At last! The British weather finally matches the lovely sunny greeting that is always waiting for…read moreyou within! If any store keeper/retail outlet wants to know the real meaning of customer service then this is where they need to visit. I just popped in for a drink and some chewing gum and stayed a good 5 minutes talking. The owners really do have the right attitude. A big old 5 stars!!

Around The Clock is more than just a convenience store. Of course, it does sell the items you would…read moreexpect to find, a healthy selection of magazines, and a wide range of snacks and sweets. However, the staff at this branch on the Headrow are so friendly. My dad was recently in Leeds on business and he had forgotten to bring any toothpaste with him. Sure, people remind you never to forget your toothbrush, but where is the same warning for its matching paste? An oversight. We were going for a few drinks at Mr Foley's and supper at Tampopo, when we made the detour into Around The Clock to remedy the problem. My dad politely asked the guy behind the counter of its whereabouts, and the three men who were serving in the shop started singing an impromptu rap-cum-song about toothpaste! An excellent moment in the day. After being touched by their camaraderie, we bought a few other items, and left feeling uplifted and amused in equal measures. The performances are not scheduled, but do pop in any time for brilliant customer service of a well stocked local shop.

This rating has nothing to do with the staff, sandwiches or general merchandise. The owner of this…read morebusiness needs to do something; be open "around the clock" or change the name!

I like McColl's - it's a scaled down supermarket that basically gets rid of all the crap useless…read morebits and adds some extra useful bits in their place. Firstly, it has a cash point attached, which is always welcome, especially in areas like this that could do with a few more. Secondly, it has a post office attached, but it's not just a post office, so you can go there, buy some food and send a letter at the same time, which I find quite exciting. Finally, it sells booze. And nowhere that sells booze can go far wrong. Convenient, cheap and friendly. Lovely McColl's.

Typical off-licence (I liked it better when it was a Forbuoys, mostly because I worked there and…read morethat was fun, back in my student days), with a Post Office at the back. Good range of magazines and cards, although expect to pay a bit more, for the, um, 'convenience'.

Roundhay Convenience Store is one of those shops that makes you feel conspicuous as soon as you go…read morein. Maybe they're used to familiar local faces and aren't particularly good at welcoming strangers. It sells the standard range of groceries and kitchen cupboard essentials, as well as toiletries, crisps, sweets, chocolate, drinks, newspapers and magazines. They also have a small range of greetings cards and sell cigarettes and alcohol beghind the counter - the booze being mainly spirits. It is well stocked and would probably serve the needs of the locals reasonably well. When I left I said 'thanks, bye' and received no reply. Cheers. But I think the star I'm going to knock off for rudeness will have to be replaces by a star for being open 24-7! That's some dedication for such a modest local shop!

Though just one of a large chain of One Stop's selling similar products, there are a few points…read moreworth mentioning that make this one stand out for me. Firstly they sell a wide range of nuts and dried fruit for a healthy snack, or for a life-saving recipe ingredient...if somehow you found yourself in the same position as me when I had trailed around similar shops for hours in the freezing cold looking for dried fruit and nuts for a particular recipe...(gluten and dairy free fudge-type treat for a friend with a few allergies!) And they sell Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate, which I believe to be dairy-free, and was also an essential ingredient in the aforementioned recipe mission from hell! They also have a FREE cash machine! Yes!

Oh dear. My relationship with this One-Stop has come to a bitter end. It started well enough,…read morebecause they happened to be open one Saturday night when I was in dire need of 12 cans of Carlsberg, and the evening culminated in me kissing Hot Steve and that was dead nice, so I did have fond memories of this garishly-coloured convenience store. Then we came here last Sunday at about 5 o'clock and didn't get to leave til half past because of the ridiculously incompetent staff. We only wanted bread and milk, but were queuing for twenty minutes (I sh*t you not). There were two guys on the tills, and ever single transaction seemed to require the consultation of the other till person. It was amazing to watch. Sort of like car crash TV. Everyone in the queue was huffing and puffing and tutting and tapping their feet. Including me. And that, dear reader, is why I shall go to Bargain Booze instead in future.

This newsagent/offie has a buzzing community feel about it, with one of its windows covered in…read morehand-written adverts and posters for local events and the atmosphere is welcoming, with the staff chatting and joking away with customers. It sells everything you'd expect from a local shop with all the household essentials including bread, dairy produce, tinned food, condiments, pasta and rice, drinks, crisps, treats, ice creams and a wide selection of alcohol at decent prices as well as the obvious newspapers and magazines plus much more. They also offer a dry cleaning service (very unusual for a newsagent!) which was advertised as half price when I passed by recently. Very handy if you live in the local area! Overall a great shop providing for all your convenience needs with a heart-warming dose of community spirit!

Great, reasonably priced drinks and snacksread more

This is a small Sainsbury's Local store, located inside Leeds Station, even for a Sainsbury's…read moreLocal, it feels tiny but it's ideal if you're catching a train and want to get any essentials, such as a drink, or a bottle of milk without having to go too far out of your way. There are a small number of self-service checkouts and this location also supports Sainsbury's SmartShop where you can scan items on your phone, pay and then leave, while there's also a staffed checkout if you prefer a more personal touch. It is a little cramped inside due to the size, but the layout still seemed familiar and to make sense so I could easily find what I was looking for. 3* - There are much larger convenience stores across the city centre, so this isn't somewhere you'd come unless you were using the station, but the staff are friendly and the selection is OK for bare essentials which should be fine if you're short for time.

Very slow service, the queue seemed disorderly with people at all sides despite a clear notice…read moresaying which way to queue. The staff saw this and did nothing to get people queuing the right way. This resulted in people jumping the queue in front of others. Wouldn't use this place again, very very poor.