Not nearly as you might hope it's going to be, Allkinds seems to have set itself up as a sort of…read moreodds-n-sods, charity shop type store for electrical and audio goods. Of course the only - and I will go as far as to say major - drawback to this type of store is that it is rare that electrical goods will be the type of thing you will want to pick up from a charity/second hand store. It's not snobbery or a need to keep with the constantly rapid changes to electrical goods that causes this but simply that these goods don't really last that long. It may be that they're not built to last - as everyone now knows from the need to upgrade your mobile every year or 2! - but often it is usually the software or hardware that you need to use with these items. Of course you can see Allkinds as some sort of Be Kind Rewind thrift store for the analogue junkies who wish to preserve the beauty of tapedecks and 8 tracks in valiant attempt to stave off the digital onslaught. There is a growing number of people seeking out analogue gems in order to play their old mixtapes and being a vinyl fan I totally agree but be warned I am yet to find anything in such a store that will work well or not need a little work. However that is often the beauty of hunting down these items.

All Kinds is a real blast from the past and I absolutely loved everything about the place from the…read moremusky smell to the retro produce. There aren't many places left in Liverpool or indeed even in the country which still stock and sell cassettes and vinyl's but it is nice to see that there are some places with real passion which are not letting this fantastic trade die. The selection inside was astounding with music from various different eras and even such classics as BBC sound effects albums last seen on an episode of Father Ted I believe. The owner of the shop could not have been more friendly as he indulged me naive requests and questions regarding old music as I was desperate to find out as much information as I could. Even though this place could do with a bit of a refurbishment there is no cause for complaint from me. It is like stepping into a simpler world and for a few minutes you can browse the store and forget the mayhem outside and if you have a cassette of vinyl player you might bag yourself a bargain.

They have been there since the dawn of time. I would go there for my bits when I was at school and…read moreI am now 57. They have the usual resistors and ICs but bins you can rummage in and find a something you didn't know existed but you know you are going to need sometime. Staff are well friendly as well as knowledgeable. Maplin has come and gone but these guys know their stuff.

Simply my first point of call if i need an electric cable, screw or obscure electric fuse of some…read moredescription. Fair enough, most larger items (mixers, teevee, CCTV, kettle etc) can be found cheaper online, but attentive customer service and an answer, if not product, for most queries.

This branch of Maplin is a fairly small store, located in Liverpool city centre in what is classed…read moreas the Clayton Square Shopping Mall, it is also near enough opposite a Tesco Metro store and within a few minutes walk of St John's and Liverpool Lime Street (Train Station). The staff here didn't seem too friendly, and the overall vibe from the store wasn't great, it seemed slightly darker and old-fashioned and not a really nice place to shop. Maplin is an electronics retailer, and the overall layout of the store didn't show that it didn't seem bright, vibrant or modern as one would expect a store of its' nature to be. The store layout made it a little bit tricky to find things, and in a way it felt like they were selling junk in parts, which also worsened the vibe. This place had huge similarities between a small section of Clas Ohlson selling similar products, which is a Swedish department store chain with a few stores in the UK, including one a few minutes away also in Clayton Square, Liverpool. Overall, due to the poor service and the poor overall feel of the branch, this isn't a very nice place to shop and probably somewhere I wouldn't visit again, and would also advise people against visiting, sadly warranting a single one-star rating.

Good things about Maplin -…read more 1. The staff are really excellent; no question too stupid, no electronics related matter too complex. When it comes to helping out with your hardware problems or advising you on your hardware needs the staff are it. 2. Whatever you need they usually have in stock - from memory sticks to lighting rigs. What they don't have they are happy to order in for you. Bad things about Maplin - 1. The stuff in here is hugely overpriced. Paying £15+ for a HDMI cable (which connects blu-ray players, Playstations and Xboxes to HD televisions) when you could get an almost identical one ordered over the internet for less than £3 including postage just seems daft. It's not only internet prices - they wanted almost £20 for a 2GB SD card (which are used in most digital cameras) when at WH Smith i paid less than £7 for the same size. 2. The shop itself is a little bit baffling, with tiny information markers and unclear pricing. Maybe I'm just easily confused. In fact, that's definitely true. Still though, it all could be made a bit simpler.

