There's this bright pink sign catching your attention on Cascades Road, which immediately signals…read morethis is no mechanic shop along a busy industrial district. What a Girl Wants is a second hand store, but packed with top quality bits and pieces. There are bags, clothes, shoes, books, furniture and ornaments, all geared towards the classy women of East Auckland. I thoroughly enjoyed having a browse, and picked up a nice singlet for a whopping $2! It's next to a coffee place and also an antique store, so your vintage tastes can be quenched, along with a nice spot of coffee afterwards. You can just park on the gravel outside, which is really handy. The shop assistant was friendly enough, and the way things are set out is really eye catching. It's awesome to see some creative thought going into the layout of a thrift store, considering most of the time, you have to rummage to find anything particularly useful. Here, it's all on display, in order of size and product. Good stuff.

What a Girl Wants would be a solid four star shop if it weren't for the staff…read more The two times I've been in I've wanted to stay longer, they have some amazing bargains and a very well organised shop, and overall the quality of their stock is excellent. The problem is, the two ladies who work there were very, very loudly talking politics both times I went in. As there's a dance school directly above them, it's fair enough that they need to raise their voices a little to be heard. But maybe don't stand on opposite sides of the shop? Or don't go on loudly about how much you dislike beneficiary bludgers who just sit around all day doing nothing. I mean, you're running a second hand shop, people...perhaps put two and two together and come up with four?

Cheap shoes. Cheap dresses. Cheap appliances. Maybe it's…read morebecause we don't have K Mart back home, but I get excited to go here when I'm back in NZ. This is my go to spot when I need some quick supplies visiting my in laws. Forgot my jandals? No problem. $7 at KMart. Need some new swimmies? Cheap ones here that aren't ridiculous. Need new summery dresses for cheap? Yep. Golden. And then grab a cheap kapiti on the way out the door and your life is made.

I absolutely love Kmart for extremely obvious reasons. Not only do they have great bargains here,…read morebut they have almost anything you could want (although let's not get technical) and they are open until midnight- just three reasons there, but isn't that enough? The Botany Downs Kmart is my favourite. It's massive and I love exploring this place (although I do come here at least once a fortnight). The staff are great here, I'm always greeted when I arrive and when I leave and they're always nearby if i need to ask of something. Kmart is great for buying clothes to lounge around the house in at a cheap price and the occasional baking utensil (I just can't resist sometimes). My last visit had me going home with some new lounge trackies for $15 and 6 pairs of socks for $6- a really good bargain if you ask me. This Kmart also has the self-checkout service with handy hanger bins, and I definitely prefer to buy my items this way when I've only got a couple of items. Working in retail, I've seen Kmart sell similar styles they have in malls for a fraction of the cost and usually Kmart has better quality. Just goes to show that it's not always about brands and quality doesn't always have to mean a high price.

Compared to Sylvia Park, I really like the layout of Westfield Manukau; its much easier to walk…read morearound, and while not as big, has the basics necessities of any shopping centre. Its also the closest major shopping centre to the Papakura and the Pukekohe regions. Events are always happening here, whether its a magic show, talent show or a musical guest- major props to Westfield for that and for making parents a little less stressed by having something to distract the kids with! Parking here is usually pretty good with parking lots surrounding all entrances of the mall, but fills up quickly especially on late nights and weekends. Apart from clothing retailers, there are also a number stores for footwear, stationery/books, electronics, jewellery and novelty items. Some great places worth visiting include Pandora, one of the newest in the mall and extremely popular- lots to look at for the ladies; JB Hi-Fi, a tech- and TV-geek's dream destination; and LJ's, because they really do make the best fries in the mall. Manukau caters pretty well in terms of menswear, but lacking a bit in womenswear. Without stores like Max or Portmans for a slightly higher-end option (as opposed to Dotti or Cotton On), there just aren't as many options as there were a few years ago.

It's not the biggest or best shopping mall in town, but it has all the usual suspects and more…read more This is my nearest mall, so I often visit here and see what new shops have opened or if any bargains going. I visit more often as the cinema has a bigger choice than my local. one.

Looking for a slice of Chinatown, but not actually in Chinatown? In Highland Park, which is…read morearguably one of the most Asian concentrated areas in Auckland, there's the Aviemore Star Village. It's packed with little Asian shops, bakeries, restaurants and convenience stores. I've enjoyed dinner at The Golden Fortune & Dessert at Rio Kitchen here, despite being one of few caucasians hanging around the place. What can I say? I'm just a little asian on the inside. There's only two things I dislike. 1) The place looks a bit run down and 2) It smells like fish. Perhaps it's imitating a slice of Tokyo or Beijing, but it's not that pleasant when you come from clean, green Auckland. Aside from that, it's a great place to come and experience a different way of life or culture. Depending on the shop, the hours here range from 8am-9pm, but they tend to be open for the full 7 days. So be sure to have a look when you have a sushi craving.

No. 1 Mart is located in the biggest building of SouthPoint, Manukau's newest complex of stores…read more I've been to SouthPoint so many times and never actually noticed No. 1 Mart until recently. It's a massive store but it's not as full of stock as you'd expect it to be. They do have a semi-interesting range of giftware, costumes and novelty items. They've got about half a wall full of gift bags and tonnes of crepe and tissue paper (I'm a sucker for wrapping and packaging presents!). That was probably the only part of the store I was really interested in. The prices are fairly low and that location is great for picking up that last-minute item for a gift. Otherwise there's nothing to differentiate No. 1 mart from any other dollar store. Hope they pick their game up though- the store is massive and they could stock it with some awesome stuff if they wanted to.

