Ah, Sharon G reminded me of how I feel about TK Maxx…read more Getting past the fact that it's called TJ Maxx in the states (why the difference??), coming here is weirdly fun. Everything is so cheap! It's not just cheap, though, there is actually some nice and well made stuff. I can only assume that it's the kind of stuff that has some kind of invisible fault that makes it unsellable in the likes of John Lewis and other type stores, because that's the only way for me to explain the price. It's so cheap and well stocked, that The Man is actually the one who suggests coming here. We have purchased Le Cruset, bathroom accessories, cute glass storage jars, and have been tempted by loads of their pots/pans/etcetc. The clothing takes more work - they've got pretty reasonable walking gear, but in terms of everyday clothes I've not even tried to look because I just don't have the energy it would take to search through dozens of racks of rank just to find one nice thing. I think I'll probably suggest going this weekend...

This TKMaxx isn't as nice as some I've been in. It has a very garish orange decor and it is dark…read moreand dingy on the inside. The stock isn't really as good as the branches in Glasgow or even Fort Kinnaird, which is half the size. Staff aren't the friendliest and there are often tourists who stop in front of you to pose with the sign saying "Love Straiton". Also I tripped on the staircase once and an employee just laughed in my face. I'm not going back to this branch any time soon.

Great Nike outlet store with reasonable factory prices and great clearance sales too. The store…read morelooks great and is fun to browse, and I found a great workout too marked down to £5.50!

Apparently this is one of only a hand full of such stores in Scotland, and hence I thought it worth…read moreof a review, especially seeing as its located in the centre of Penicuik, a small town south of Edinburgh whose's shopping scene, quite frankly, has seen better days. Needless to say, the large blue exterior, with clear windows offering gazes into the wonders within, intrigued me. As I entered, I was surprised to see the extent of goods available in this shop. It certainly can be considered a miniature department store. Clothes, groceries, clothes, toys, DVDs, car accessories, camping accessories, DIY, stationary..... the list is seemingly endless. I first explored the DVD section and was amazed to see many familiar, popular titles included in a two for a fiver deal. I ended up purchasing two reasonably priced reporters notepads at two for £1.50. The reason I have put this under "reasonably priced" is that the paper quality isn't that fantastic, and I observed that this was probably the case which a lot of the stock available. However, is that not expected from such a discount store? The stock was very well presented and the staff offered a friendly mannerism. Overall, four stars due to the fact that a lot of the products available aren't of great quality which may leave some disappointed.

A bit out of town... Not pedestrian friendly…read more.. A big box jungle.

All in all, a little bit manky but has a decent variety of shops…read more There is a big Sainsburys and a more recent addition of a big Asda. They are both nice supermarkets and I have no complaints there. Sandwiched between them in IKEA which is an absolute delight and necessity for Edinburgh. Further down from Sainsburys there are many more shops and LOTS of terrible potholes in the road. There is a lovely big Next home store, a few bargain stores and a Homebase. Overall, if you need something, I am sure Straiton will have a shop where you can find it.

Expensive but oh so helpful, Laura Ashley is the home of all things floral and middle age lady…read moredressed. This location also has a really good selection of the home range with sofas, wall paper and everything else that you might need to turn your house into floral country cottage style place. The sales assistant that helped me was super helpful and knowledgeable about their sofas. She asked me to have a seat on the sofa that I was considering while she went to get the fabric books and leaflets with the details of the sofa. They have a huge range of fabrics, three books worth to choose from, everything from plain to pink houndstooth. There also was no pressure to order and decide right away and a quote was put together so I could come back and just order without having to go through all the options again. A very friendly store and I'll be back again to look at other options when I move on to wall paper and nick nacks for the next room.

I love popping into this outlet location of Laura Ashley since they have some beautiful dresses and…read morelots of sales (that are almost perpetually running). Even with 30% or 50% off, some things can be a tad expensive but often worth it for the high quality. Some things can have a middle-aged woman feel to them, but I do like many of their cute floral dresses and nice women's work clothing that are great for young people, too! Today I found a beautiful dress marked down in the clearance section several times from £85 to £33! Besides the clothing which I usually focus on, they also do home decor. It's worth a pop in!

Matalan is a shiny and gorgeous shop at Straiton. Since it opened in 2014, it has gone down well…read morewith the consumers and it is always buzzing. Downstairs has womenswear and childrenswear and the upstairs has menswear and homewares. The fitting rooms are spacious and bright and there are toilets at the back of the ground floor which still look brand new. Matalan's strong point is the homeware section which has scented candles, cushions, furniture and more. This store is bigger and better than the ones in Leith and Slateford and I like it.