I love Excel but sadly can't often justify the prices to shop there. It's not that their stock is…read moreoverpriced, definitely not, but the labels they stock are high end - stuff like Diesel and Armani and VBD jeans. Beautiful clothes which will make you drool and for a special occasion good value for money. The good news is that twice a year Excel has a great sale, which starts at 25% off and ends up at 75% off which is when the real bargains are to be found. Of course it's a fine balancing act between waiting for the prices to go down and making sure they still have stock left in your size. What I also like is that the sales staff give you the same level of service whether you are a customer who buys there every week or are like me and go in twice a year for the sales. Excel stocks ladies, men's and children's clothes and as they have another branch in Newtownards, they will be only too glad to try to track down your size if they don't have it. Boys' Timberland clothes and shoes have been particularly good bargains for me so give it a go.

In my shopping obsessed mind, all shops have a category. Pumpkin Pie definitely comes into the…read morecategory of - beautiful clothes and toys for kids but strictly for gifts only. It's just too expensive for me to buy clothes for my own two kids there as they tend to rip, stain and generally ruin most things within a week. So if you A) need to buy a baby gift or B) have children who can be trusted to wear beautiful things, Pumpkin Pie is for you. It is filled with the cutest baby clothes and blankies, little soft teddies and clothes for older kids, up to the age of about 10. If you're into your labels you'll recognise Ducky Beau (my personal fave for little boys), Me Too and Lego. There are other ranges of similar price and style. Prices are high, but these are high end clothes for nippers. A t shirt will be around £25 and a dress about £45 but as with most high end shops, the sale is the time to shop. Time it right and you'll get a good choice of reduced stuff.

As a very excited auntie of a one year old I am immediately drawn to all these cute little…read morechildren's clothing stores. This one from the outside looks almost edible with its bright colours and very welcoming sign. Plus the big up to 70% off sign does nothing but lure me in. I love all the cute little dresses and outfits for the little girls but I'm auntie to a little boy. There are some really nice little boy outfits in here with the usual pirate, animal and car themes. I picked my nephew up a lovely little t shirt with a panda bear on the front for £12.00 and it had been reduced quite a lot in the sale. Non sale items are a little on the expensive side but it is Holywood after all. A lovely shop, I hope my sister has a girl next as I really want to go back and get some of the gorgeous girlie clothes.

Jacksons 38 is one of five (yes, you heard right) departments, if you like, all owned by Jacksons…read moreof Saintfield. Not a clue who this guy is, but he essentially owns half of the Main Street... As well as the main hardware / cookware store a few doors up, there is also a 'Lifestyle' stores few doors on up from that, which consists of a health food shop, a coffee shop and a home interiors shop. Phew! However, my trip was only to this sweet little boutique. Mainly consisting of ladies, gents and kids shoes, it is also a jewellery shop, an accessories shop (wallets, belts, scarves etc.), and a ladies clothes shop. Blinkin' heck. It's one of those shops that's a myriad of little rooms and sections that see to go on forever. There really is a beautiful selection, and the range of kid's school shoes rivals an actual shoe shop's range. The lady sales assistant was very pleasant and welcoming - cheery smiles galore. She was helpfully aiding a customer who was trying on shoes, but didn't neglect the others who were busy looking too. I must commend this Jackson fella on such a beautiful little shop. Highly recommended.

Conservatory Coffee, health food, boutiqueness…read moreHaiku perfection Visited here on a priest's recommendation to sip coffee with Michael W. Smith in the background and hoping to catch a nice Irish evangelical's eye... But even without those expectations being met (there's always next time), I think I've found my new favorite coffee shop in County Down. As you walk into Jackson's there is the boutique on the right, health food on the left, and straight to the back, nectar of the gods: COFFEE. Even further back, comfy couches and tables fill a beautiful, bright, glass conservatory facing out into the courtyard. Me and a friend sat until close (4:30 p.m.) sipping our coffee and admiring others fancy beverages and jealousy inducing desserts. While I have yet to witness it, I was told that the scones are as big as your head and full of fruity surprises. I couldn't ask for a better setting or cup of coffee to sip, sit, people watch, and/or work.

gorgeous and trendy what more could you ask forread more

A really fantastic selection of baby and children's items - this store stocks everything from kids…read moreoutfits to prams and cots. This store is located half way down Castle street, it has a more personal feel to it in contrast to the big chain children's shops in town. They seem to stock all the essentials for a new born baby, the place is jam packed with Cots (both traditional and modern) and prams. All the prams are at ground level so you can give them a good test. Really modern store inside with the all the major baby brands stocked.

Pricewise Kids Store is another of those independent baby shops which I cant help going into to…read morehave a nosy. They are often overpriced but their stock is generally different and funky! Pricewise, as the name suggests, is slightly different. They focus more on cheaper prices and cheaper stock. Which is quite refreshing to an extent. They have all the usual items, such as clothing, blankets, sheets, toys (good for Christmas), prams, highchairs, etc etc. And I must say that the majority of stuff is pretty good and very nice. I was surprised however to see one large section of the bottom floor devoted to Halloween costumes, but I guess kids have to get costumes somewhere, so why not here. Certainly worth a wee visit for essentials and gifts!

Having 4 nephews and soon to be 3 nieces it's sometimes tough to find an original present or…read moresomething I haven't got another one of them in the past. This year I thought I would wander off the well-worn High Street and in to St Georges Market to see if I could find something quirky and cool that would not only impress the little ones but also make my sisters smile. When I came across the Tee and Toast stall I immediately knew I had found what I was looking for, they have a range on kiddies clothes and accessories with locally inspired images and phrases (see my bib pic). The lady manning the stall was as bright and bubbly as the clothes on display and she helped me choose the 'Bout Ye Belfast' bib that's sure to get a chuckle form the latest member of my ever expanding family. They are based at St Georges Market on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday but also have an online store that I will be definitely be visiting for Christmas presents for the big and small members of the family. It's refreshing to see our local culture and landmarks being displayed in such a positive and humorous way.

This is a great clothes shop but a bit pricy. They clothes are good quality and wash well. Also a…read morebit different it you want something nice.

Better Value, Better Quality, It must be Dunnes Stores! Remember this old TV jingle for Dunnes…read more Anytime anyone mentions the place that recycles in my head. So all I can say is the ad worked. Anyway Dunnes Stores eh? What can I say, it is a bit of an institution in Northern Ireland and Ireland, it is kind of the same deal as Primark. Low quality clothes but at an excellent price. For instance I think I have got a few white shirts for various occasions from Dunnes stores. I would say its target audience is the older generation as I do not see too many young people go in and out of Dunnes. But it must be doing okay as it has been in its unit in the Flagship centre for years and years. If you need the basics in terms of clothes and don't want to spend too much money then I would go to Dunnes Stores. The flagship Centre is right in the centre of town and there is on site parking and ATM's galore.

Dunnes store is a classy department store situated in the centre of Bangor. Although it is moderate…read morein size it is all on the one floor and does stock a good selection of children's, ladies and men's. There is also a good quality stock of household goods. I have never been dissatisfied with anything that I have purchased from this store wether for me or as a present. It really is value for money with prices being very affordable for the quality provided. The only problem I have when shopping here is that there are so many nice things to choose from, just when you think you have got what you want, you see something else that had a bigger wow factor!! It is a lovely clean and bright store and the layout always stay the same so there is no valuable time wasted trying to find the section you are looking for. All in all I can't really say anything negative about this store except that I really could shop till I drop when I go into it but I always manage to come home with one of those great bargains that we all love to get our hands on !!