Best Sellers is a discount store whereby you can buy pretty much anything at a lesser price than…read moreanywhere else, primarily because of its shorter date. For me, I usually feel uncomfortable buying food that has a shorter date. I don't know why. Perhaps it is because there is a chance I could get ill. Or perhaps it is because I am a snob. Either way, I like to buy food that has a longer date because when it is on offer I buy it to keep it in the house. Best Sellers means that whenever you buy the food, you kind of have to have it straight away which doesn't suit me. Not a favourite of mine but some people love a bargain

A friend of mine who was known for his...how shall we say...frugality, used to frequent this store…read more He would bring back loads of biscuits, sweets, crisps and other goodies. I always wondered how he got so much food there. So one day I ventured to Best Sellers. I was amazed. Bottled water for 20p? Crisps for 10p? Soup for 50p? Then I took a look at the expiration dates on the food. Oh. That's what's going on here. But if that doesn't bother you, then Best Sellers is your place. And, really, how can water go out of date? Not all the stuff is out of date. They also have a dairy and frozen food selection that is thankfully in date. I don't think any place would last too long selling out of date milk. Even in Belfast. Some of the food is just...unusual and this is where it winds up. I expect to see a whole lot of those Walker's World Cup flavour crisps here pretty soon...

My word...is it possible to have this many discount stores on the same street?! Well, apparently…read moreso, this being the third one I've reviewed. Apparently this epithet applies not only to this one shop, but to the entire Woodstock area... Bargain World, as Emma (the previous reviewer) rightly notes, is much more of a hardware store - tupperware, tools, kitchen utensils galore - than your run of the mill bargain shop. In saying that, I did find two bottles of deodorant for 99p each, which was notable for three reasons: 1) I've never found them for 99p elsewhere. 2) They're incredibly difficult to find. 3) They were pretty grimy and needed a clean. I took them anyway (after giving them a rub with a tissue). Perhaps the most notable aspect of Bargain World is the greeting as you come in the door. I almost jumped the height of myself when I walked in, and a recorded voice said "Hello and welcome" (or something like that...I was too busy nearly wetting myself to remember). Even when you leave, the little detector picks up your movement and says exactly the same thing, which I thought was quite amusing. Well, you have been warned...watch for that welcoming voice, and prepare yourself to find a few bargains.

Yes, there are bargains here - but not the sort of bargain that normally costs £250 and is £50 in…read morethe sale, more like £1.29 for a pack of kitchen towels or a bumper pack of toilet bleach. It's a bit like an indoor market - and I don't mean that in a derogatory sense - it's just not a fancy boutique or upmarket shop. It's a hardware shop - and I kind of like hardware shops, especially the locally run ones as you can get your cleaning products and household good really cheap here - hence the name. They also sell big plastic planters much cheaper than you would get in a garden centre and I'm sure the gardening enthusiasts would be happy with them. I know if I was getting kitted out for a new place to live, it would be a good place to go for your kitchen bits and pieces as well as cleaning products.

In the current hierarchy of economy shops B&M have to be at the top. This particular store…read moreespecially is neat, tidy, well laid out, brightly lit and surprisingly pleasant to walk around. It has a huge range of food, household goods, gardening products, DIY equipment, toys, gifts and pet care items. A proper variety shop which is cheap and cheerful. I'm never going to buy food, cleaning products or toiletries from a place like B&M. However, if ever I need a new linen basket, rug, suitcase, clothes horse or bucket and mop and my funds are low then B&M would be my first stop.

I have to agree with other reviewers here, B&M really is a one stop shop and is well on top in the…read morehierarchy of discount stores. The reason for this is the variety they offer. You can get everything from American sweets to suit cases for your holidays here! This store in the Boucher Road retail park is larger than the majority of their other shops and has a warehouse feel to it. There's no frills here, just a shed load of discounts. Yesterday when I visited it was well staffed, two people on the tills to keep queuing to a minimum and a good few floor staff dotted about if I happened to need any assistance. A-ok in my book and a shop of regularly visit if I was looking for random bits and bobs at low cost.