During my time in the UK, I knew absolutely nothing about where to shop. That changed quickly when…read morethe homie Shay M. was hooking it up with the hints on where to go for some of the good stuff you can only find out here! Enter... ASDA!! It's a grocery store, but this particular location has 2 stores under 1 roof. The Home Bargains store houses "hardline" items as well as a few food and drinks options. It's here at this location that I was able to find and snag the well-known English cookies (or "biscuits" as they're locally called) which are branded as "Digestives." I do believe these can be found in San Diego's Shakespeare restaurant and store, but they're probably limited on flavors and guaranteed to cost more. While here, I found some of the hot sauces Shay told me about. I have a friend who loves hot sauce, so I'll be gifting that to her along with other yummies. The Cadbury chocolate tub was also here, and on sale. 2 tubs for £9!! That's an unbeatable price! There's a small selection of fruits and veggies and also fresh flower bouquets. I love the prices at these grocery stores. If I lived here, I wouldn't worry too much about sales, but the ones they do have make the prices even more amazing! Gotta love it here at ASDA! Get your shop on and save a grip of money doing it! ;)

Smithdown Road ASDA, or officially Sefton Park ASDA. Everything you expect in a large supermarket…read more This branch has an extra 'string to their bow'....... the staff. Last Saturday, I approached 3 different members of staff with different enquiries I needed resolving. I can only say they went above and beyond what I expected and remedied all my requirements . Many thanks to you all. I had earlier visited the instore Opticians, my original reason for attending the store and was served by a young lady, Kia. She was obviously well informed and trained. A credit to all trainers and recruiters at the store. I have never thought this before but I left feeling as if I was a truly valued customer, due to Kia and her 3 colleagues. I can only recommend visiting this store as it makes shopping a pleasant experience and not the usual chore. I hope the store general manager and department head take note of this review.

Located on Liverpool's Lord Street, this branch of CeX is a decent sized store, albeit on the first…read morefloor you enter the store on it is slightly small. It specialises in selling second-hand technology such as consoles, games and even phones, where it buys from the public and then sells on. From the outside the store looks nicer and modern modern than other CeX stores, ditching the standard red sign and simply writing Entertainment Exchange with the CeX logo on the side, makes it has a nicer, more modern and higher class feel which is a smart idea I hope to see at more stores as that is simply what CeX stand for, to the point where it is one of my favourite parts of the store where it ditches its usual branding which I find hideous to something cooler. Going into the store the modern vibe seems to disappear, it is located up a large step and there are no lifts once you get into the store, so that's worth noting if you have trouble with them. The range of products available was decent, yet the store inside had more of a slightly cheap and more of a typical CeX vibe, not too modern, the overall cleanliness of the store also could have been improved drastically. Prices can be a little hit and miss, with some prices often costing the same to buy "new" elsewhere, CeX argue this is to give the person trading in or selling their used product back to them the best price, but in most prices one of the two prices isn't the best, so it is finding the balance to that. The store looks nice and inviting from the outside and it is in a good central Liverpool location, yet as you go into the store it doesn't scream a modern city centre location which I feel my closer branch Manchester Arndale in a way does, so I feel CeX on Lord Street only deserves a two-star rating due to the issues discussed.

CeX is a store where you can trade in your unwanted electronics goods (as long as they are in full…read moreworking order and in adequate condition) to be resold at the store. All items you trade in are fully tested to meet specific criteria, so there are no shortcomings when buyers decide to purchase pre-owned items. If an item you buy is faulty, there is a refund policy as long as you return the item with the receipt. I have been a registered member with the store for about 3 years and ever since, I have traded in many items (mostly dated mobile phones) as I often like to keep up with the trend when it comes to anything technology related! Once trading in, there is the option of 'exchange' or 'cash' but whichever you choose, there is not much difference in terms of value. It all depends on your preference. It's an ideal store for those who are into gaming, mobile phones, computers and mp3's however it if you decide to buy any of their goods, items will usually be more expensive than the RRP which in a way does not make sense because products are pre-owned; this is actually their way of making profits so be warned. Personally I would suggest this store if you wish to trade in for cash or want to buy second-hand games (these are always cheaper) but everything else is has a bigger price tag.

If you are visiting North West Radio then you are either a bit of a geek like me wanting a license…read morefree walkie talkie with a difference to use in outdoor pursuits and skiing or you are one of the many businesses such as hospitals, schools and Police for which private and one to many communication is crucial. The company, owned by Paul Kenealy offers a wide range of products. As a radio ham I recognise some of the makes such as icom as really good quality, military spec equipment. In addition to the hire and sale of two way radio equipment for big events and security they also offer vehicle tracking equipment. I think the coolest product on offer are probably the Padgentry portable radios with Camera's. Some special offers are available depending on quantity ordered.