This is good place to go if you are a woman after an inexpensive handbag. I have bought my wife a…read morecouple of handbags as gifts here and she has been happy with them. The only downside is that they are not great quality and don't tend to last. But they are good to look at and for about $40 I got her a bag that was very pleasing on the eye. Similar bags would cost well over a hundred bucks at Farmers though they would probably last longer. They also do good deals on wallets for both men and women. To go with her bag, I got a nice wallet with room for all your cards that only cost $20. I'd like to think there will come a day when I have written a bestseller and can buy my wife a Guess Bag costing hundreds of dollars. In the meantime, I'll make do with Strandbags.

I have a soft spot for Strandbags as I used to work for one of the stores in West Auckland a while…read moreback. Because of this I know personally that the store really puts an emphasis on customer service and product quality. When I was on staff I would always be going to product education seminars, where the staff would learn all about the product. But I particularly like this store, as it has such an expansive range of bags, wallets and travel accessories on offer. Their massive range is because their store is quite massive, which means they get a great turn around of new products on a regular basis. The layout of the store also makes it easy to look for the exact bag you are after, with the handbags and travel cases organised in order of used materials, design, and price range. I have purchased many bags from here over the years, because I know that they are durable and not too expensive, and of course because they have a stylish selection of products.

Mr Thank You is your typical gift store every mall complex has at least one of. A little bit better…read morethan a $2 shop but stocking cheaper and more functional items than a souvenir store. Mr Thank You has mainly stocks a range of cheap novelty T-shirts and unisex bags with pop culture references. There is also plenty of cheap jewellery including the teen popular ear stretchers (gauges, tapers and spirals). Angsty youths also have access to knock-off Zippos and various pipes. With identification you can also pick up a hunting knife or two which is always fun to sell side-by-side with instruments used for getting high. The staff members quietly eye you from behind their counter which I think is typical small mall store behavior, especially in a store that attracts excitable teenagers. Though I'm not sure if I received a thank you from Mr Thank You. Come to think of it I don't think he was a man.

I drove across Auckland on a Saturday to meet some friends, visit the Mall, look around the shops,…read morehave lunch, watch a movie and have dinner and in return I got a parking fine. No wonder the Mall was over half empty, when this is how they treat their customers.

King pow Thai prawn salad is all lettuce, bean sprouts and carrots very disappointed. The prawns…read morewere sliced down the middle to make it look like more. Not worth $9.50. Service was ok, a young boy with no smile.

Second hand Rosie is a staple for any true op shopper out West. The clothes in there are always…read moreunique and you can get the best finds, as it's really cheap. Whether you're on the hunt for something particular, or you just want to go for a nose, Rosie's always has a great collection - from Doc Martens and anoraks to 90s dresses and handbags, and sometimes they have jewellery and the like in there as well. Always good for costume parties too. I probably visit Rosies once a month and usually end up buying something, if not for me then for someone else.

This place may not look like much from the outside, but on the inside are works of art. This…read moremilliner spends every day making the hats (and selling them) and then teaches on the weekends. A favourite hat of mine in the store, I was told, is popular with many people, enough so that it has been requested for use on top of a model and graced the front of a U.K. magazine. It is a burgundy velvet hat with a large front brim and a large ribbon, the pattern on the fabric is what makes it, Carolyn Gibson, the master milliner thinks, I told her it is also in the little details of her craftsmen ship, in my opinion. As you might have already guessed, I am a big fan of hats, not a shoe girl, jackets and hats do it for me! I highly recommend dropping in for a visit, as seeing them in person is much better than on a website.

From the owner: I am a master milliner and I design and create beautiful hats for every occasion. read more