Marks and Spencer is one of the larger and flagship stores of intu Derby. It is a pretty large…read morestore which as well as the regular clothing and Food Hall ranges also features a Cafe, Opticians and Bank, the latter strangely houses their third-floor toilets (Surely putting them closer to a cafe then through two doors and past the small bank area of the store would have made more sense) The staff in the store seemed friendly enough around the store but I was a little disappointed with the Food Hall selection, especially for a store of its' size which makes me think it is spending too much time offering a lot of services, even parts of the store such as the Bank and Opticians which were empty and this is causing them to slack off in the things they are known for doing best - I did find a lack of fresh food and counters as well as not stocking fresh juices which were a shame as Marks and Spencer's two branches closer to my home in Manchester city centre, both offer freshly squeezed orange juice which you can either do yourself or have been done earlier the day by the staff. One of the larger stores in the intu Derby mall overall but it really should be back to basics for a store which is still okay, but if it did the essentials better before focusing on additional services, it would be a lot better once more. 3*

Overall: Great place to pick up some "fancy" food and the odd bra…read more My, how M & S has changed over the years... With this M & S being one of the flagship stores for the Westfield Centre, you can expect even more! The Derby branch used to be dowdy - dowdy clothes, dowdy staff and well, just plain dowdy! It was a place that your granny used to buy clothes from. It wasn't until they decided to change the focus on a different type of clientele, did I start shopping here. Although the clothes still aren't as "young" as I would like, there are some acceptable lines. They also have a great selection of underwear and lingerie. But the best part of this M&S is the food hall, I'm almost in heaven here! They sell everything you'd expect from a supermarket, but some items are more specialized.

Gorgeous department store situated near the cathedral, a world away from the modern hustle and…read morebustle of the new Westfield shopping centre. It's deceptively large, with its own coffee shop upstairs and departments for kitchen ware, china and glass, toys, garden gear, and a lovely little specialist food and confectionary section. It is especially enjoyable to visit at Christmas time, as they always have an enormous tree that is beautifully decorated, and many stunning special christmas ornaments on sale. Traditional, maybe even a bit old-fashioned, and with that comes old-fashioned excellent customer service and very polite sales assistants. Bennetts is always a pleasure to visit, and brilliant for unusual gift ideas.

Love this place. Fantastic kitchen ware and china department. Lovely cafe and chocolate shop where…read moreI found chocolates I haven"t had since I was in Germany.

It sure does live up to it's name. This store is full of ideas of great gifts for anyone…read more My favourites are the gorgeous water features. There are different sizes available from £5 up to £50. You can't actually review all the lines that Ideas sell as they are always changing. At the moment in there is really nice dining sets and lots of cushions. They also have lots of themes mirrors in the back of the store and those canvas bedroom sets. The staff in there are really nice. Even if they have to stop doing some housekeeping to server you, you don't get any attitude from them. They are nice and chatty and and send you off with a smile and a cheery goodbye. The prices are what I love best. Nothing is too expensive that you won't think seriously about buying from there. It is nice to treat yourself from time to time.

An awesome place to go to pick up bargains at any time of year…read more Home Bargains have all categories of stock from Toiletries to Gardening items and toys to clothes. They always have a huge selection of foods, snacks, drinks and sweets. The housewares section is particularly good with things like lamps, Cushions, curtains and bed sets at ridiculous prices. Home bargains isn't the kind of place that has a lasting array of stock. Their inventary is ever changing so if you see something you want but don't have the money, don't expect to go next week and they will still have it. You have to grab it while it is there. They do a lot of end of line stuff from other stores and I would guess at the moment probably have a lot of ex-Woolworths stock. I would suggest that if you have a Home bargains in your area go stock up now for birthdays and Christmas gifts or cards. Sometimes the staff can be a bit ignorant. I think they probably employ youngsters for the cheap wages but sometimes a smile would be nice. They also have a sign saying that never more than 3 to a queue but that should read never more than 3 staff on at a time

Home Bargains has to be one of the best discount stores in the UK. I have bought so many things…read morefrom there! Unlike most discount stores, most of the products are 'well known' brands. The only downside I can think of the place is that when you go back for more of the same thing, they are usually gone as product cycles are very fast. I've even bought 2 sets of leather chairs from the shop which have been just as good quality as ones people have bought for a much higher price. Thoroughly worth a look when you are near the area. Get your wallet ready and a trolley because you are going to need them!

Absolutely abhorrent customer service. I can personally say I will never shop with this business…read more You'd think with such high prices (£32 for a pair of ugly shoes), they'd have good customer service. Maybe get the geriatric 90 year old farts who can't type or read out of your customer service. Asked a question, didn't wait for an answer, and ended the chat. Absolutely embarrassing. Save yourself the trouble and go find clothes in a rubbish bin. Better clothes. Better service, better value. Cheerio

As Next stores go, this is one of the best. Situated at the Kingsway just outside Derby city…read morecentre, it has ample parking. Downstairs is a vast array of women's clothes, accessories and shoes, with a sizeable Petite section. There is also a large childrenswear section and well presented homewares section, with duvets, curtains, as well as larger items like tables and sofas. Upstairs is a large menswear section with a great range of casualwear and formal wear too. Their range of formal shirts, ties and other accessories are difficult to beat. This store is obviously managed well, it is always tidy and well stocked; it only slips into chaos at sale time when it resembles a glorified rummage sale, when people lose all sense of reason!

Matalan is located on a small retail park near Woolworths and Argos & opposite the Westfields…read moreCentre in Derby. It specialises in clothes for all the family and has an impressive homewares department. Membership is required to buy from Matalan which will set you back £1. I personally find their womens range is a bit limited, but their jeans are great quality and affordable. I've had one pair which have lasted me 4 years & still looked great. Homewares was a godsend to me when I moved to university as stuff was modern and cheap. I wouldn't recommend the shop if you don't like to rummage through stuff. To find good stuff you need time & its position in Derby means you have to walk a way to get to it.

The most annoying thing about Matalan at Bradshaw Way is the parking. Be aware you'll need change…read morebefore you get there as it is a pay and display (which is refunded if you spend in one of the outlets so remember to present your ticket at the check out). The car park is cramped and small. Once inside the shop it is large and relatively spacious but always noisy. The clothes ranges ebb and flow in quality. The jeans and branded jeans are good value but the general day to day way tends to be poorly cut and lower quality. The footwear range is often good for fashion shoes that you only plan on wearing for one season. The homewares section is more appealling and there are some good bargains to be ahead. once again it is largely dictated by fashion so it is a good place to shop if you are staging a house or just want a quick accent change to your decor. What lets Matalan down the most is the presentation. It is invariably messy with clothes on the floor and boxes and trolleys abandoned in the shopper's way. The changing rooms can also be a bit whiffy! For make do and mend items Matalan can be a good shop but it is not inspiring.