Based in the Boucher Road retail park, Matalan provides affordable fashion for all ages, shapes and…read moresizes. This particular store is relatively big with a great range of stock for a variety of tastes. Matalan fashion is usually promoted in magazines, with customers seeing key pieces and rushing for their nearest stores to grab them. My advice especially with store, ring before you head down to purchase that amazing jumpsuit or winter coat as they usually have been bought up as soon as they arrive in store! It's such a pity that Matalan proves so popular. However, if you're the customer that manages to grab the bargain, it's a great reward! The store is well presented with each department being easily located. As well as this, each age range and clothing choice is separated so you know exactly where an item is placed and so can go directly to get it. The staff are friendly and on a recent trip, one girl in particular went out of her way to try and find a skirt I had seen in a recent glossy magazine. It's that little extra effort that is really appreciated by customers and has us coming back for more!

Now my mum and sister swear by Matalan. For those unaware of what category this shop plumps into,…read moreit would be like an expensive Primark. The clothes are cheaper than designer shops but more expensive than cheap shops. So for me it kind of is stuck somewhere on the fence. It is not "fancy enough" to be one of those shops that you go to for "meeting the parents" dinner clothes, but it is not cheap enough for the "going on holidays so chances are the clothes will either be covered in suncream or sand or alcohol". It's a bit of a nothing clothes shop. This store has been redesigned to give men's clothing almost an entire floor upstairs but for me it's just a bit of a bland store. But my mum and my sister swear by it so maybe it's more of a women's store than mens.

Popped in here on Boxing Day to see if there were any bargains on offer. To be honest it's not…read moresomewhere I'd usually visit but I was feeling festive so decided I wouldn't fight it. The shop is extremely opulent with the staff matching the smart, elegant feeling of the place. There were plenty of staff ready to help us but we were just in for a look. There's a small male section but the store is primarily aimed at girls who love sparkles! Quite high end so make sure you have plenty of cash on you if you're visiting. Can't really find many faults with the store at all - just not really my scene!

Clarks in Ards shopping centre is a lovely little place. Whilst shopping for bits and bobs in Ards…read moreShopping centre with my sister she decided to pop in and see if she could get my little niece a pair of shoes that she could wear for her 3rd birthday party. When she went into a few other shops that afternoon I decided to wait outside and mind the pram but when she mentioned Clarks I thought I would join her because this place is full of childhood nostalgia for me. It reminds me of those back to school days before when you spent your school days with your head in the toy box rather than the text book. Anyway on entry we were immediately greeted by the helpful shop assistant who asked were the shoes for my little niece, when my sister confirmed her suspicion she offered to get all the shoes they had out for her. She even offered helpful advice on which ones would be best for her tiny wee feet. The best thing about her advice is that it was honest, she was not trying to push a sale, she was just providing us with her own personal experiences in relation to each shoe. Absolutely perfect. Although my sister did not purchase any of the shoes she was shown she commented on the warmth of the shop assistant and the knowledge she had. All in all Clarks a must visit for anyone who wants to get their little one a pair of shoes or trainers, they will provide helpful advice and will even measure your child's feet.

Oh yes please! A shop dedicated to selling bags, hells yeah! GD1 Accessories is a small but…read moreblimmin' brilliant shop which sells a range of designer and fashion handbags. Although it's more often than not I'm only browsing in this shop, it doesn't make me love it any less! The bags on sale include he likes of Radley etc and although sometimes I'll shop in here and not see a thing I even remotely like, other times I'll come and I will literally want to buy everything in the shop! It's times like this when I know I have a handbag obsession and need to leave the shop pronto before my bank balance and I fall out big time! Anyway, this branch in the Abbey Centre is the smaller sister version of a larger branch on Belfast's College Street (think out the back of Boots) and a small local shop it has become quite popular with shoppers.

Now, I am a boy. Or a man, I'm not sure which. I like sports and having a bit of a beard and being…read moreway more laid back than is strictly needed. So I'm not strictly required to ever go into Dorothy Perkins but I have been in on a number of occassions and found it to be completely ok. This is one of the many Dorothy Perkins about and is one of the most popular. It is modern, well thought out and the staff are lovely. A friend of mine used to work in here and she loved it. But from time to time there can be bad queues, but that just depends on the time of day and year I guess. All in all you wont go wrong if you are a girl and you want to get clothes for work but don't expect to be the most modern and fashionable place in town.

This shop is always on my list when im out shopping i nearly always get sumthin in here whether…read more its bs a top a dress or a bag. Always worth caling in when they have a sale on usualy 20% or 30%. They have very nice bags and purses Good range of shoes from heels flats and even boots Also check out there jewellery always get a good offer

Cool store chain in Ireland. Think Walmart meets target then scaled down quite a bit. Clothing food…read moreand hot foods. Some delicious fresh breads. Staff were friendly and prices were fair.

A mid sized store divided into 2 main sections, 1 food and 1 home/clothing. It's quite anonymously…read morepositioned on the Ormeau Road and to be honest I find it the poor cousin of the other Dunnes that can be found in Forestside. The clothing range has always been a bit banal although of a decent enough quality and well-priced. Although recently I've felt that the prices have started to creep up without a rise in the general level of quality or overall style. I'm not really sure who is buying the food as I've always found that despite being quite big it doesn't really feel like the sort of shop you go to do your 'big shop'. Rather it somehow comes across a bit more like an oversized convenience store. The prices are a little higher than I think many would expect to pay too. Usually when you shop 'convenience' you're just getting a few things and you know you're paying a little more as the shop is handy, but here isn't really handy unless you already happen to live right beside it anyway. The finishing is a bit dull too, well maybe not dull.... Dated. All in all its just not that much fun to go into and really the other big Dunnes Store in Forestside makes this one look like the poor cousin.

Great shop for a bargain. It stocks almost everything anyone could want for house & home. Brilliant…read moreselection at all times and helpfull staff. Could not say anything against this store. Well worth a visit.

One of the best 'outside' (ie as opposed to in shopping centre) shops in Ballymena for a great…read morevariety of goods. Downstairs, you can buy anything from sweets and toiletries to handbags, toasters and artificial flowers! Pop upstairs and you can browse through a good selection of furniture, lighting, pictures and more! Only downside is if you have young children with you, there is no public lift, so you either have to ask someone to mind the buggy and carry your youngster upstairs or give upstairs a miss. Their seasonal department towards the rear of the groundfloor changes from gardening in the spring/summer to halloween/christmas in autumn/winter. Always loads of choice no matter what you are looking to buy.

This is a superb shop for all things out doors. I went in looking for a specific size of gas…read morebottle. The sales assistant told me exactly where it should be. I duly went to the location (upstairs) but Al's it wasn't the one I wanted. However saw some amazing equipment and merchandise. Definitely a goto place for outdoor gear!!

Cotswold outdoor is a retailer of outdoor clothing and equipment including footwear, casual…read moreclothing and waterproofs. Similar to the Outdoor Store also on the Boucher Road, it has a great range of products to add to the customer's dilemma of exactly which items they should choose for the job. If you're planning a trek to the great North Pole or a similar camping trip with the family, this store will have all you need from sleeping bags to back packs. If you're a novice with the whole equipment malarkey this shop may send you over the edge with its technical jargon.