It's kind of ridiculous, but I love $2 shops. This is technically not a $2 shop because it sells…read morethings priced above and below $2, which is kind of stupid, but I love it anyway. The place is pretty massive, it has aisles that are alphabetized for ease of search, but there's so much stuff in there that you wouldn't even know where to start. For example, $2 disposable yellow raincoats. Amazing. $7 '*insert name here* PARKING ONLY' signs to stick outside your house for laughs. $2 caps. $2 angry birds keyrings. $3 packs of bubble wrap, self-sealing envelopes. Dare you to go in there and not find something to buy. Service was super friendly.

Definitely my favourite dollar store in Auckland, such a huge selection of really great stuff, good…read moreparking and really friendly staff. They have an amazing selection of fake flowers here which look really good and aren't a rip off like the ones in home décor stores. I always buy my fake eyelashes from here too, really good selection and again really great looking and fab quality. My boyfriend likes their selection of lighters here, especially their Zippo inspired ones! It's part of the shopping complex on the corner of Valley and Dominion Rd so it's got great free parking (always deserves a mention). Such an amazing kids toy section here too they even have beautiful hand painted maracas for $2 and they would make such great gifts. I also always buy my pet paraphernalia from here too they have doggie poop bags that are pink with paws on them...so cool as well as pet bowls, leads and toys! Love this shop to death.

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

Oh the clearance shed! This place right here is bargain heaven, it is the place you find all the so…read morecalled rejects st a ridiculous price. You can buy makeup, cds, dvds, books, pillows, sheets, electronics and bean bags! It's s place you find everything that you didn't think you needed. If you are ever stuck for a present the clearance shed is the place to go. I blame this place for the countless pilates, yoga ane aerobics dvds that I have. At the same time I owe this place a massive thanks for helping me with my Bob Marley collection. These cds are usually $5-$10 at clearance shed. Plus if any unwanted or unexpected guests invite themselves over and you don't have any clean linen, you now know where to go.

Oh crikey - we have found the holy grail of cheap and cheerful. This place is packed with…read moreeverything you could ever need when dressing up or getting crafty, and is surprisingly huge. There is a huge range of costumes and accessories, fake flowers, themed-decorations, crafts, and more and more and more. Around the time of office Christmas parties and St Patricks Day, the place is packed. And they order in more stuff depending on the celebration. There is a very entertaining R18 section for funny presents, or just actual stuff. But it;s not just silly stuff, head down the back and you'll find kitchen utensils, rubbish bins, frames, cleaning products, bathroom stuff, hangers and all the rest of that kind of stuff for super cheap. It's actually not a bad idea to see what you can find.

This place is Mecca for costumes and silly novelty items. It's a one stop shop for all your fun and…read morefrivolity needs: dress up parties, St Patrick's Day, sporting events, or just silly gifts. If you want it, Look Sharp probably has it, and you'll probably only pay ten bucks. I've accumulated a small collection of awesomeness from Look Sharp, including costumes, canes, hats, wigs and flags. I have also made extensive use of their wonderfully inappropriate R18 section for Secret Santa gifts - hilarity and awkwardness ensued. In short, any occasion is better if preceded by a visit to Look Sharp.

Cute little shop in between the city, if you're looking for something from Japan! The with lots of…read moreitems in stock from basic home goods to crafting the variety of choices are available! The shop aisles are narrow, and because of the tiny space it does get over crowded. If you're trying to shop with a baby stroller/pram, it'll be very hard to navigate in the store. I recommend leaving the pram outside with a family member/friend while you shop inside. If your pram is narrow it'll fit just fine. The staff are quick to serve you if needed. The prices are 3.50$ each for any item in the store. If you purchase 3 items they are 10$. It is always being stocked with new items! I would recommend this place if you're looking for some cute but cheap items for stationery use and or household decorations!

This is the best shop in Auckland…read more Maybe it's because I spent my childhood watching Pokemon and Dragonball Z and slowly but surely convincing myself that my life would be a lot better if I was Japanese. Maybe it's because they sell tiny erasers shaped like ice-cream cones. Maybe it's because they stock ~100 different types of tupperware. I don't know. There is just something great about Daiso. Everything costs $3.50 and they sell pretty much everything. Last time I visited, I bought a plastic banana storage thing, a thing to put on the end my toothbrush, a cup, a pair of socks, and a bulk pack of those cotton buds you use to clean your ears (my ears are now very very clean). That's testament to the ferocious and impervious breadth of range that you can pick up in Daiso. Just go to Daiso. It's the best. A bonus feature is that all staff members are cute Japanese people wearing aprons. It doesn't get better than that.

I live in the U.S. but have dear family that just moved to New Zealand earlier this year. The…read morecouple just had another baby boy and my hubby and I wanted to do something special for them instead of just sending cash via post mail. We found The Warehouse and it looked to be like a Walmart or Target. They have gift card options in values of $25, $50, and $100. So, we bought a couple of Warehouse gift cards and requested them to be delivered to our family in Mt. Albert. They received the gift cards the next day and were very delighted! Although I've never been to The Warehouse yet.. their customer service is definitely top notch if they're able to deliver their products sooner than scheduled. They also enclosed it in a gift envelope which had our personalized message on it.

I like you, am more than excited to welcome the return of The Last Place Store in its new residence…read moreat 62 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna! They've got some awesome new winter gear in stock, so make sure you come down to check it out.

