You know that moment when you're just tiring of shopping for cool clothes and realise that what you…read moreactually REALLY need is a bucket and then you find yourself enjoying bucket shopping more than you ever enjoyed shopping for said cool clothes? It is at this very moment that I head to Best Mart, a store selling a bit of everything - buckets, bins, kitchen accessories, mirrors, art supplies - at great prices from a decidedly unglamorous shop on the Collingwood side of Smith Street. Kind of like Ikea in miniature - but without the Scandinavian design sensibility and on sale - Best Mart is definitely the place to go for all things practical and prosaic. And the buckets? Brilliant. Lots of colours, lots of sizes and providing one of the most satisfying buying experiences I've had in ages. I love Best Mart.

It was a very clean place. And was very professional and staff very helpful. So if your looking for…read morethis so

When you're at home and you need some toiletries. When…read moreyou're at work and run out of stationary. If it's a friend's birthday and you haven't gotten them a gift. If you have a gift and need something to wrap or present it in. It's summer and you've forgotten to put on deodorant. It's holiday time and you need another travel bag. Working in the garden and need extra tools. Fixing, building, creating and want some supplies. Over doing it this year with festive decorations. Need a book for the tram. Need some Aussie souvenirs. Stock up on craft supplies. Want to take up painting or sawing. More batteries. Some bling. An umbrella. Football. Hats. Sunnies. Watches. Toys. And more.

There is nothing I like better than knowing what product you are looking for and getting it for a…read morebargain. If you are looking for Converse products such as sneakers, clothing, tracksuits and windcheaters, then this is the place to go. Authentic Factory Outlets is located furthest from the city end of Smith Street amongst all the factory outlets offering products with labels at cheaper prices than you find in regular stores. I managed to get a pair of Converse One Stars and even got some free Converse socks to sweeten the deal. It's not only Converse in this Authentic Factory Outlet, you can also get a number of other cheap shoes and other street wear at discounted products such as Tommy Hilfiger. This part of Smith Street is great for the bargain hunter and this Authentic Factory Outlets is a must.

A great shop, diverse and good collection of merchandise at a good price. Friendly service as well.read more

This place is the BOMB for cheap random stuff. I shop her because it stocks all my toiletries that…read moreyou would by at the larger more expensive supermarkets' for half the price! They are not home brand, damaged or even look weird they are exactly the same as what you would pick up on the supermarket floor. They are also great for shampoos, detergents kitchen utensils and other daily toiletries. They other day I bought all my sports socks from here crisp, white, sports ankle socks with no colours or markings perfect for runners for the gym, $10 pairs for $10 dollars!

There are a quite a few cheap Asian shops along Smith St and Hot Potatoes doesn't really stock…read moreanything outrageously different from the others. One thing they do have that's different is the staff. I was in here last week, albeit in a funny mood with a friend and there was a party atmosphere in the store. These kinds of stores always bring out the inner child in me. There is a selection of stupid sunglasses that is always worth a laugh. For some reason I was wondering around with a paintbrush and the sales assistant was almost in tears with laughter - I think it might have been my dancing. I got a quick lesson in Mandarin and ended up buying the brush - cheap too.

I love this knick knack shop. All the things you never knew you needed are here. Paper straws with…read morered hearts? Got them. Fake bamboo stick? Yep, down the back. Gardening gloves? Yes, of course. Awkwardly shaped squishy stress ball? At the counter so you can impulse purchase and regret later! It always seems to be open as well! So convenient. Such potato.

I understand the bias. How can I not be a fan of a supermarket I live close to?!…read more Well tough titties I'm rating this place 4 stars anyway! TIP: ~ Like most (if not all) Woolworths, a lot of meat would be in the "special" section, of specially marked down for meat that needs to be used soon. You can grab some very good deals here. Just the other day I got 4 huge steaks for 10 dollars total. Somebody pinch me! Ambiance: Despite the busy atmosphere of being a grocery store on Victoria Street, the staff here do a top job of keeping this place clean and being efficient enough on the registers to get rid of large queues. The result? I never feel particularly crowded and hectic at this place, despite the barrage of customers. Contrast to say, a busy Coles, this Woolworths is a winner! Customer Service: So far, all the staff have been really nice and efficient as well. As I mentioned above, they do a great job with the queues. Selection: Overall, this Woolworths is pretty large so they have a great selection of items. Like I said, I do mainly all my shopping here and it's never let me down. --- The only thing I do have to say is that even though Woolworths does have an "Asian" section, I recommend you heading over to Minh Phat next door - for Asian goods, they do a lot better job with the prices.

