It's kind of ridiculous, but I love $2 shops. This is technically not a $2 shop because it sells…read morethings priced above and below $2, which is kind of stupid, but I love it anyway. The place is pretty massive, it has aisles that are alphabetized for ease of search, but there's so much stuff in there that you wouldn't even know where to start. For example, $2 disposable yellow raincoats. Amazing. $7 '*insert name here* PARKING ONLY' signs to stick outside your house for laughs. $2 caps. $2 angry birds keyrings. $3 packs of bubble wrap, self-sealing envelopes. Dare you to go in there and not find something to buy. Service was super friendly.

Definitely my favourite dollar store in Auckland, such a huge selection of really great stuff, good…read moreparking and really friendly staff. They have an amazing selection of fake flowers here which look really good and aren't a rip off like the ones in home décor stores. I always buy my fake eyelashes from here too, really good selection and again really great looking and fab quality. My boyfriend likes their selection of lighters here, especially their Zippo inspired ones! It's part of the shopping complex on the corner of Valley and Dominion Rd so it's got great free parking (always deserves a mention). Such an amazing kids toy section here too they even have beautiful hand painted maracas for $2 and they would make such great gifts. I also always buy my pet paraphernalia from here too they have doggie poop bags that are pink with paws on them...so cool as well as pet bowls, leads and toys! Love this shop to death.

Geoff's is no longer the in-the-know Auckland hipster's secret. Go here on Halloween and you will…read moresee what I mean. Luckily, Halloween only happens once a year but year round Geoff's is the place that truly does have everything. I am most often here for random products like baby oil ($6 for a small bottle of branded petroleum by-product at a supermarket? $2 here), fabric dye, art supplies, sewing stuff and what must be Auckland's cheapest fabric. No offence to Spotlight, but go here first if you need anthing crafty. There's ribbon, cotton, buttons, sparkly bits, belt buckles, bra pads, googly eyes, appliques, patches.... on and on and on. The fabric selection is no small part of the shop and the pricing fairly freakin ridiculous. You'll also find toys, costume jewellery, probably Auckland's biggest range of wigs and "ready-costumes" for adults and kids, as well as such essential props as tiaras, plastic swords, feather boas, cowboys hats, gloves, face paint and garters. There are paints, brushes, canvases, dyes, sketch books...... You can even buy paperbacks, hardware, kitchen equipment, candles and it just goes on. What I love most about Geoff's is that it has been around as long as I can remember and as far as I know, Geoff himself is still around too. My kids love coming here with a handful of coins and leaving with treasures and so do I. The staff are awesome and Geoff's is such a wonderful reminder to me that some things don't ever change, they just get better with age.

This place is AWESOME. Recommended to me by a fellow sewing friend, I decided to check it out…read moretoday. Walked in the door and thought wow, this place is a bit...crappy. But then I walked in further, through the narrow door and into a huge space, filled with all manner of crafty supplies! I was there to buy interfacing, and buy it I did - 5m for $5! Incredible prices. I also got a zip for $1.05 and a belt buckle kit for $1. The prices are insane, even cheaper than what I paid living in the US. I saw some gorgeous fabrics in there, too, but I'm trying to watch my fabric budget right now so I sadly left it behind...for now. The woman who served me was really friendly, carefully rolled up my interfacing and asked about my projects. I can't wait to go back and browse their fabrics some more, and they will definitely be my go-to place for notions, too! I didn't explore the rest of the shop too closely, as I had a sick husband in tow, but they have a huge range of paint/art supplies, party supplies, incense and other trinkets, and heaps of other stuff too.

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

Big, and definitely looks sharp. A decent addition to the area, doesn't look out of place in…read moreNewmarket.

Good store with nice products. Unfortunately Refund/Exchange experience was really bad. If this…read moreshop wants to keep regular customers they should provide better customer experience in different situations.

I live in the U.S. but have dear family that just moved to New Zealand earlier this year. The…read morecouple just had another baby boy and my hubby and I wanted to do something special for them instead of just sending cash via post mail. We found The Warehouse and it looked to be like a Walmart or Target. They have gift card options in values of $25, $50, and $100. So, we bought a couple of Warehouse gift cards and requested them to be delivered to our family in Mt. Albert. They received the gift cards the next day and were very delighted! Although I've never been to The Warehouse yet.. their customer service is definitely top notch if they're able to deliver their products sooner than scheduled. They also enclosed it in a gift envelope which had our personalized message on it.

We went here today in search of a desk, and sadly, didn't find one. Well, we did, but it kind of…read morehad a SOLD sticker hanging off it, and when we enquired as to whether it was actually sold (since the sticker looked old and was hanging on by a corner), no one seemed to know, or wanted to find out. We had a look around anyway, and this place is a hipster's paradise. Most of it is genuinely old, and slightly overpriced. I got two sewing patterns for $2 apiece (and they weren't even that great), and other op shops are selling them for around 50 cents each. We also grabbed a couple of spanners for $2 each, and I got some zips and piping for another $2. There is a large section of stuff that isn't secondhand and is brand new, and is extremely expensive. I saw a set of double bed sheets with foxes on them for $214. I know foxes are "in" right now, but seriously. Obviously very much taking advantage of the whole "vintage vibe" that people are loving right now, and good on them I guess, but I was looking for genuinely old, unfashionable secondhand stuff, and of that there just wasn't that much, sadly.

