Legit, locally-owned hardware store with knowledgeable staff. The cashier was really young, but he…read moreknew what he was doing. I picked up some gardening stuff: plants and potting soil. Turned out to be a few bucks cheaper than what you'd pay at Bunnings. Quick access from the city along North Terrace. Takes about 10min by car. Booyakasha! Will be back.

I know for a lot of people, Bunnings is synonymous with hardware. In the same way that people who…read moreshop at woolworths and think that they are getting the best price possible just won't visit a foodland, a lot of Bunnings customers are loyal to the point of self-punishment. I on the other hand, would prefer to spend my money at somewhere like Banner Mitre 10. The first reason is that like Woolies, Coles and Dan Murphy's, Bunnings are owned by one of those dominating behemoths (in this case Wesfarmers) which squeeze their supply chain, their staff and everyone else involved in the process. Like Woolies and Coles, what you end up with is not the best products, but rather products with high margins that can be bought in bulk, and if they break it just goes in the bin and you get a new one, and a new one, and another new one. Don't get me wrong... Bunnings has its place. It's a good place to go for say Stanley tools, Hills products etc, but if you want a good chainsaw, like the Stihl I bought on the weekend, there's no way you going to get it at Bunnings. What you're going to get is a piece of crap Ozito or something for $100 less which you can only cut 2x4 pine with before it craps itself. Now, onto my Banner Mitre 10 review... I used to work for these guys about 9 years ago while at uni and they are a great family run business. They treated us well as staff and had great discounts for staff and end of year parties. I felt like I was part of the family. After a few years living too far from the store, I've moved back fairly close to the area, so I popped in to look at ladders. They have a great selection of Bailey ladders and don't stock the cheap crap that Bunnings do. They also price matched a quite ridiculously low price I had for the chainsaw from one of my work's suppliers, so I'll definitely be back. They have a great trade section and friendly staff. What I'm trying to get at here is that there are other options apart from Bunnings for hardware/tools and home improvement products. Give these guys a go because they know their stuff, have better brands and service and are family run.

Mighty helpful? Mitre 10. I'm not sure if this is still the tag line, but it's certainly still…read moretheir attitude. Mitre 10 on Unley Road is my closest hardware store and while small, it offers most of what I need for jobs around the house and garden. The main thing I come here for is the bags of sandpit sand - 30kgs for $8.50 (I think). The drive through at the back mean I can pull in and they'll put four bags directly in the boot of my car. (Pity they can't carry it to the backyard at the other end). In the garden section there is lots of greenery, herbs and plants suitable for gifts. You'll also find to accessories and other bits and bobs such as things to do with weather, umbrellas and outdoor furniture. This is a small store, but parking is easy and the service is great. I do a lot of my shopping at Bunnings due to the one stop shop nature of the superstore, but when I need helpful advice, I support my local Mitre 10.

This is my local hardware store unfortunately. I pass it on the way to Bunnings. The reason I avoid…read moreit is because almost every time I have been there the staff are more interested in talking amongst themselves rather than asking if they can help me. Whenever I give them another chance I am amazed, it is like I am invisible. When I have approached them and asked for any advice I get blank looks. Besides that the place is soooo expensive, I can find the same product at Bunnings for half the price.

For it's size this place is incredible. They manage to cram so much in, but not quite to the point…read moreof overwhelming the customer. And 9 times out of 10 they have either what I'm looking for, or at least something close enough to what I'm after that it'll do the job. On the occasions they don't have what I need, they are more than happy to suggest the closest places that might. The service here is really good. Being in a popular area for older residents, you'll often see staff in the car park helping load potting mix into cars, and with a smile too. Also, I'm not sure if it's a clear cut policy but often if I come in twice on the same day, I'll get a discount. It's a really nice gesture, especially for people like me who all to often forget a few key items on my first visit. The only downside to this place is it just isn't quite big enough to have the extra stuff that hardware stores have these days. But of the two in the area, Stirling trumps Aldagte 100% of the time.

