The Looksharp empire has a few different branches now but this big shop in Onehunga in the best use…read moreof the old Woolworths/Deka building I've seen in a long time. While it probably doesn't get as much as foot traffic, it's worth the drive - even if you just visit this one shop. It's basically an Asian super-store, full of all the things we've come to expect but crucially MORE. There's just more products and BETTER products - there's an entire "naughty" section here as well as an entire range of inflatables. Need an inflatable palm tree for your living room? This is your place. There's neck ties, fake flowers, party supplies, home supplies, kitchen stuff; you can easily spend several hours here treasure hunting. Best of all, you will find items that are available at upmarket gift stores for the price they really should cost - buggar all.

Unfortunately Looksharp is only a recent discovery of mine and I wish I'd known about this sooner!…read moreOnehunga is probably one of the quieter branches but is still packed to the brim with a lot of things you may or may not need. A friend and I visited when everything in store was 30% off- and to think that Looksharp prices are already really reasonable, we definitely stockpiled on a few things! We made the trip because she was having a luau-themed birthday party- Looksharp had just about everything we were hoping to get! Flower leis, an inflatable floral ukelele, palm tree drinking glasses, bamboo torches, lei bracelets, floral dishes; I could go on! We did catch ourselves making jokes such as "wouldn't it be awesome if they had....", only to find said item seconds later. The selection there was great and I'd come back in a heartbeat for any party goods and decorations. I'm huge on gifts so I loved seeing all of their goodie bags, chinese boxes in an assortment of colours, as well as their scrapbooking section- everything was so well-priced, much cheaper than getting similar products somewhere else, like Spotlight. There's literally so much at Looksharp, I'd make the trip only because I have a feeling it won't be your last!

Purchased a Madd Gear scooter for my Grandsons birthday. He absolutely loves it and I love how…read morestrong and sturdy it is. Great product.

The Warehouse gives me so much joy . The fact you can walk around and try on so much stuff and no…read moreone asks you anything is the best ever !! Sometimes when your shlopping (looking/shopping not really buying anything ) you don't want people asking how your day was . And how does the warehouse have the uncanny ability of when you walk in for only 1 or 2 items, but hello you walk out with a colouring book , felts , scarves , fake flowers , DVDs , seeds , towels and anything else you think your getting a bargain on . Things I hate about the warehouse - the jumble of clothes , the disorder of books and DVDs , the kid with that noisy toy that just won't quit and weird European candies . I'm still coming back its where everyone gets a bargain !

This place is awesome for its convenience right by the Auckland Airport. We were at the gas station…read moreand my wife asked if there was a department store nearby. I did a quick google search and found this place. Perfect when you need last minute food items for the plane or gifts to take home. This place is also awesome for its wide variety of items they sell. Everything from food to books to groceries to home goods. A couple drawbacks, there is a limited selection of specific types of items. Not to contradict myself but what I mean is that there were only several tiny aisles of food items. Second, prices for food items were slightly higher than the Countdown market right next door. Unfortunately, we went here first before Countdown. Nevertheless, we enjoyed coming here and killing time.

David's emporium is your one stop shop for everything! Here they have tools, paint, art supplies,…read morecrafts, material, nick-nacks, appliances, wigs and my favourite.....dress-ups! It's at David's you are able to find anything and everything suitable for a party, or if you're after something on the cheap. Located on Cavendish Drive in Manukau, it's only really convenient if you're in the area. There is plenty of onsite parking available. I have been here a number of times to pick up bits and pieces with my boyfriend, who is really in to art. He finds that they always have great sales on their canvases, sketch books and cheap paint brushes that he might need for touching up. Here I have managed to purchase lint rollers and a foot exfoliator, both of these cost next to nothing, I was very impressed.

An intriguing boutique that's nice to visit and have a 'window shop', as it's filled with antique,…read morestylish and interesting odds and ends. Unfortunately, everything is extremely pricey, so despite being flawed by that dress or ornament, you'd need to be making quite a lot of cash in order to buy it. The service was okay, but I find they are usually only interested in poshly dressed customers. I find this interesting considering their peeling storefront and lack of buyers. Still, I enjoy having a squiz at their collection on a lazy Saturday morning or during Midnight Madness each year.

