Extremely eclectic, random shop where you might find anything and everything. Picture frames,…read morecookware, knick-knacks, toys, DIY stuff, artist material, watches it's all cheap and the trick is just to remember to go there first, rather than to the specialist store, for whatever you have in mind. Great for gifts when you don't know what to get someone.

The 'other' shopping plaza in Reading, Broad Street doesn't have the glitz and glamor of the Oracle…read moreShopping Plaza a short walk away. Which isn't to say it's a poor experience, because it's good! Anchor shops like TJ Maxx and Argos, plus name brands Supercuts, GNC, Ethel Austin, Poundland and Foot Locker. There isn't a food court, but there is a nice atrium with a coffee shop and a bakery (on site baking!) making for a pleasant experience in good weather or bad. There is a staffed kiosk for the Reading bus system for questions and for buying your bus fare debit card.

Although very much the poor relation to the Oracle, there is certainly nothing wrong with The…read moreButts. It has a wide range of shops to explore and always seems very busy. Broad St Mall also has a multistorey carpark attached to it so you don't have to rely on parking at the oracle which can get gridlocked at weekends. If you need a break from shopping there are plenty of places you can get a drink or something to eat to catch your breath before you return to the bargain hunting.

Really helpful and friendly staff at this Costco when I visited on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of good…read moresampling of food and drink too incl two kinds of Jamiesons! It was busy, but they had all lanes open at checkout and I lucked out with an empty one at the far right, so was in and out in under an hour which has to be some kind of record for Costco shopping! Btw, I really love the differences in Costco cafe food items between US and UK. There was a pulled pork sandwich for sale at the cafe here which I heroically resisted getting as wasn't very hungry. Maybe when/ if go again, will get it and update the review :)

I'm a Costco addict and thought it would be fun to visit while here from the States. I introduced…read moremy friends to it, who are here for a year. The prices are definitely good and make it worth the visit. This Costco has a lot of interesting items and food that we don't have at the ones at home.

I ventured to Reading on an excursion from Uxbridge expecting to find a fairly monotonous, dull…read moretown. That's what I found in all honesty except for one or two gems. This place was one of the gems. More specifically than Oxfam it is an Oxfam Music Shop and it's really one of the best offerings Oxfam has. There are boxes filled with records of all genres from bluegrass to techno and a good selection of CDs and music books too. The prices are much better than you'd find in London and more akin to a charity shop than a record store. For me the best part was the classical music selection. 10 records for £5. That's 50p for an LP. Insane. I was giddy, I couldn't take too many back with me but I managed to find 10 with some supremely awesome arrangements and wonderfully designed covers. At 50p you can just pick 10 random records and take them home to listen to, if you don't like it you can redonate it at no really great loss and if you do then it's a bonus. I really wish I lived closer so I could go back time and time again. Also, erm, the staff were supremely hot. I mean it's kind of a cliché that hot indie types would work in an Oxfam music store but they do. Seriously.

This interesting charity shop is set just off Broad Street and sells primarily CDs, DVDs, sheet…read moremusic, LPs, EPs and other vinyls. Sometimes there can be some real classics to purchase, and when I was in there a customer enquired about an Iron Maiden LP which I think was priced around £35, so some collectors items can be had. I bought two pieces of sheet music which they priced at 99p each (both single songs). They have music for piano, recorder, organ, keyboard, double bass and guitar. I was very tempted by a Placebo CD for £3.99 in excellent condition although I refrained. Definitely worth a look if you're into music, and also want to help a worthwhile cause.

A great Grocery store , love the mix drinks, ready to eat food and fresh veggies there…read more Staff is kind.