A behemoth of a structure started sprouting just off South Road at St Marys - I turned and said to…read moremy husband I bet that'll be a hardware shop. Well, yes of course it is - the Stratco Big Shed, but I would have named it the 'Red Shed' because it's red but that's too obvious and not 'manly' enough I suppose. And BIG it is - containing a well-laid out hardware component that has enough stock to have the other red shirts a bit concerned, as well as the bonus feature of not having a separate tool department with it's own register (my husband's bugbear!). It also has a beautifully set out display area for all the stuff that has made the Stratco name famous in South Australia, namely sheds, pergolas, verandahs and fences. It also appears the outside kitchen must-do renos are still going strong and yet another selling point to buy even more stuff - is an outdoor bathroom! All we need now is the outdoor toilet - hang on that's already been done, oh well, everything old is new again remember - and an outside boudoirs! The Stratco Espresso Cafe is a great option if the sausage sizzle doesn't cut it (but who can ever resist?), and the range of goods within appears to be expansive. The only area where the red boys down the road have it over The Big Shed is in the Garden department, where the range of stock isn't there and navigation is tight. Oh, and I didn't see any flat tray trolleys either - lifting a few bags of cow poo into the shopping trolley was a struggle but not compared to lifting them out again, another job for hubby. Still, the staff were just as friendly as the other red shirts and let's hope the car park is adequate as well. Overall, this is a good addition to those in the inner south bitten by the reno rescue bug and don't want to drive round in circles or fighting over car parks over at the red shirts territory.

VERY FRUSTRATED WITH STORE. ADVERTISED ALL MORNING 16/5/12 RE LAWNMOWER FROM ROCKWELL AT $69.00…read moreAPPROX. AD SAID AVAILABLE UNTIL 7PM. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF UNTIL SOLD OUT. DROVE FROM OUTER HARBOUR TO ST.MARYS AROUND 2.30 PM ONLY TO BE TOLD NONE AVAILABLE. I FEEL THIS WAS FALSE ADVERTISING AS NO SUGGESTION RE AD OF LIMITED AVAILABILITY. SO WOULD NOT BE RECOMMENDING ANY STRATCO STORE IF THIS IS YOUR METHOD OF OPERATION.REGARDS SIMON ALLEN ( sadecor@adam.com.au) 0411423173

Wasn't looking for anything too complicated or expensive but I still got fantastic service, would…read moreshop from again if I'm in the area :)

Do you enjoy a spot of gardening? If so then you can't go past The Conservatory Garden and Home on…read moreUnley Road. This is a high end garden shop supplying quality plants so you will pay a little more but the benefit is your plants are more likely to survive if they have a good start to life. Plants at The Conservatory are all very lush and the staff do everything from selling single plants, to giving advice on making your garden thrive, to designing complete gardens. With flowering plants, climbers, trees, shrubs and a selection of plants guaranteed to survive Adelaide's extreme weather, the guys at The Conservatory know there business and are happy to share their knowledge with customers. Even if you're not buying, just walking through this garden shop is quite an experience - it's like a mini botanic garden in the midst of suburbia. Inside you'll find The Conservatory is more like a house than a shop and the interior is set up with a range of giftwares and books set out in different rooms. Some of the items you can buy there, you just wouldn't expect to see in a garden shop. In addition to everything else, they can deliver your plants if they won't fit in the car, gift wrap your purchases and will always send you on your way with a smile on your face. If its too tricky to find a park on Unley Road (as is often the case) I find their off-street car parking in Irwin Lane very handy.

The Conservatory looks -and is - a wonderful place to decorate your home & garden. The beautiful…read moreshop front on Unley Road looks more like a high class, expensive estate, but houses perfectly manicured plants for the front garden of your upper class home. The inside is filled (not really suitable for kids, too much to touch and break) with homewares, furniture, decor, prints and lots of pillows. However wonderful this place is to look through, it is very expensive - which makes it exclusive to the higher income market. Everything is of the highest quality though, go and have a look through - if not to buy, just to get ideas!