I've only ever properly explored the part of Rossiters that sells lots of gifts and knick knacks,…read morejust near the shop's entrance inside Royal Arcade - but in this section alone there's lots of lovely stuff I'd like to be able to afford! From funky ice cube trays to fridge photo frames, it's a great place to pick up small presents. There are some beautiful greetings cards, items of jewellery, well-made children's toys, a few men's accessories, travel bags, purses, umbrellas and much more. The whole place is more intimate than large department stores such as House of Fraser or John Lewis, and the feeling is one of quality over quantity. For me, the gift and homeware areas are probably the most appealing, but glancing into their other 'departments' they have a Homes & Gardens area, a kitchen department, a range of furniture, plus some fabrics, lamps, mirrors, and more. They also offer an interior design service, though I dread to think how much that costs.

Shops like this get me really excited. I'm a big girl when it comes to furniture, home and…read morekitchenware. I just want everything. If I had my way, my house would look like something out of 50s magazine. This store is surprisingly big, considering it's in an arcade, and there is so much in there. The kitchen section is my favourite, because it sells the most adorable retro baking things and teapots and really funky utensils and gadgets that I've never seen anywhere else. Their gift section is also fantastic with brands like L'Occitane and Burt's Bees for toiletries, some really pretty scarves and jewellery, and then beautiful gift bags and paper to wrap them in. It's a shame this department store is hidden away and now has to compete with John Lewis, because it sells such beautiful things and it could be so easily missed if you didn't know about it. It's expensive, but everything is so nice that if I want something, I have to have it however much it costs.

The Quadrant Shopping Centre is great as it is indoors and with our lovely welsh weather it is nice…read moreto be in from the wet and cold. There are loads and loads of shops in the Quadrant like HMV, Game , W H smiths , Clinton cards and Debenhams. It can get pretty packed out with shoppers at peak times and especially with the run up to christmas. At christmas there is usually a lovely christmas tree with lots of decorations which make it look really nice. The shopping centre always looks clean and tidy and you will always find a cleaner pottering around.

The Quadrant is like many indoor shopping centres across the UK. It mostly houses chain stores like…read moreHMV, Clarks, WHSmiths, Faith and so on and so forth. Shops you find in every town in Britain. The Quadrant itself is quite pleasant though, it has a predominently glass roof which allows it to be very bright and airy inside. There's a gallery cafe which looks out on to the main concourse of the shopping centre which is great for people watching. The bus station also comes out of one end, so finding it is very easy, and also you won't have far to carry bags to get a bus. Or even to get to your car if you choose to park in the NCP which also adjoins the Quadrant. You can also get to Swansea Market via an entrance in the Quadrant. The largest store by far is Debehams, which is a large department store and takes up almost an entire wing of its own. ANECDOTE: I was sick on the doors of Debehams one Christmas as I was shopping for presents and very rapidly came down with a virus. There are public toilets (free) upstairs which are clean and well maintained. The buidling is decorated according to the seasons, and a large Christmas tree is the focus during the winter.

On a recent holiday we were treated to a trip to the quaint market town of Abergavenny whilst there…read moreI discovered a marvellous shop called Nicholls.It is a department store which stocks a range of furniture,gifts and ladies clothes. Nicholls sell some unusual gifts along with more well known makes and have a wide range of Ainsley china in stock. They also have a fab coffee shop in store which sells healthy lunches ,beautiful freshly made sandwiches and mouth watering cakes,ideal for a relaxing sit down I came home with a lot of Christmas shopping and hopes of returning in the new year.

A little overdue (sorry)..... A lovely little store,…read moreprobably aimed more at women but with a wonderful cafe, to keep the men happy. It's like a mini department store, clothing (not sure if they have mens or kids), some furniture, kitchenware, lots of gifts, womens clothing, jewellery and of course, the cafe. An old relation owns a wonderful hotel in a neighbouring town and she loves to come to Nicholls, both in Aber and in Crick, so that's a good sign. To be honest, I only went because my aunt asked me to take her there for Christmas dinner (she doesn't get one, where she is). I chauffeured, she bought the food. For £8 odd, you got a good plate of food, with separate vegs & potatoes and a gravy boat. Wonderful. And the turkey actually had taste. Yes, amazing. I don't know if it was free range/organic, or just fresh and local but this was stunning. I hate turkey normally, because of it's blandness but this was in a different league. All the accompaniments were also extremely fresh and tasty. They don't advertise as being free range/organic, rather local/fresh (which avoids them having to check suppliers, I guess, but I'd put money on the turkey at least being free range). Bernard, eat your heart out, that's how it SHOULD taste. I hope to be back this year again, with my aunt, for what was the best Christmas Dinner I've had in many a year. Thank you Nicholls. david

Now called the House of Fraiser, this is a good department store.There is about 3 or 4 levels to…read morethe store. On the top level is the cafe, which always serves lovely food at reasonable prices, there is quite a big seating area so it is quite easy to get a table. They stock well know brands for men, women and children, also they sell shoes and homeware items.