Equivalent to the Aldi chain that has locations in the US, Lidl is a very inexpensive store with…read moreminimal service and lower price. Items for sale can sometimes be a little hit-or-miss depending on what they were able to purchase, but the usual basics are usually in stock. There typically isn't more than one brand of any item, but the quality is decent. Produce is varied and the frozen section is good. Dairy is also limited, but there is a reasonable choice in the booze and personal care areas. Service is minimal - other than a few shelf-stockers and one or two checkout staffers, there's no one there. The location is right next to the Reading West Station, on Oxford Road. As with some other stores, do have your £1 coin to deposit for a trolley ("cart" or "wagon" in American) though the hand-carry baskets are available. Two warnings. Bags are NOT free here - you either bring your own or you purchase them as you pack. They do NOT accept credit cards or checks. It's cash or debit card only. Yes, I would return. However the downside is that there may be things on my shopping list that aren't on offer, so I might end up in Tesco or Sainsbury's instead.

we travel from Hungerford to your store which is about 20 miles as we love shopping with you but on…read moreour last visit we were informed that the management are trying to close the salad bar, deli counter and fish counter this is one of the main reasons we travel to you I'm sure that many other customers love these counters please don't stop them as we for one will not continue to travel to you

With a clear understanding of "never shop hungry", I made my first stop in the Morrison's Cafe,…read morewhere I let my stomach decide on the "Big Breakfast". So instead of not shopping hungry, I ended up shopping on a carbohydrate overload. Fried egg, fried bread, fried mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns and toast. That's not to say that it wasn't good for what it was, but I really should have just had the toast and coffee. There were plenty of other options and I saw a few people having their "Sunday roast" as it was just turning lunch time when I finished. After breakfast, I grabbed a trolley (no charge, but there is a £1 deposit) and hit the aisles. Much the same as Tesco and Asda, the produce section is large and the cheese/dairy sections are large. Good choices of all the usual products and brands. Hiding in the aisles is a decent selection of electronics, including flat screen TV's and computer accessories. I managed to finish the shop without going too far overboard. My non-scientific study suggests that Morrison's prices are slightly higher than their competitors, especially the personal care compared to Boots. The shopping experience was pleasant. The store workers seemed busy and friendly. Would I shop here again? Probably not. I'm a penny pincher and the Tesco is much closer to my home. I only visited today because I felt I needed to round out my survey of UK supermarkets.

This place is bad. The owner of the shops banned me for basically having a learning dissability and…read moregetting a tiny bit reckless. Tried to appeal through emailing customer service and they don't care. Whenever i'm nearby they watch me for no reason and that's very intimdating. Makes me feel like there puprosely discrimnating against me. Security was also physical for no reason. Hasn't even replied to most recent email with customer service. Better to go to the WH Smith in Reading Station rather than the one in Broad Street who are a lot more understanding and never banned me. If the owner of broad street WH SMITH is reading this. look up pathological demand avoidance https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/demand-avoidance

Great selection, not only of books, but also all sorts of other stuff that you wouldn't expect from…read morea bookshop. I was able to pick up a ream of printer paper as well as a nice computer headset (that they did NOT have in PC World!). Prices are good, if you stick to the discounted and buy-one-get-one items. There are also random stacks of book collections, shrink-wrapped for £5. Otherwise, they're the standard list price. The shop is on two floors, with an escalator to go up (nice) and stairs to go down (amusing, in a Las Vegas casino "keep the customers in" way). Plenty of staff who are approachable and happy to not only point you to what you are seeking, but they will go there with you to make sure you can find it.

Another sort of UK shopping experience is Iceland, which has nothing to do with Reykjavik or that…read moreash-spewing volcano. Iceland is all about frozen. Five double aisles of bunkers of frozen foods. Lots of pizzas, but also burgers and entrees and chicken and fish and potatoes and other vegetables and party foods and ready meals. All at less than 0 degrees (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Along the back of the store is the limited selection of produce and dairy items (yes, even in the UK, the milk is as far away from the front door as it is in the US) and the final aisle is the boxed stuff, such as cookies and cereals and bread and a limited selection of household chemicals (cleaning stuff) and detergent and loo rolls ("toilet paper" in American). You can't do a full shop here (unless you really like frozen food) but you can certainly gather up a good selection of stuff. One thing that's really interesting is Iceland's pricing scheme. Everything is rounded to the nearest £1. Almost everything in the store is £1 or £2 or £3 and a few things are £4. I thought the prices were in line with Tesco and Asda. (The 8-pack of Carlsberg bottles was £4 compared to £5 in Sainsbury's!) If you're someone like me (on a budget) this rounded-off pricing makes it really easy to keep track of how much stuff you have in your trolley ("wagon" or "cart"). Because my flat ("apartment") has a very small fridge with a freezer barely big enough for two pizza boxes, Iceland probably isn't the ideal place for me to shop. Also, I like fresh vegetables and fresh bread. But if you have a full size freezer and especially if you like already-prepared foods you cook in your oven or microwave, then Iceland is the place for you.