I must, must, must quote my sister on this one…read more.. Sis: Eh, so Mum, we went to this here cheap shop today...it was called, emmm...Cracker...Crackers...emmm, oh dear. Lynne: Selection Box? Sis: Ah yes, I knew it was something to do with Christmas! Pure class. Selection Box is appropriately named, not because it has anything to do with Christmas, but because it has such a wide variety of things (for want of a better term), that it's near darn impossible to find what you want. Everything is very cheap too, but you do mostly get what you pay for. I was excited to see a 99p ankle strap (my foot's been giving me a bit of bother you see...sniff), but when I turned the box round to read the instructions, I was slightly mortified to read that I was not to use it when "slpp". Mmmm...I'm guessing that translates as "asleep"? We did pick up a couple of bargains though - a tub of sweets for 99p, plus a few 'Animal' bars (I'm such a child, I know), also for 99p. The shop assistant was very pleasant and cheery too. Bargains galore, and plenty of random tat...why not see what you can find for 99p?

Way back in 2010 I was perhaps a little harsh on this branch of TK Maxx. I think that sifting…read morethrough clothes is the reason that people shop at TK Maxx, they enjoy the excitement and the possibility of getting a real bargain. Sifting isn't actually too bad at this TK Maxx as the staff keep the rails in pretty good order. Belfast now has plenty of fashion outlets but it doesn't have much similar to TK Maxx. This store is huge and set over 3 floors. It has a woman's section, kids section, men's section and even a dedicated jewelry counter. My advice would be that if you are looking for something specific then come to TK Maxx and see if they have it in store, you could save yourself a few quid.

Tkmax is a huge department store with men/women clothes, footwear, homeware, food, kids toys,…read moreluggage and general random things like frames and art. It's all supposed to be 60% less than regular high street prices. There are always was/now prices to give idea of prices. The home department is my favourite part.

One good thing about recession - it makes second hand cool again. In a time when everyone is…read morewatching the pennies, charity and vintage shops are making a killing. This store opened up in 2009 and seems to be doing very well. I love going in for a wee hoke about and while, like at most second hands, the results are varied, I've managed to find a few little pieces amongst the rails. It is predominately clothing, but there is the odd bit of furniture which tends to be beautifully crafted dressers or wardrobes - just what you need to hold all your beautiful vintage items, right? The staff are always very welcoming, the prices are right and there's always something new to find, rather than the same old stuff you see on the high street normally. Plus, it's run by the East Belfast Mission who do a lot of good work in the poorer parts of East Belfast, engaging with young people and homeless outreach, so everyone's a winner!

'Vintage, re:use, re:style, re:store'…read more I love the idea of this shop. I hate waste and I'm always one for restyling my own clothes. This isn't just another vintage shop, it's slightly better quality than the others. They do a great job with mannequins, I'm always impressed with their window dressing skills. The clothes in the shop front was the first thing I ever noticed about the place. It's always a really good job. So kudos to whoever sets this up. Inside the store it's always laid out brilliantly, some vintage shops are a bit like TK Maxx at the best of times, you need a good few hours to sort through the jumble until you find the gem you're after, but in Vintage they've got everything in order around the shop and you can immediately find some real gems. They sell (amongst a myriad of others) trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, jackets, formal and casual wear. Anything and everything. Paradise! Even their furniture is for sale (so pretty too!) Like most vintage shops they don't offer refunds but do offer a credit note exchange. I find this particularly handy if you don't have the time to try items on. You're always going to find something you're after anyway.

I was cutting through Wellington Street on my way to Upper Queens Street yesterday when I stumbled…read moreacross Octopus's Garden. Belfast used to be a wash with Vintage stores but over the years these have slowly become extinct so it's always good to see a new one rise from the bottom of the ocean - much like an Octopus. Octopus's Garden has many strands or arms/tentacles (may as well continue down pun street). It sells vintage clothing for both males and females, old school vinyl and various other retro artifacts. The main thing I liked about Octopus Garden was that their was a varied choice - the rails were jam packed with everything from flannel shirts, band T's to leather jackets and potentially bum cheek exposing denim hot pants. The prices were reasonable too - you often find that vintage stores inflate the prices of their stock but it seems that Octopus Garden have made a concerted effort not to extort their clientele. I was only going in for a browse but I ended up walking out with a loud shirt that has already proved a controversial choice - but that's the beauty of buying vintage items - they always divide opinion and create a talking point. I recommend popping in here for a wee duke round - you never know you might come out with your (not everyone's) new favourite shirt.