A great old style department store where you can lose a few hours. The handbag ranges include…read moreRadley and the prices are in line with others. the cosemtic counters are always happy to give free advice and make overs. There are a number of designer type clothing bits, with Mexx and Oasis for the younger lady and some more older type womenswear upstairs. the cafe is ok. There cards and stationary is good and there is a good selection of jewellery - although mainly costume

The House of Fraser is a British department store with over 60 locations in the UK and Ireland,…read morethis location its-self is quite big, located on St Mary's Street in Cardiff and even has a Caffe Nero attached, which is a coffee shop which seems to be all over Cardiff, yet interestingly I didn't seem to visit on my recent trip to Cardiff, so this review focuses on the House of Fraser Department store in general, and not a Caffe Nero inside it, despite confusion I can confirm I have been to the branch of the listing in question, where I offer feedback in terms of a review here today, which I'm pleased to add, with it being nearly 6 years since HOF's last review, which once again for a busy location in a city centre, of a capital City (of Wales) nonetheless, this is quite shocking and in a way it is sad. As mentioned above, this location is on St Mary's Street in Cardiff, fairly close to Cardiff Central Railway Station, and of course right in the Cardiff City centre, which was also close to my Hilton hotel and Cardiff Castle, from my recent weekender in Cardiff. The store did seem quite nice, and was a typical high-end department store, although it seemed to lack the class I have seen in other branches of House Of Fraser, such as in the branch in Manchester, which has a lot of history to it, meanwhile this branch seems newer and the only history I'm aware that this branch has, is Cardiff Castle not far from here. This did pretty much seem to be your average department store with high-end labels and high-end prices, as a fan of the Hugo Boss brand it was a shame not to see them having a selection here in Menswear. Here is a full list of there in-store brands here, in Menswear, which is the only part of this review copied from the House of Fraser website, which I feel is useful to add a more in-depth analysis and conclusion to this review Alexandre Armani Jeans Barbour Berwin & Berwin Bjorn Borg Bugatti Calvin Klein Corsivo Criminal Diesel Dune Emporio Armani Failsworth Farah Fred Perry Fulton Gant Hilfiger Denim Howick Howick Tailored Hugo Boss Jack & Jones Kenneth Cole Label Lab LACOSTE CN Levi's Linea Lyle and Scott New & Lingwood Original Penguin Paul Smith Jeans Paul Smith London Peter Werth Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Ralph Lauren Golf PRETTY GREEN CN Pringle PS By Paul Smith SIMON CARTER Sloggi Ted Baker Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Sport Turner & Sanderson Overall, this department store is okay, although it just feels like something is missing, a bit of class, that added sparkle, and it isn't the nicest places to shop, and I would much prefer John Lewis, a similar nearby department store which even has an Opticians, and friendlier staff, so sadly I feel HOF deserves two stars and as Ofsted would say "Requires Improvement".

I absolutely love the James Howell & Co. building that is presently the home of House of Fraser in…read moreCardiff. It is just utterly beautiful and displays a number of different styles that chart the rise of its once formidable position as an independent Welsh store, founded by a homegrown entrepreneur. Occupying a prominent position on St Mary Street, it does a lot to maintain appearances amid the decaying grandeur and decadence of this once fashionable and up-market strip. The original structure was built in the late 19th Century, and lends the place its unmistakable ornate façade that sits proudly, in gorgeous symmetry on St Marys Street. In the 1920s a large and well-proportioned neoclassical extension was built reaching to the end of the portion of St Mary's Street that meets Heol-y-Cawl. A unique result of this extension was that Bethany Chapel was absorbed into the design of the building, with its fascia being incorporated into the interior of the new building. Further extensions were added throughout the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s, bridging the gap between the more ornate Victorian style of architecture, and the ground-breaking, Modernist movement, with is minimalist style, of the '60's. Howells Department Store was originally a family run business, but was sold out in the 1950s to Welsh banker Sir Julian Hodge, who subsequently sold the store to Mohammed Al-Fayed, the then owner of House of Fraser, ultimately causing the loss of its Welsh independent business status. It was then sold onto the Icelandic investment company, Baugur, at the end of 2006, around the time when Iceland decided it was time to buy up the rest of the world, and, as we know now, to somewhat disastrous effect!

