This electronics megastore is absolutely hilarious to visit when you're a distinctly arty-looking,…read morenon-technologically savvy female. When I visited as a student - buying something really dull like extension cables and something to do with a modem - I felt like the only bit of colour in an otherwise white, grey and black world. I flounced in and had no idea where to go and what to ask for, and felt immediately ridiculous! I asked the nearest assistant for help, and felt that he, too, probably thought I was ridiculous! They are very, very helpful in here, and luckily very patient when faced with absurd people like me who think it's somehow kooky and endearingly old-fashioned not to have a clue about extension leads! All I know is that I have always managed to get what I need in here, even if I don't entirely understand exactly what I'm buying.

At the bottom of Gloucester road, just before the arches, maplins is an electronics retailer with…read morehighly competitive prices. They've got a good range of item categories, with things like car accessories, networking, lighting, sound etc. It's a perfect shop to pick up those annoying extra parts you need for so many electrical things - connection adapters, for example. They've constantly got some kind of deal on the go, which is widely advertised on their large front window looking out onto the road. The staff, who do seem to be new everytime I go in there, are nonetheless very helpful, and always have good knowledge of technology to help you out. Its only let down is the slight feeling they're a jack of all trades and a master of none - their sound section, for example, houses only the most basic kind of microphones and P.As. If you're after quality then you might be better going to a specialist shop for the product required. All in all, though, Maplins is a pretty useful shop to have in this good position on Gloucester Road.

This is an excellent hi fi shop - really good listening room facilities…read morewhere you can take your own discs and just wig out! After sales service is outstanding, had a couple of problems after purchase and they got sorted straight away.

Top notch Hi-Fi shop where you can take your CD's along for a demo and test…read morewith a bunch of different speakers and just wig out. The after sales service is outstanding!

This is one of the more recent addition to the newly built Pac Pemberton. Parking is free and…read moreplentiful and all of the shops here are easily accessable. This Maplins store is fairly large and stocks a good range of products, They have most commonly needed parts you could need and are able to order parts that the have not got in stock. I do find it a bit annoying that you have to purchase their catalogue. Staff are for the most part extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The store always seems quiet when I visit so you do feel like you are being watched by staff as you walk around however on the whole I am happy to recommend the store.

Everthing you could need or didn't even know excisted. Staff are very helpfull.read more

Always friendly and very helpful. Stock excellence always have what I need. Shame the Ashton branch…read moreis closed not sure how much I will be able to use them in Fishponds

This is one of those businesses that still leans back in time and clings to the good 'ol days. A…read morecounter at the front and not a lot to peruse for yourself, the kindly gent will nip out back and fetch whatever it is you're after. True this is an electronics shop but it's a bit more for the serious DIY guy or the tradesman than your normal B and Q types; they sell light bulbs, light fittings, fuses, plugs and such like. More than that however is the experience and the type of client they attract. If you're doing something electrical pop in here for your parts and I'm sure you'll wind up chatting to either the owner or another sparky about what's best for you.

I am a bit perplexed by the lackluster reviews here. I was in from the US looking for an adapter…read morefor my Mac last year when ours died during our trip. The staff was helpful in finding one at a reasonable price. I had inadvertently left my new camera (purchased elsewhere) on the counter when fishing for my wallet in my purse. I came back looking for it several hours later looking for it and one of the salespeople had it stored safely out of view. He returned it to me once was able to describe the make and model along with the most recent pictures stored on it. The staff was also extremely appreciative when we had dropped off a thank you gift to them. Overall, we had a very good experience with the store. They have a good selection at a reasonable price in a prime location. I don't understand the prior reviewers comments about it being "depressing and grey". It is reasonably well lit and everything is easy to find. Perhaps he still hasn't gotten over the closure of Dixon's. :(

Being the gadget connoisseur that I am, my travels have often involved visiting the new Currys in…read moreSt. Davids 2. It has been much needed as since the close down of Dixon about 3 years ago there hasn't be a dedicated electrical store in the centre since. I've bought a set of headphones (great), Some batteries (Useful) and nearly bought my Mac from there (luckily escape). Prices seem fine here and are not marked up from the general RRP of equipment. The shop seems very grey and depressing though and doesn't grab you to pull you in if your walking past. The products are all lined up in quite long rows and are easy to find and play with. Staff are very nice here but are oh so annoying. Within the 2 minutes I was in their last week looking for a router, I was asked by 3 separate members of the Currys family "If I'm ok". Not cool when your as miserable as me and a world record in customer bothering.

There's always a different feel to shops that are entirely run by men.... You know the kind I mean?…read moreCar showrooms, carpet discount stores, chandlers... and Radiocraft! They always have a faint predatory air to the them that you can sense, but can't quite get a handle on... it was like that many, many moons ago when I worked briefly at Richer Sounds: the blokes on the shop floor sized everybody up the moment they stepped through the door, and towards the end of my six week stint with them, I could practically hear their brains totting up how much money they anticipated each individual customer would spend... it was a little obscene! And comical at the same time! Radiocraft has the same kind of feel to it, but I could be wrong. They are clearly well versed in the product, which ranges from plasma TV's to white goods, and they certainly get the job done. Business is brisk, regardless of the recession. Established in 1949, there's a lot to be said for longevity, especially in this business! And that's an impressive track record! They are selling one of the higher end large plasma ranges with the offer that each customer who buys one will be refunded if England win the footie. I find this promotion be a little bit peculiar, considering that this is the Cardiff branch, and not everybody in Wales wants to see England do so well! I guess that they have underwritten the risk, and loaded the premium into the cost price, based on the anticipated sales for these TV's over the period leading up to the conclusion of the World Cup. Perhaps I'm a little too cynical at times? Come on England!

