to buy my book loving mother a…read morecouple of books. What you are greeted with is an overwhelming collection of books. When I say overwhelming my mother was literally flush in the cheeks after 30mins of looking around & needed some fresh air after an hour. I would say they cater to everyone's tastes, but some people are into some freaky deeky stuff. If you can't find something.... There is a high chance you won't. Because there are TOOOOOOO many books! But thankfully they have staff that is equally in love with books & seem to love working there. So they will have an idea of where to find whatever it is that your heart desires. Last thing I will say is that if you or in the case of my mum are too overwhelmed, they have a website that actually works. They also have vouchers that come in twenty dollar denominations. So yeah if you want book, come here!

This is Auckland's best (and probably biggest) second hand bookstore. It's musty in a good "old…read morebooks" kind of way, and sprawling and welcoming at the same time. Set over two floors of one of Onehunga's old buildings, it's like a house full of books. Most rooms have a comfy old chair or two for reading, and visitors are encouraged to sit and do just that. The subject range is huge and varied, and the prices are of course, excellent. The staff are knowledgeable and will point you in the right direction if you are after something in particular. Which is helpful because if you haven't been here before you could get lost and never come back out. Sadly Onehunga has been on the decline in the last few years despite there being a number of really great businesses here. I would recommend coming for lunch at Luscious, followed by a fossick at the Hard to Find and then checking out Look Sharp Discount Store. This historic Auckland suburb has suffered from mismanagement for too long now but as while these unique places cling on, it's still worth a visit - there is so much character and potential.

Superb! Everything was a breeze. I ordered from Christchurch and figures arrived really packed and…read morein great time. They constantly kept in touch throughout the delivery. Thank you so much, 10/10!!!

Just when you thought that a game you really wanted was just out of your price range, in steps…read moreVagabond Games and comes to the rescue (this store seems to be a collaboration with Livewire Games). These guys have some pretty good deals that can sometimes even beat the other gaming giants like JB hifi and EB games. They have a fair number of games for sale as well as some other game related products like figurines and other collectible stuff like that; you know, nerdy stuff that you don't need but want anyway. This store used to be located in a really hard to find part of that ridiculously designed Metro building (seriously it's so stupid with its escalators that miss out entire floors!), but thankfully they are now located on Chancery Lane) . They also have plenty of Anime DVD's and other related products. Check out their website as they often have a few good specials on there.

When JB HiFi first arrived in NZ, it was like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory of my favourites. But…read morenow I have been to several stores, they are seem the same layout, everything in almost the same spot. It would be nice to go hunting and seeing what new tech treasures you really really need to upgrade too. Don't get me wrong, I love these places, just wish the stores could think outside the corporate format and keep it fresh and interesting. As my friend Arnie once said, I'll be back. PS please please please please JB come to Pukekohe !!!!

The Manukau JB Hi Fi may be excellent at everything else, but the electronics section in Botany JB…read moreis awesome. I remember vividly the time I was searching for a laptop, and the salesperson, Amos, was extremely genuine, helpful and took a lot of trouble to ascertain what computer would be best for my needs. He gave me his card and said he'd give me the current discount if I happened to miss the sale. I thought that was super kind. The camera section is also good, but they aren't 100% certain sometimes about whether their new cameras will work in Apple computers. This is a bit of a short coming, and needs more thorough research.

I first discovered JB Hi-Fi on a trip to Australia a few years ago now and since then they have…read moreexpanded to NZ. They have an extensive range of anything to do with music, gaming, computers, cameras (basically entertainment technology specialists). Whenever I'm in JB Hi-Fi they seem to have some really good specials. I purchased some Sennheiser headphones there which have served me well. They have all the headphones out on display so you can listen to music on them before you buy. I keep seeing a lovely pair in there, which are brown, gold and amazing, but my budget didn't quite stretch to them at the time (sadly). JB Hi-Fi Queen St also do meet and greats occasionally when artists are in town - see photo of Ellie Goulding (whose album Halcyon is worth a listen)!

This JB Hi-fi has just undergone a refit/renovation to improve the aesthetics of the store. It has…read moreimproved remarkably. You can now see & find everything clearly without obstacle. They have a HUGE selection of gaming for Xbox one/360 & PlayStation which is fabulous! They encourage 'trade & save' or to buy pre-owned games: pure genius. I find the security guard highly entertaining & friendly, been here for years so a good go-to if you can't find a salesperson. The staff a bit nonchalant & disinterested (which is a shame), always been the case here. Great opening hours, you can sell your games, DVDs etc if you want some extra cash however (be warned) they pay peanuts. However, they do gift cards to any dollar value. Brill.

Before I developed my love for independant bookstores, Whitcoulls was my go-to for Christmas…read morepresents. A book (or board game, if I was feeling generous) for each family member and I was done. Despite being a chain, they've got a relatively good selection and the staff that i've interacted with seem to like and read a number of them, which is always a plus. Whitcoulls of course, also have stationery, magazines and a small selection of puzzles too. If you desperate for a gift, they're a one stop shop that's often open late but personally, now that we've got our own independent bookstore in Milford, The Booklover, I'd much rather support them and get a recommendation that's sure to wow!

I love bookstores: the smell, the colors, and the possibilities for adventure and escape. Where I…read morelive there aren't many left, so it's exciting to visit as wonderful as Unity Books. In Auckland there are quite a few places to go, but this one is independent and probably the best. Unity Books has its main store and children's book separate on the same street; both are fun to browse through. I came here both to browse and with a mission. I wanted to purchase the complete Lord of the Rings and Hobbit filming locations books. They're printed in New Zealand and cover places we visited, and others we'd love to return to. Their prices were what I expected; with the exchange rate, I was happy. The store was organized and they were easy to find, but one of the books' spine was broken. I asked a friendly clerk and they quickly went to the back and got another copy. It made buying them there easy. They had so many happy customers, it's easy to see they're doing well. I will definitely stop here on our next visit.

Service was fast and friendly, called to put a book on hold and showed up about 35 minutes later…read more They had it ready to go and were very nice.