Just want to commend the awesome customer service I received from owner Jesse and worker Jayden…read morewhen I popped into the store today being Monday 2nd May 2016, awesome knowledge on product enquired which was the Minecraft toys and things. An exceptional level of customer service and product knowledge. Totally recommend to anyone. Keep up the great work guys and thank you Jesse. Top Notch Regards, Haedon N SATISFIED CUSTOMER

I toyed about whether I should write a review on this place or not, mostly because it's one of my…read morelittle secondhand treasure troves and I don't want too many people knowing about it. But good places have a habit of making themselves known, so I'm sure me holding off on a review would do much. This place is massive - it's a warehouse full of cheap, good quality secondhand goods. I generally go for the clothes, so I skip past the homewares and furniture and make a beeline for the back area. On a single trip I have come away with as many as 20 new pieces of clothing, and my average haul is anywhere from five to 10 new pieces. Lots of people in the Eastern suburbs appear to not want their vintage dresses, gorgeous one-piece swimsuits or sweet shorts any more, so now they're mine! I'll also take all their yellow '70s Tupperware off their hands too, thank you very much.

I first started shopping at Blue Illusion in Melbourne, and the Melbourne shops being one of my…read moresaddest goodbyes when I left, you can imagine how happy I was when I found that Blue Illusion was here in Auckland too. There's a very specific look and feel to Blue Illusion clothes (and accessories and shoes and incidental little homewares items) that you can only really get the feel of by browsing. I've always found the quality outstanding - especially the fabrics which are beautiful to wear. The service at this branch is usually excellent - the sales assistant who's been there since the store opened (I think she might be the owner/manager) is really excellent, friendly and totally helpful. There's also an older woman who works there who lets the shop down a bit in my opinion - no matter what you look at she's ready with a "That's beautiful isn't it?". Umm, yes, but we don't really need to have a conversation about it, do we?

I just happened to notice a pair of shoes in this store as I rushed past it in my lunch break today…read moreand couldn't resist going in. Not only did I leave with the pair of shoes, little saude reds that are said to be exlusive as each of the 4 stores Auckland wide recieve only one pair in each size of all their shoe range, but I left wanting to go back and explore the shop when I had the time to do a thorough job. Though I do feel my wallet was a bit relieved! This store is French themed and stocks not only shoes but all fashion, mainly clothes, but also with shoes and accessories. I spied several lovely looking handbags along the shelves. I had lovely customer service from the lady working there who encouraged me to sign up for a loyalty card ( it is not often a store suceeds in doing this for me- the emails bother me), telling me I get vouchers from spending money and on my birthday!

For 12 years I was happy to buy American food and things like toothpaste with peroxide and baking…read moresoda not otherwise available in NZ from Martha's. During those 12 years one of the owners frequently went to America to buy the stock. And for many years they got special orders for me. But ever since the pandemic they have lost the plot. They refused to accept special orders and their shelves rarely offer me what I want. I have repeatedly asked them to figure out a new method of getting their supplies which they refuse to do. How they stay in business is a mystery without desirable stuff to buy. They're old and no longer seem to give a damn. I find it remarkable that they stay in business. Not worth the trip.

Ever have the feeling of giddiness as an adult, that makes you say 'get ahold of yourself now?' But…read moreyou can't and your smile is ear to ear. Well that's what Martha's Backyard did to me. I was instantly hit with Americana as the doors spread open for me. No need to trouble yourself with pushing a door American, here let me automatically open for you. Star! Since the owner was clearly using her consumer... ahem marketing skills, the first sight upon entering was a stock pile of Stars & Stripes regalia. All that was needed was the Star Spangled Banner playing in the background. Independence Day is only a few days away, so stock up. Martha's Backyard which of course is a play on words, (think Martha's Vineyard) has many American culinary favorites from candies, seasonings, sauces, cereals, beverages and snacks. I walked out with Cholula, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Lawry's Seasoned Salt, a pack of Lawry's Taco seasoning, mini Butterfingers and 2 boxes of Cap'N Crunch cereal for under $40.00. Not a bad price for imported happiness.

Unlike most thrift stores that rely on people's junk fetishes, The Hospice Shop (formerly the…read moreMethodist Op Shop) relies on good quality second hand deals. There were some absolutely lovely shoes here I wish I could fit into. I eventually settled on a wonderful, smart cream jacket, only $18. My friend bought a suede handbag for $15, and the packaging hadn't even been taken out. It's that sort of quality this place specialises in. However, that's the silver lining. The cloud is I found the shop assistants to be distracted and impatient with customers. They seemed friendly enough when you got around to paying, but otherwise they looked at me like I was a thief ready to pounce. (perhaps this happens to them often?) I think a bit more smiles and less malevolent staring is in order.

I always have a good shopping experience when I come here. The staff can be a little sniffy, but…read moreit's worth it because you can find some really nice stuff in here, and the prices are so five years ago. I love that. There's only a small selection of clothing, but it's one of those places where you can find some delicious retro pieces that would be five times the price at an op shop in town. It's also a good place to find handbags in really good condition. They have a good range of jewellery at the counter too, and a lot of books and household odds and end at the back of the shop.

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