Victoria's is a bit of an odd shop really…read more The part it does really well is the nick-nacky gift section that's takes up the front two-thirds of the shop. They have an absolutely drool-worthy children's section in the front corner opposite the door, filled with, well, really girly stuff mostly - Flower Fairies merchandise, from cups and stickers, to party ware and gifts, features strongly. Big love. The giftware and homeware in the rest of the front section of the ship is tasteful but edging towards the pricier side. Then right at the back of the shop they have a rather surprising women's clothing section. It's mother-of-the-bride-who-is-quite-wealthy type stuff, and some other formal pieces with hefty price tags. I could probably find something I liked there, but I get that dreaded feeling that I would get home, put it on, and feel instantly 20 years older.

Aside from being overpriced in some ways, Farmers does have some of the best specials seasonally…read more Red Dot Sales are ushered in with mannequins wrapped in red and white plastic out in the display window. You wonder in and these red dots are everywhere! After Boxing Day a couple of years ago, I managed to score both a hair straightener and a hair dryer for about $50. I was super stoked with that. I've also indulged in their massive clothing sales. They have a slightly upper class vibe in places (despite their very country bumpkin name), selling Gucci bags and clothes for exorbitant prices. They are definitely 2 cuts above Kmart in quality, but to sell Gucci is a bit far fetched. A slightly wannabe Smith and Caugheys, but still celebrating the heart of kiwi thriftiness, Farmers has a bit of an identity crisis going on. However, I still enjoy coming in here and spending some time browsing their great range of products.

Yay. This is my favourite Farmers to shop in. It has all the standard Farmers features - kitcheny…read morestuff, homewares stuff, lots of beauty counters and stocks of cheaper beauty products, a decent lingerie section, and a lot of truly dreary menswear. The great part is the women's fashion. I'm sure it must be the largest women's wear section in any Farmers in Auckland, and it's absolutely crammed full of every brand and every type of clothing you can imagine, from the vast sportswear section to endless midrange options, to tonnes of workwear and more formal stuff. Brace yourself with a coffee before you head in, then gather a good pile of clothes and head to the fitting rooms, which even feature a three-sided mirror (so you can pretend you're on Trinny and Susannah as you tell yourself how marvelous you look).

Colette by Colette Hayman is a newly popular jewellery store that first popped up on our radars…read morewhen it debuted in Westfield Manukau. It's a tiny thing of a store and five people looks like fifteen, but I think it's great. The girls here are pretty lovely and when they're not serving customers they always seem to be busy putting more stock out for customers. Colette is home to an array of great jewellery at really affordable prices. I've gotten a pair of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet here for $20 and that's just the retail price. They are always on-trend so they house statement pieces, bright neon colours, soft shades and your classic black, silver and gold. I really like that they have a lot of items that you could mix and match together, whether its a necklace and bracelet or earrings and a ring. It's very easy to be tempted by this store because there's so much to look at. Colette also sells beautiful clutches, purses and bags of all shapes and sizes. They're on a higher price point than the jewellery but I do like their designs. I love the small bags they do with long straps, those are great value for money and mine has stood the test of time so far, staying in perfect condition. Their clutches are great and my gold sequin clutch from Colette is a great accessory for almost any outfit; its a great place to get that staple piece that will stay on trend for a while.

Cheap shoes. Cheap dresses. Cheap appliances. Maybe it's…read morebecause we don't have K Mart back home, but I get excited to go here when I'm back in NZ. This is my go to spot when I need some quick supplies visiting my in laws. Forgot my jandals? No problem. $7 at KMart. Need some new swimmies? Cheap ones here that aren't ridiculous. Need new summery dresses for cheap? Yep. Golden. And then grab a cheap kapiti on the way out the door and your life is made.

I absolutely love Kmart for extremely obvious reasons. Not only do they have great bargains here,…read morebut they have almost anything you could want (although let's not get technical) and they are open until midnight- just three reasons there, but isn't that enough? The Botany Downs Kmart is my favourite. It's massive and I love exploring this place (although I do come here at least once a fortnight). The staff are great here, I'm always greeted when I arrive and when I leave and they're always nearby if i need to ask of something. Kmart is great for buying clothes to lounge around the house in at a cheap price and the occasional baking utensil (I just can't resist sometimes). My last visit had me going home with some new lounge trackies for $15 and 6 pairs of socks for $6- a really good bargain if you ask me. This Kmart also has the self-checkout service with handy hanger bins, and I definitely prefer to buy my items this way when I've only got a couple of items. Working in retail, I've seen Kmart sell similar styles they have in malls for a fraction of the cost and usually Kmart has better quality. Just goes to show that it's not always about brands and quality doesn't always have to mean a high price.