A good old traditional department store, part of the House of fraser chain, which specialises in…read morequality items. Everything from Homeware, to menswear, ladies wear, perfume, make-up, shoes etc. Also benefits from a busy coffee shop. The restaurant is however a dissapointment being dated and dull

I haven't been to Cavendish House for about 20 years and nor will I ever again. Let me explain why…read more I used to visit when I was home on leave from the Forces but on one occasion I was prevented from entering by a very pompous and unpleasant Doorman. I'd smiled at him and said 'Good morning', as I always did - perhaps this one was new, as I didn't recognize him. He simply looked down his nose at me as though I'd made a bad smell and stepped in front of me as I was about to enter. I asked him what was wrong and, rather than replying, he just gave me the most disdainful stare. I had no idea what the problem was. I wasn't in my Sunday Best but I was certainly presentable - clean clothes, clean shaven, smart hair cut as you'd expect from a military type. He looked old enough to have done National Service himself. I politely asked him again what the problem was and again he said nothing, just continuing to look at me with utter contempt. When I wrote to Store Management, I received no reply. I was utterly disgusted and can only put it down to snobbery.

This is a relatively small example of the large chain. They have a nice Per Una section plus all…read morethe other clothes that you would expect downstairs, along with a small food section. Upstairs is childrenswear, underwear and homewear.

I had a bra t fitting today with a lovely lady called Lisa, she was so patient kind and friendly, I…read morespent a hour with this lady finding me the correct bra nothing was to much trouble for her two weeks previous I had gone to m&s for a bra fit and it was disastrous never again, thank you Lisa for all your help although the bra was from the more expensive range it fits perfect and I'm very pleased

John Lewis stands tall in both the Mall and the whole of Cribbs Causeway - like a beacon calling in…read morethe 40-something middle-class woman. Welcome it says. Shop for items of quality and value it whispers. Be given excellent service by staff who are wholly invested in their company even though it is a national chain, it nudges. So I am not one of those women in class or age, but I do like John Lewis. A proper old-fashioned department store with modern things for sale. They have a great cross-section of clothing ranges from Levis to Jaeger. They also have a great homes section with crockery by Vera Wang and Jasper Conran giving it cool points but their own brand range is pretty fine stuff as well. The beauty section is stuffed with goodies and I also really like their selection of notebooks and diaries. The best bit however is that they are possibly the only department store in Bristol to have kept their haberdashery section, and it is gorgeous - great wool, interesting selection of fabrics and of course, as with the rest of the store, really helpful staff.

Nice shop. Not a huge amount in store but nice quality never the less. AVOID the cafe however…read more Never had such bad service. Incredibly rude, sulky young girl serving with zero customer service skills. So awful and she made us feel so uncomfortable that we quickly drank our tea and left.

I thank my lucky stars the day my friend's mum found this amazing place. Situated around the back…read moreof the Newport Retail Park its a clearance store for the Matalan fashion store chain. Matalan itself is pretty reasonable when it comes to prices but this place is amazingly cheap! There is a wide range of clothes here - ladies and mens clothing as well as childrens, shoes, underwear and some (not much) homeware. It's all stock from previous (and occassionally current) seasons that they now wish to get rid of. There are no changing room so my tip is to wear a vest that you can try things on over (there are mirrors) and a skirt so you can try trousers/skirts on underneath! It's pretty basic but worth the rummage and lack of changing rooms for the prices. They often have special deals on - I went recently and it was buy one get one free. I bought a really nice shirtdress and a lovely silk top which were £6 each. This came to a total of £6 for the two items - that's £3 each wow! My friends and I have come out with bags of stuff from here - it's a real pot luck but on a good day you won't believe what you can get. I love it!

If you are not after the latest fashion, but a good bargain, then this is the place to go! I bought…read moremy daughter 3 complete new outfits (tops & bottoms) and paid under a tenner! And lots of times you get 3 for 2 as well. In times of the credit crunch, I am over the moon to have access to a shop like this.