Growing up I never really spent much time out west, but over the last few years I've slowly become…read moremore and more familiar with what is out there. But it was only really recently that I discovered the outlet mall at Westgate. Located right behind the Westgate shopping centre, this little strip of stores includes the likes of Bendon, a Nike factory store, an all-things-USA shop, and Jet Couture to name a few. The Nike and Bendon stores were two places I was ecstatic to find. Both had a wide selection of products available and everything was pretty reasonably priced. If it is outlet shopping you're after, I would still definitely recommend trying Dressmart in Onehunga first, but if you're already out west and just need new running shoes, lingerie or boardies then the Westgate Outlet will be able to take care of you without breaking your bank! Tip: There's plenty of free parking available both at Westgate shopping mall and in front of the outlet strip!

Not to be confused with the main shopping mall at Westgate, this is selection of outlet shops at…read morethe back on Fernhill Drive. There's not much to it really - just a random collection of outlet stores which attracts the bargain hunters on the weekend. I guess the best stores are the Nike and Bendon outlets as you can get some good deals here. There is nothing over $20 in the Bendon store and my wife comes here to stock up on underwear from time to time. There is a hairdresser called Vivo which my wife had a bad experience in - the sink was really high and she had a crick in her neck for days. Overall, it's not all that exciting or stimulating but that comes with the terroritory in West Auckland. Good for a few bargains but not what you would call great retail therapy.

I never knew Why Knot existed until a few weeks ago when my sister's boyfriend mentioned a place…read morewhere you could purchase foods that are about to expire at very cheap prices. Why Knot is basically a grocery clearance outlet inside a huge warehouse. Here's a list of what you may find (and a few of my favourite things): - Coffee capsules compatible with Nespresso machines (3 boxes of ten capsules for only $5 = just over 15c for a capsule! Bargain!!!) I have had two 'ristretto' coffees so far and they honestly taste exactly the same as the Nespresso ones! - Rooibos tea (a personal favourite) - this is a herbal tea, and I was stoked to find it at Why Knot for only 99c a box! They also sell many other teas too. - Fancy cheeses which are about to expire unless you eat them within the week (easy to do). - Range of canned and cold drinks (you can get Dr Pepper and Cherry Cola here). - Snacks in general all all very cheap (Italian bread sticks, crackers, biscuits, chips, chocolate and candy). - 'Lisa's' hummus and dips (the day we went they had a great deal - 3 dips for $5 and expiring in the next three weeks. But that was okay, because those dips go a long way! Perfect for when you invite friends over for drinks! - Edmonds flour for 99c! - Cheap Killinchy Gold and NZ Natural ice cream. Also Litelicks (dairy free ice cream) is very cheap too. - Added extras, like FREE bottles of sticky date pudding sauce at the checkout! Wasn't expecting that at all! The only negative about Why Knot is that nothing here is really healthy, well apart from the tea and frozen berries. I am waiting for the day when healthy organic food is being sold in the bargain bins! Overall, this place is pretty awesome. The food here would be great for a weekend picnic, pot luck dinner or party at home. But beware, it gets incredibly busy!!! Try and get there as early as possible - although if you like to people watch and looking at what people like to eat, then this is the place!

Beware!!! Bought a large bag of Maxi Cat cat kibble which cost $50 from memory. Can't see any BB…read moredate on it. Gave some to my cat, next thing he has a broken tooth and won't touch it. Tested it with a knife to see how hard it was and the pieces are like pebbles and need a meat cleaver to split them. Took cat to vet for extraction under general anaesthetic- cost $750. I'm fuming. Cat won't go near the stuff now even chopped into little pieces and soaked in water and I don't blame him

Geoff's is no longer the in-the-know Auckland hipster's secret. Go here on Halloween and you will…read moresee what I mean. Luckily, Halloween only happens once a year but year round Geoff's is the place that truly does have everything. I am most often here for random products like baby oil ($6 for a small bottle of branded petroleum by-product at a supermarket? $2 here), fabric dye, art supplies, sewing stuff and what must be Auckland's cheapest fabric. No offence to Spotlight, but go here first if you need anthing crafty. There's ribbon, cotton, buttons, sparkly bits, belt buckles, bra pads, googly eyes, appliques, patches.... on and on and on. The fabric selection is no small part of the shop and the pricing fairly freakin ridiculous. You'll also find toys, costume jewellery, probably Auckland's biggest range of wigs and "ready-costumes" for adults and kids, as well as such essential props as tiaras, plastic swords, feather boas, cowboys hats, gloves, face paint and garters. There are paints, brushes, canvases, dyes, sketch books...... You can even buy paperbacks, hardware, kitchen equipment, candles and it just goes on. What I love most about Geoff's is that it has been around as long as I can remember and as far as I know, Geoff himself is still around too. My kids love coming here with a handful of coins and leaving with treasures and so do I. The staff are awesome and Geoff's is such a wonderful reminder to me that some things don't ever change, they just get better with age.

This place is AWESOME. Recommended to me by a fellow sewing friend, I decided to check it out…read moretoday. Walked in the door and thought wow, this place is a bit...crappy. But then I walked in further, through the narrow door and into a huge space, filled with all manner of crafty supplies! I was there to buy interfacing, and buy it I did - 5m for $5! Incredible prices. I also got a zip for $1.05 and a belt buckle kit for $1. The prices are insane, even cheaper than what I paid living in the US. I saw some gorgeous fabrics in there, too, but I'm trying to watch my fabric budget right now so I sadly left it behind...for now. The woman who served me was really friendly, carefully rolled up my interfacing and asked about my projects. I can't wait to go back and browse their fabrics some more, and they will definitely be my go-to place for notions, too! I didn't explore the rest of the shop too closely, as I had a sick husband in tow, but they have a huge range of paint/art supplies, party supplies, incense and other trinkets, and heaps of other stuff too.