While waiting for my flight in the Auckland Airport, I was thirsty. I decided to shop for a bottled…read morebeverage & got side-tracked. However, around NZ was the perfect store to get sidetracked in! I found all the souvenirs for each of my grandkids! One stop shop! The customer service was top notch!!! Deraley was quite helpful and very polite & friendly. For the store being inside of the airport, the prices were reasonable and the selection of items was quite generous!

High Tide is the kind of gift shop that once you know about it, you'll go back to shop for…read moreyourself. So it's type of gift store that has things you'd actually want to receive yourself, rather than just the okay but slightly pointless stuff you sometimes find in other gift shops. It has a New Zealandy theme without being tacky (think teatowels with the Four Square man and lovely handcreams featuring local ingredients and scents). Everytime I go here the stock seems to have been updated, which must be trickly in a little suburban shop, but is so necessary to keep customers' interest. It also has a bit of a beachy theme going on, which is all sort of fresh, white and blue striped, and relevant to the area too (the beach is just down the road). Best of all, the prices are genuinely reasonable for the quality of the products, and the service is brilliant - very relaxed and chatty.

An intriguing boutique that's nice to visit and have a 'window shop', as it's filled with antique,…read morestylish and interesting odds and ends. Unfortunately, everything is extremely pricey, so despite being flawed by that dress or ornament, you'd need to be making quite a lot of cash in order to buy it. The service was okay, but I find they are usually only interested in poshly dressed customers. I find this interesting considering their peeling storefront and lack of buyers. Still, I enjoy having a squiz at their collection on a lazy Saturday morning or during Midnight Madness each year.

Victoria's is a bit of an odd shop really…read more The part it does really well is the nick-nacky gift section that's takes up the front two-thirds of the shop. They have an absolutely drool-worthy children's section in the front corner opposite the door, filled with, well, really girly stuff mostly - Flower Fairies merchandise, from cups and stickers, to party ware and gifts, features strongly. Big love. The giftware and homeware in the rest of the front section of the ship is tasteful but edging towards the pricier side. Then right at the back of the shop they have a rather surprising women's clothing section. It's mother-of-the-bride-who-is-quite-wealthy type stuff, and some other formal pieces with hefty price tags. I could probably find something I liked there, but I get that dreaded feeling that I would get home, put it on, and feel instantly 20 years older.

I first discovered Little White Box at the Kraftbomb market. They sell a range of cute and dainty…read morehand crafted ceramics, mainly ornaments and kitchenware. They are all handpainted and made right here in Auckland. I have purchased a few hanging ornaments of birds and an angel and they are really special. I see now, looking at the products on their website there some cute bunny rabbit designs too. As for the pottery range, I really like the bowls/cups that have red hearts painted on them, and the polkadots and the blue stars. These would make a great addition to any kitchen. The Kraftbomb market is held every last Sunday of the month at the Grey Lynn Community Centre in Auckland 11am-2pm, and is the perfect way to spend a lazy sunday!

Gifts Galore is crammed with fun and one of those shops where you don't know where to look first…read more There's everything in here from soft toys of all sizes (even those excellent giant Hello Kittys that I'm really not allowed to buy because it's silly), to stationery, hair accessories, socks, mugs, posters, and make up. And everything has that awesome Korean twist to it, so if you need stickers of your favourite K-pop artists, here's where you head. The staff don't speak heaps of English but they are really sweet and approachable, and I'm sure their Korean is top-notch! When I had trouble figuring out if the alarm clock I bought there would play music or not (I really can't stand that end-of-the-world beep beep beep of doom), they unpacked the clock, put batteries in, and demonstrated it for me. Now that's good service.

I have been coming here for over a decade, just because you get older doesn't mean you have to grow…read moreup. Gifts Galore has just that, a lot of gifts, packed from wall to wall with cuteness. There are two sides to the store, one mostly stuffed toys and the other is stationary. Everything from pens and notebooks to mini staplers and writing paper, you will find it with Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty of Miffy the Rabbit all over it. The fun doesn't stop there, umbrellas, earphones, bento sets and flasks, absolutely everything. Gifts Galore also boast an impressive range of scented pens. If you haven't written with ink that smells of oranges, you're missing out. Such a fun shop, great for the young and young at heart.

I always find something in Acquisitions that surprises me. Just when I think novelty gifts couldn't…read moreget any quirkier, they surpass my expectations. Acquisitions is filled with anything and everything, so if you haven't got time for a good browse, the staff are always happy to point you in the right direction. I particularly like their range of greeting cards. The pop-up ones here are awesome and they're great for something a little different and fun when giving a gift to someone. The last time I was there, I saw a great artwork of the American flag and writing this really makes me wish I'd bought it now! They do a lot of Kiwiana stuff too, so its great if you're looking for a little piece of New Zealand. I always come back to Acquisitions for small gifts, because the service is exceptional. One guy I remember was super nice, not pushy at all and knew the products inside out. My partner and I had a great conversation with him and he helped us find what we were looking for. A grade service! I only wish this place was a little more central in the mall, so more people would get a look in. Its great for a nosy and you never know when you'll be heading back there for those champagne flutes, that cute key ring or last-minute stag party supplies.

This is pretty much the perfect place to buy a gift for your mum or grandma. They have lots of…read morelittle trinkets and ornaments and that kind of thing, perfect for a Christmas present or mother's day. This is also a cool place if you want to buy some unique souvenirs, not the usual boring kiwi souvenirs that you find in every generic souvenir shop, here they have some cool handcrafted Kiwiana. I think that is the coolest thing about this store, but they also have plenty of other things for sale like home ware and cooking utensils. You know, all that stuff that your nana would love. For guys, it's one of those shops that you kind of want to just get in, buy a gift, and get out, and the layout of this store makes it pretty easy to do just that.

Goldmark is one of the better jewellery stores in Manukau and despite being in extremely close…read moreproximity to Pandora, Michael Hill and Diamond Galleria in the mall, I'd say it still does pretty well. Goldmark has reasonable prices on their stock already,w but they have great deals every now and then which save you even more money- no complaints there! They do great pieces that you usually wouldn't find anywhere else at the same price. The Manukau store has great window displays and they usually have their best (and best-priced) stuff in there. I've found the staff here to be great, although I've been here during their busy periods and it can get a little packed, especially when a good deal is on! I absolutely love sterling silver, so I like having a look at their pendants and belcher bracelets. I've also found that they do some great jewellery for younger girls asell- still a reasonable price, around $30-$50 for a necklace or earrings, but a great gift idea if you're wanting something a little more sophisticated for a gift. Even their more expensive items are still quite a bargain, and while I'm not yet into spending a lump sum of money on one piece of jewellery, Goldmark is definitely a place I'd consider if I ever did want to buy one.