If I was trapped in the Garden of The Octo I would never have a time of misery or boredom. This is…read morethe slickest place so far and I would tell anyone who visits this city that loves music and old clothes to begin their journey here. I love this place!

There are so many economy shops nowadays that every street seems to have a couple. Some are better…read morethan others, unfortunately I don't think Home Bargains is one of the better low price stores. It's a bit depressing to walk around (dimly lit and drab), doesn't have the widest range of stock and what is on the shelves appears to be of poor quality. Everything that's wrong with this shop is summed up in one item I saw on sale which made me roar with laughter - a waterproof plastic onsie for £9.99! Cheap looking, plastic, tacky, pointless and actually a bit of a rip off because it looked like it should be £1.99 not £9.99! So here's my advice, there are better low cost stores about but if you must visit Home Bargains please don't buy any toiletries as they're not Leaping Bunny Certified and be careful of food because it's probably cheaper on special offer from your local supermarket. However if you need a clothes horse, clothes hangers or waste paper bin etc, all such household items are cheap and cheerful. I'll leave the opinion on the waterproof plastic onsie to your own personal discretion ;-))

Why have I never gone in here before? I had no idea it was so massive. As you walk in there is a…read morereally big display unit filled with jewelry - i'm assuming it's all second hand but that doesn't matter as there were some really lovely little pieces. The massive selection of earrings caught my eye with all sorts of colors and sizes and, get this, the prices started at around a pound! I'm starting to wonder why I bother paying a fortune cartain other stores when you can help charity, get a lovely piece and pay next to nothing all at one go. If you are a student and you need a desk or a decent TV for a bargain price then this seems to be the place to go. Out the back is crammed with old desks, wardrobes, tables, sofas and chairs all at very reasonable prices - now none of this stuff is modern or scratch/stain free but it is usable and functioning. A real God send if you are strapped for cash but still need a decent piece of furniture. I was really impressed with this charity shop and I will definitely be back in periodically, just to see if there is anything I can make use of in my wee house.

I love this place…read more.. It's got everything you need for moving into a new house from sofas, to chest of drawers and wardrobes. The store gets daily delieveries which means if you miss out on something be sure to take a look again the next day as something bigger and better could have arrived. A little lesson I learned the hard way is to put down a deposit if you see something you like because the items go so fast if you come back at the end of the day it will be gone. The shop is great for student houses as you can pick up bits and pieces for next to nothing and then not feel too guilty about leaving them behind when you have no room in your car when moving. As well as furniture the store does a few rails of clothing which is worth a quick look for some bargain basics.

Poundworld is a shop where everything is a pound, or two pounds, or basically somewhere that you…read moredon't get 5ps or 10ps in change... My dream! However, in order to recieve change, one must spend money and this in itself is difficult when everything in the shop is utter rubbish. I get discount stores and as I spent a lonely childhood in a local pound shop I feel I have special affinity with the ol' quid shops. But there are two particular shops... the ones that you go to if you want to try and get a bargain, and then the ones that are just full of rubbish. Going by the two stars, you could probably take a punt on which category this sorry mess falls into. The recession has hit us all (as we are told on the news) and thus discount shops have never seen their profits so sky high before, but I have walked around this shop three times, desperately searching for something I would be happy paying a pound for and I stopped short of sweets I'd never heard before and a packet of batteries which I know I would get very little use out of. Having a position on the main street in the city centre is a bold move for a discount shop so you have to admire its grit and determination. Plus, its location guarantees it a steady stream of customers who march up and down to Primark and then back to their buses. But truthfully there are better discount stores in Belfast and it is a shame that despite such an ideal location for a shop, the stock in it amounts to nothing but junk and rubbish.