A great museum in the heart of Reading! Must See! The…read moreReading, UK museum is a fantastic place to explore if you're curious about history and local culture. It is located at the southeast corner of Blagrave and Volpy intersection. When I visited, it was under construction but signs directed you toward the entrance. As a new visitor, you'll find it full of interesting things to see and learn about. When you walk in, You are looking at an information counter. The museum is a multi-story affair to the left of the entrance. It was a friendly atmosphere and the staff was very friendly and willing to offer any help to guide you. The museum has a wide variety of exhibits, like ancient artifacts, artwork, and interactive displays. They make history come alive! The bottom floor had a section about the town's history. You can discover how Reading has changed over time, from its beginnings to the present day. It's like taking a journey through time! The 2nd floor had a recreation of the Bayeux tapestry with an explanation that was fascinating. The upper floors have wonderful art pieces including one of the largest Roman Mosaics that I have ever seen intact from the area. In summary, the Reading, UK museum is a welcoming place where you can explore history, art, and culture. Whether you're a history buff or just curious, it's a great spot to visit and learn something new about this charming town. I highly recommend it. Enjoy your visit!

Reading (pronounced like the color, red-ing) is no London, but it does have history and culture…read more Those are collected here, in the Museum of Reading. Going all the way back to the 8th century, the displays here walk you through the ages of the city. I found it very educational and enlightening. Through the old days, up to the modern days of the city that really accelerated with the arrival of the railway in the 1840's, the impact of Huntley and Palmers biscuits on the growth, and the brick factories, WWII, and the new modern age, where Microsoft, Oracle, ING Direct, Prudential have major operations here. Lots of displays, many of which are interactive. If you have kids, this might be a fun place to bring them. Though they probably already come here as part of school trips. While they don't do public guided tours, there's still plenty to look at and engage. You can probably go through the whole place (it's on three floors) in two hours. Admission is free.

Another massive mega-store, on the same order as a Wal-Mart Supercenter like in the States. Except…read morethis store is 90% food and groceries, but only 10% clothes and electronics. Wider selection of clothes and other non-food items than the Tesco I shopped last week, including a small shoe department (boots!) and an aisle of kitchen items (drip coffee maker for £7!). With this shop, I think I've fully kitted out my flat. Prices are in line with what I expected, as Asda is "part of the Wal-Mart family". Slightly lower than Tesco and much lower than the urban Sainsbury's in Reading Town Centre. It's a huge store and it's very easy to spend a couple of hours in here without realizing it. One annoying thing - Bill, the greeter, kept announcing on the overhead how much he'd love to help and kept pointing out the specials and hours. Between that and the Asda advertisements (mostly Christmas specials and electronics items), there was barely a moment of peace. I have no idea how Brits got by before these mega-stores came to be. This store literally sells every type of food and in many different varieties. Lots of ready-to-cook and ready-to-serve items in many departments. Compared to the States, the produce section was much larger. It was also a little odd (as an American) seeing a massive aisle of spirits (whiskey, scotch, etc.). In many places back home, these are in a separate section or even a different store to keep them away from the kiddies. Loads of parking and a petrol station, Asda is also served by the Reading bus lines - numbers 21 and 22 stop right in front after a ~20 minute ride from the depot. I snapped and posted pictures for you!

Our nearest Supermarket in a nice airy Mall with other shops including jewelers, shoeshops,…read moreopticians, estate agents, cleaners and cafes. It is a busy area and yet one can get ones shopping done quickly because there are so many check outs. Items are easy to find and are tastfully displayed. Good parking and also a large section where one can deposit old wine bottles. There used to be a series of small banks in this mall but there are only ATMs left. There is also a shop selling wheelchairs and mobility cars etc Across the road is a small Marks and Spencers which we use for variety .