Many years ago I was given money for my birthday and spent it all in Radiocraft on Cowbridge Road…read moreon a new Sony radio. You know, the kind with a cassette player, and single CD player and a movable speaker on each side that has to be attached my precarious wiring around the back rather than any more sensible and new-fangled plugs. And of course, this radio is still going strong. The staff in Radiocraft are quite like the shop; they seem as though they've been there for an age, and have not quite yet caught up with all the new trends of technology. But, they are generally very knowledgeable about the products that they do have on sale (which is actually a whole lot more than just radios, by the way). They have televisions, washing machines, microwaves, sound systems and much, much more. Although this shop will either serve you very well, or leave you wanting as they don't have what you require, it's a good place to check out when you're in the market for new electronic toys.

I once made the stupid mistake of admitting in this shop that I didn't have the first clue about…read moreelectronics which left me open to being patronised and embarrassed. All I wanted was a replacement microphone for my karaoke machine, not a lecture on why my old microphone was so rubbish they're not surprised that it broke. As I am 'thee of little brain' when it comes to electronics I took along the connector, adaptor and microphone that I was in need of along only to be given the completely wrong bit of kit to take away with me. It was hastily returned the next day, when I was served by somebody so helpful it made me feel a little less bitter about the whole experience. Too little too late - I won't be taking my stupid queries here again!

Sure, this place does loads of useful bits and pieces, as well as a few less useful ones, but…read morethere's one category of items in which it really excels - and for that reason, it is a godsend for the tech hungry among us. Yes, that's right, I'm talking about adaptors. I hate to think how much time and money I've spent in this place trying to find something to connect lead A to socket B or visa versa. I know it would be far cheaper to pick them all up on the internet, but I'm an impatient kind of chap, so when I buy a new piece of kit I want it to work as soon as I lovingly unsheathe it from it's cellophane wrapping. If it's not going to work straight away, then there's really only one option - to Maplin, quick!

I have never been a fan of Currys, but sometimes needs must and so when I needed a new memory card…read moreI swallowed my pride and walked through their doors. I wish I hadn't bothered. I asked where the memory cards for cameras were. A boy gestured in their vague direction. I asked which was the best. He shrugged. I chose one, and asked if it would work in my camera. He nodded. I went out the shop, tore open the memory card and shoved it in my phone. "Not compatible." I went back in, spoke to someone only slightly more helpful who agreed to try the card in my phone before I bought it. He refunded my purchase - or so I thought until I got my bank statement. The refund hadn't gone through. Awful service, and expensive for a high street chain.

No matter how many times this store disappoints me with its poor service (you're often left waiting…read morein an aisle trying to grab someone's attention) and overpriced goods (the internet really has revealed what a rip off the high street has become in recent times), I still find myself tempted inside to check out the tiny notebooks, iPods and other such wonderful mobile electronic goods. But that's just it for me - a place to while away a few minutes of my lunch break, all without the slightest intention of buying anything from here. Check out the stuff here for a chance to see it in the flesh, then buy online.

My brother, the computer geek scientist (love you bro!), has an affinity with this store. Not I…read more No, that's a downright lie. I love it too. Perhaps I'm a little bit more tech-savvy than your average female arts student (oh, I really need to get out of the habit of saying that I'm a student, seeing as I graduated two years ago). EDIT: Perhaps I'm a little bit more tech-savvy than your average yelper, but I find that conversations about computers with the staff in Maplins are extremely interesting, easy and informative. Unlike store such as Comet, PC World and Currys, these guys know what they're on about, aren't desperately trying to sell you warranties and software, and explain things in a very clear and professional manner. Having had a problem with my laptop I went in to ask for advice and they spent 30 minutes helping me with no cost, and in the end I didn't have to buy anything to sort out the problem, yet all the while I felt like a valued customer. Well done Maplins. Excellent service.

I want to sing songs about Maplins. I want to dance and shake it to the songs I sing about Maplins…read more I want to write sonnets about the place. Craft solid marble statues in its honour and then shoot any pigeon that dares lay a feather on its resplendent beauty. Maplins should be where every good tech nerd goes to die, wrapped in bandages made from wires cut to different, but equally necessary lengths. Their headstones should be made from melted and re-formed solder and their epitaphs should be nothing more than the voltage that finally took their lives and carried them to geek-Valhalla. And if Maplins is such a religious experience, this store is the Mecca. A massive store filled with all the seemingly arbitrary-but-actually-completely-necessary bits and bobs that keep the turbines spinning and keeps the voltage flowing. The staff are eternally helpful, to old pros and beginners alike and the prices are exceptionally reasonable given the monopoly Maplins seems to hold on this market.