Hi, usually this place has excellent customer service.Today at lunch time one of the young women at…read morethe registers was really unhelpful. Guess you can get that but spoilt my quick local shop.

Big Japan is a new and slightly sad bargain shop on a street already overrun with markedly better…read moreones. The front window has "ANY ITEM $2.80" painted across it, which is curious, not only for the fact that they chose $2.80 as the standard price rather than, say, $3, but because virtually everything in the store is OVER $2.80. Setting that fact aside, the available stock at Big Japan is your standard bargain store fare (storage containers, cheap art supplies, random dust catchers and bric-a-brac). Maybe they're still in the process of moving in, but it seems sparsely stocked. In short, Big Japan would more accurately be called Fairly Limited Japan.

Ok, the $2.80 pricing ruse is a little odd and as Matt A. has observed, the Big Japan moniker is…read moreprobably overstating things a little but I'm proud to say that Big Japan is my new favourite Smith Street bargain store. Let me explain. In an area like Smith Street that is awash with $2 shops all selling what looks like exactly the same stuff, Big Japan is a big breath of fresh air. From its ingenious drink bottle ice making trays to its colourful $7 stools; its cute Japanese tea sets to its offbeat tupperware, Big Japan is a sight for $2 shop fatigued eyes. Sure, every time I visit this Japanese bargain basement it seems to be deserted, but In my opinion this is an injustice. If you're on the Smith Street $2 trail don't leave Big Japan out, there are definitely a few choice pieces to be found here.

I have to confess, I am in love with Daiso. There is every little knick knack you could possibly…read morewant and then some! Not to mention the whole Japanese inspired theme given it is part of a big Japanese chain. This store is a "$2 shop" lover's dream - keeping in mind everything is $2.80 here. As a bit of a beauty fanatic I was enthralled by the range of face masks, bath products, and false lashes on offer. There is also a wide range of other beauty products but check the product listings carefully (most are in both Japanese and English) - ingredients such as palm and mineral oil are low quality... Then again given that everything is $2.80 one must have realistic expectations! Ladies a nice range of stockings and knee high socks was available when I went in as well as tonnes of great hair clips and other accessories. There's also a heap of great home stuff available too. No one is left out, there is even stuff for pets. :) Grab one of the shopping trolleys when you enter as a hand held basket is simply not enough! As much as I love this place, I am kind of glad there isn't one in my home city as I'd probably be in there daily (and broke as a result!).

Need new bike lights? Daiso has it. Need crockery for new apartment? Daiso will have some. Need a…read morecreepy outfit for your teeny tiny fluffy dog? Guess what, you'll find it at Daiso. Daiso is basically the Ikea of everything you can't find at Ikea. You walk in needing new ice trays and walk out with three bigs full of stuff that you're not event quite sure what it is. Everything is $2.80 (everything) and you'll find stuff you never even knew you needed. I go to buy cute little homewares such as crockery or the aforementioned ice trays, as well as things like silly cards or gift bags. The point is, if it exists, you'll find it at Daiso (for the low low sum of $2.80.)

Phoebe Angel is a glorious, affordable women's fashion store, following all the latest fashion…read moretrends coming in from Asia. Long socks, mini skirts, long fur coats and feminine trenches and military style coats in blacks, whites and pinks. Lace dresses, crochet tops, mini dresses and maxis. It truly is a haven for any girl (or twenty something woman) who loves the latest, pretty lacey trends at prices you can afford.

This place is huge - really huge. I was on Smith St the other day and was caught in some…read moreexceptionally sunny weather ill prepared and thought I'd pop in here to get some cheap sunnies for the afternoon. I didn't realise that I was walking in to an emporium of Chinese cheap goods. I like wandering around these stores as you never really know what you might find. Most of it is worthless crap that will break after you use it one, but it's still fun to check out. This place is designed a bit cheekily though. I went down one aisle and as the store is so deep, I figured it would have a break in the aisle so I could move about, but no. You have to walk all the way to the end of the store. You might not think this is bad, but I'm serious when I say this place is huge. Anyway I walked all the way down and all the way back and was too tired to check out any of the other aisles. I found the sunnies - right next to the entrance, and picked up a dodgy pair for $3.50 - super cheap.

In Touch Imports is the biggest and best of the many variety stores on Smith Street, selling…read moreeverything from pet products, to kitchen appliances and Halloween costumes. As is generally the case with bargain stores, everything here is seriously low quality, but also low cost, which is often a good trade off (depending on what you're buying). I did buy a mop here the other week, though, and it broke literally one minute after taking it out of it's packaging. Was not happy about that one. But if you're after really basic things that don't have many parts, make In Touch Imports your first point of call.