Everything a corner shop could need, plus alcohol…read more If you're an avid reader of my reviews, you will recall an Italian Bistro I used to work at which used to send me out for pizza because it was on the menu but we didn't cook it. The same bistro used to send me running out to the 10 til 10 to get Amaretto for the occasional late night regular who'd prop up the bar and regale us all with the week's gossip. So it has always been the place for me where you can get emergency alcohol. And there's a decent selection. I do miss the way it used to be with a wooden frame separating you from the drink and grubby windows which students and tramps alike pressed their noses against whilst picking their drink of choice. These days they're a lot more trusting and let you get the majority of stuff yourself, but then they've obviously come under new management too, if the gaudy new shop sign is anything to go by. I have before and after pictures for comparison...

10 til 10 is a small convenience market that is actually open from 9am to whenever they feel like…read moreshutting, which is sometimes as late as 2 or 3 in the morning. I guess by lowering the expectations about when the shop was going to actually be open they expected that people walking past at midnight would be pleasantly surprised and would venture in and but Snack-a-Jacks and Blossom Hill rose aplenty. This is a particular gem if you have a friend, or indeed if you are a friend, who lives around the area. In which case a few six packs of export strength lager and a bag of minstrels procured at just-above-supermarket prices mean that the party can keep on going long after the last orders at the Pilgrim has been rung. Oh hells yeah.

Visiting this local purveyor of newspapers and sweeties always reminds me of the days when my…read morefamily home ran on electricity supplied by fiddly little tickets you had to cram into the meter whenever the previous chunk of power died. Oh what larks we'd have being plunged into darkness and realising it was too late to buy a ticket from anywhere else but this particular shop.Because of this, I still get a pang of relief when I see that it's open. Inside the staff and customers are all on first name terms with each other which led me to believe I'd either stumbled into a private party or the friendliest shop in existence. Actually, it couldn't be the latter because nobody at smiled at me. Maybe if I told them my name...

My favourite news agents on smithdown, and there is a few!! We lived just across the road from it…read moreand it has everything to offer! so friendly aswell it was always a pleasure to go in the there.

Spar has recently moved from a nearby location to the corner of Dale Street (where there once lay a…read moreHSBC). This Spar definitely has the most futuristic look about it with its glossy, glass-panelled and chrome finish on the exterior. I don't often shop at Spar because prices are generally expensive compared to competitive stores and of course it isn't really the place you'd go to do your weekly shopping; it's more of an emergency shop for locals and business folks nearby. Spar is located in a prime location for office workers in the area and has ideal products for people on-the-go. This makes it a great place to grab a quick lunch and newspaper or magazine. Let's say that this is your super mini-mart!

This is a very conveniently located store located on busy Dale Street. As you would expect it's…read moregreat for essentials like bread, milk etc and also good for picking up a bottle of wine on your way home from work to the train station :) They also sell a wide selection of magazines and newspapers plus lottery tickets and scratchcards and there is a food to go counter at the rear of the store for freshly prepared sandwiches and pizza. I think its open from 7am til late. There is also a cash machine in store too but it charges £1.50 for withdrawals.

So generic in its name and produce it's hard to believe that The Corner Shop can't be seen in the…read morebackground of panels in the Beano. Believe me, I've checked. This is where you buy your issue of The Daily News, a box of Cereal-Os and a refreshing can of Soda Drink. Selling everything you could possibly need before you realise you're going to have to go out of your way to get it, this is a store that cares not for your typical kind of shop layout. Sweets will sit next to carrots and birthday cards can be found right next to packs of screws. It's like a shop a bunch of mates have made out of things they found in their flat, in the hope it will fool passers-by. It worked on me.

Great little local corner shop! Nice range of plants, fresh fruit, ornaments and garden furniture…read moreoutside and larger than it looks from outside. Sells a range of goods and although fare is pretty standard, very good prices.

Tesco Express on Strand Street is a good convenience store, located by the docks in Liverpool city…read morecentre. The facilities inside the store are good, this is a Hermes Parcelshop, so you can drop off packages here with Hermes (Good for cheap packages and Amazon returns), there is also a small Krispy Kreme doughnuts stand and Costa Express coffee machine. The layout of the store was pretty good, it was more visually appealing than other Tesco Express stores I have visited. The selection in-store was fine, obviously, the prices are what you'd expect for a Tesco Express store, which can be just over 10% more than a regular Tesco due to it being a convenience style location. My main issue with the store was the unfriendliness of the security guard, who seemed to have let all the power go to his head, he was standing on the door, blocking the only way into the store, I ended up having to squeeze past him, as he refused to even acknowledge me or move, both entering and leaving the store. I have never felt more unwelcome and like a criminal just for entering a store. 3* - The store its-self is good, but I probably wouldn't return if the security guard keeps acting like a nightclub bouncer at a low-grade boozer.

As long as you don't mind queuing with a tramp for what you imagine is some much needed booze at…read more3am - and lets face it if you're getting more booze at this time then one more tramp is going to bother you - then this is the place for you. Swift Drinks offers 24 hr booze supply for those who just don't know when enough is enough and God bless them for it. The saviour of many a Saturday night/Sunday Morning when town just isn't enough for a good time! What can I say there is often a grizzled, goblin-like man in a glass booth despatching drink and fags to people with a menacing, bitter quality because, well they're trapped behind a glass booth and you're all partying til the early hours.

Swift Drinks is an absolute lifesaver for those that refuse to stop drinking when the clubs in town…read moreclose and boot everyone to the streets! It's pretty much an all night off licence, fashioned a little bit like an Australian bottle shop! Keep your wits about you when you buy from here though as sometimes weird characters hang around this place in the middle of the night. A friend of mine almost got mugged walking away from this place with a crate of beer; luckily he managed to get to a black cab in good time! This place sells beers, cigarettes, wines, and spirits throughout the night and is very reasonable priced considering! They also sell condoms, if you're caught short on the way home from a club with someone you've picked up! They sell loads of snacks too! Crisps, chocolate, sweets etc! Great for those with the munchies in the middle if the night! Your can get a can of Fosters for £1.10, and I think this is the cheapest beer they sell. Just look out for pissed people after a kick off in this area late at night!

Tesco Express has sat on Mount Pleasant for a couple of years and up to now, it has done really…read moregood business in terms of attracting all the students, just by daily observation. This small yet convenient store is the ideal place for passers by who are looking to buy basic items such as snacks, magazines and drinks. However, prices are a touch higher than your main Tesco Metro in the city centre. This does make sense considering it is an Express version, so it is almost like an emergency shop in some cases. It saves time but it doesn't save money, although the difference is only talking pennies! This Tesco Express is open till as late as 11pm, so it is a great option for people who live nearby.

I am completely gutted by the service in this Tesco Express. Wasn't impressed by the customer…read moreservice, I was in purchasing just one product and felt hurried out because of the time of night. Unpleasant looks and staff were loitering rather than being helpful. Never leave reviews but felt the need after this because I felt rather disappointed and offended leaving the store. Won't be hurrying back.