The coolest second hand and collectibles store in Auckland for sure. The mass size of this…read morewarehouse is amazing and full of everything from a Tonka truck for the kid to vintage surfboards that make the man cave look awesome. My first visit to J & D I spent over an hour and a half just wandering back and forth peering at peoples past belongings. I have purchased a beautiful vintage glass cake platter the kind that nana used to have, and a glass perfume spray bottle that opens up and allows you to fill it up with any scent you wish. Prices are not too pricey, so won't break the bank. If you love exploring antique stores give this a try you might find a painting that inspires you, or a vintage lounge suite to redecorate with? Staff are helpful however, usually only one person working the store. Be prepared for cool and cool is what you will get.

This is a large mall where the Kmart was located…read more It reminds me of a typical mall, but with larger department stores that cater more to you every day needs. They have a Kmart for clothing and department items, and a Woolworth for grocery shopping, inside the mall! They also had some of the typical mall shops of namebrand clothing, a food court, and downstairs a little convenient store, kiosk, and even a massage parlor! I could've easily stayed here all day and explored for hours on end!

An American mall that we wouldn't have stopped and except we were so hungry I couldn't find…read moreanything opened near the museum. We took the escalator up to the eatery food hall. We had chicken & salad, it was just okay. There were many American chain stores @ some New Zealand as well. It wasn't too busy the week before Christmas.

Oh crikey - we have found the holy grail of cheap and cheerful. This place is packed with…read moreeverything you could ever need when dressing up or getting crafty, and is surprisingly huge. There is a huge range of costumes and accessories, fake flowers, themed-decorations, crafts, and more and more and more. Around the time of office Christmas parties and St Patricks Day, the place is packed. And they order in more stuff depending on the celebration. There is a very entertaining R18 section for funny presents, or just actual stuff. But it;s not just silly stuff, head down the back and you'll find kitchen utensils, rubbish bins, frames, cleaning products, bathroom stuff, hangers and all the rest of that kind of stuff for super cheap. It's actually not a bad idea to see what you can find.

This place is Mecca for costumes and silly novelty items. It's a one stop shop for all your fun and…read morefrivolity needs: dress up parties, St Patrick's Day, sporting events, or just silly gifts. If you want it, Look Sharp probably has it, and you'll probably only pay ten bucks. I've accumulated a small collection of awesomeness from Look Sharp, including costumes, canes, hats, wigs and flags. I have also made extensive use of their wonderfully inappropriate R18 section for Secret Santa gifts - hilarity and awkwardness ensued. In short, any occasion is better if preceded by a visit to Look Sharp.

This op shop would have to be in my list of top 3! I found out today that they were previously in…read morePonsonby, then K Road, now in Avondale, but looking for new premises again. I hope they don't move too far away where ever they go! The woman behind the counter has always been really friendly, chatty and helpful when I have been in. They have a long rack of children's clothes for those with youngsters, a decent range of men's wear (generally x-large though), lots of women's clothes, books in an organised fashion, some great crockery (I have bought some matching vases) and glassware. The best bit really is that it is the most affordable I have seen in Auckland. Not only do they have a $1 rack out the front with decent enough clothes, but they also have on offer 50C containers of clothes (children's and adults). It offers prices that most of us would expect to pay for second hand. This isn't me being stingy, this is me being practical - these charity second hand shops support the needy and they sell to those of us who struggle to fill a wardrobe with brand new clothes. Keep up the good work guys!

Cute little shop in between the city, if you're looking for something from Japan! The with lots of…read moreitems in stock from basic home goods to crafting the variety of choices are available! The shop aisles are narrow, and because of the tiny space it does get over crowded. If you're trying to shop with a baby stroller/pram, it'll be very hard to navigate in the store. I recommend leaving the pram outside with a family member/friend while you shop inside. If your pram is narrow it'll fit just fine. The staff are quick to serve you if needed. The prices are 3.50$ each for any item in the store. If you purchase 3 items they are 10$. It is always being stocked with new items! I would recommend this place if you're looking for some cute but cheap items for stationery use and or household decorations!

This is the best shop in Auckland…read more Maybe it's because I spent my childhood watching Pokemon and Dragonball Z and slowly but surely convincing myself that my life would be a lot better if I was Japanese. Maybe it's because they sell tiny erasers shaped like ice-cream cones. Maybe it's because they stock ~100 different types of tupperware. I don't know. There is just something great about Daiso. Everything costs $3.50 and they sell pretty much everything. Last time I visited, I bought a plastic banana storage thing, a thing to put on the end my toothbrush, a cup, a pair of socks, and a bulk pack of those cotton buds you use to clean your ears (my ears are now very very clean). That's testament to the ferocious and impervious breadth of range that you can pick up in Daiso. Just go to Daiso. It's the best. A bonus feature is that all staff members are cute Japanese people wearing aprons. It doesn't get better than that.