There's always a different feel to shops that are entirely run by men.... You know the kind I mean?…read moreCar showrooms, carpet discount stores, chandlers... and Radiocraft! They always have a faint predatory air to the them that you can sense, but can't quite get a handle on... it was like that many, many moons ago when I worked briefly at Richer Sounds: the blokes on the shop floor sized everybody up the moment they stepped through the door, and towards the end of my six week stint with them, I could practically hear their brains totting up how much money they anticipated each individual customer would spend... it was a little obscene! And comical at the same time! Radiocraft has the same kind of feel to it, but I could be wrong. They are clearly well versed in the product, which ranges from plasma TV's to white goods, and they certainly get the job done. Business is brisk, regardless of the recession. Established in 1949, there's a lot to be said for longevity, especially in this business! And that's an impressive track record! They are selling one of the higher end large plasma ranges with the offer that each customer who buys one will be refunded if England win the footie. I find this promotion be a little bit peculiar, considering that this is the Cardiff branch, and not everybody in Wales wants to see England do so well! I guess that they have underwritten the risk, and loaded the premium into the cost price, based on the anticipated sales for these TV's over the period leading up to the conclusion of the World Cup. Perhaps I'm a little too cynical at times? Come on England!

Many years ago I was given money for my birthday and spent it all in Radiocraft on Cowbridge Road…read moreon a new Sony radio. You know, the kind with a cassette player, and single CD player and a movable speaker on each side that has to be attached my precarious wiring around the back rather than any more sensible and new-fangled plugs. And of course, this radio is still going strong. The staff in Radiocraft are quite like the shop; they seem as though they've been there for an age, and have not quite yet caught up with all the new trends of technology. But, they are generally very knowledgeable about the products that they do have on sale (which is actually a whole lot more than just radios, by the way). They have televisions, washing machines, microwaves, sound systems and much, much more. Although this shop will either serve you very well, or leave you wanting as they don't have what you require, it's a good place to check out when you're in the market for new electronic toys.

Why has this only just opened? Why couldn't it have opened last year when I was looking for…read morefurniture and was forced to go to Ikea instead? I was convinced that City Road/Crwys Road were populated with second hand furniture stores when I moved into my new house, but I was clearly hallucinating. So, I was so pleased to find this store had opened, next to that most ethical supermarket, The Coop. The shop has a vast floor and has a wide variety of new and used furniture, electricals and general stuff for the home. Sofa's a-go-go - ranging in proce from really cheap (and look it) to really reasonable three piece suites, leather and modern funiture. There is bedroom furniture from brand new pine stuff to more 'retro' good as well as a vast array of TVs from £10! We may not be talking plasma, wide screen HD TV here, but good enough for a games console or student bedroom to keep up to date with Corrie. Most pleasing was the appearance of reasonably priced and reasonable condition 1930s furniture including sideboards, wardrobes and dressing tables. When looking for this stuff before I was reduced to online and pseudo 'antique' shops which charged an arm and a leg. If you're a student, moving into your first house or generally want a slightly more retro look to your home then please check this shop out first before hitting the obvious!

Moving into a new place is an arduous process. You've got bills to worry about, bank accounts to…read morecontact and drain dry, boxes to move and people to buy beer and pizza for, parties to plan... Moving into an unfurnished place is even worse. Especially if you're of the studenty bent. Not only do you have all the previous issues to deal with, you've also got to source new furniture, gather funds to pay for said furniture, or buy and eat enough pizza to build furniture from the leftover boxes. You may think I'm joking about that last one. I'm not. I've seen it done. Wasn't comfy, but what you lacked in comfort you more than made up for in lots and lots of pizza. Here's where BHS steps in. Their second hand furniture and electrical store lets you furnish a house cheaply, and on top of that, you know your money is going to a good place, which appeals to all those kind-hearted students, and the cynical gits who are trying to hope on the good foot and do the bad thing with said kind-hearted students.

My brother, the computer geek scientist (love you bro!), has an affinity with this store. Not I…read more No, that's a downright lie. I love it too. Perhaps I'm a little bit more tech-savvy than your average female arts student (oh, I really need to get out of the habit of saying that I'm a student, seeing as I graduated two years ago). EDIT: Perhaps I'm a little bit more tech-savvy than your average yelper, but I find that conversations about computers with the staff in Maplins are extremely interesting, easy and informative. Unlike store such as Comet, PC World and Currys, these guys know what they're on about, aren't desperately trying to sell you warranties and software, and explain things in a very clear and professional manner. Having had a problem with my laptop I went in to ask for advice and they spent 30 minutes helping me with no cost, and in the end I didn't have to buy anything to sort out the problem, yet all the while I felt like a valued customer. Well done Maplins. Excellent service.

I want to sing songs about Maplins. I want to dance and shake it to the songs I sing about Maplins…read more I want to write sonnets about the place. Craft solid marble statues in its honour and then shoot any pigeon that dares lay a feather on its resplendent beauty. Maplins should be where every good tech nerd goes to die, wrapped in bandages made from wires cut to different, but equally necessary lengths. Their headstones should be made from melted and re-formed solder and their epitaphs should be nothing more than the voltage that finally took their lives and carried them to geek-Valhalla. And if Maplins is such a religious experience, this store is the Mecca. A massive store filled with all the seemingly arbitrary-but-actually-completely-necessary bits and bobs that keep the turbines spinning and keeps the voltage flowing. The staff are eternally helpful, to old pros and beginners alike and the prices are exceptionally reasonable given the monopoly Maplins seems to hold on this market.

I think I may have a warped view of this Curry's store since I went there just after going to the…read moreApple store. In comparison it seems dark and cluttered but it is good to have an electronics store at hand. I think the problem is that because it sells everything (cameras, computers, TVs', but not home appliances) the staff aren't always very clued up on what your looking for. I was looking for a internet cable and the girl serving me wasn't very sure what I was asking for, although she did get someone who could help. I just think its good for bits and pieces but I wouldn't want to buy a camera or something more specialist from there.

Excellent service fromr people who knew what they were talking about-very good for non-tecchies…read morelike us! Service couldn't have been better

I recently visited the CeX store in Cardiff St David's to trade in my Samsung phone (in excellent…read morecondition) for an A-grade Huawei model. Unfortunately, the experience has been extremely disappointing. When I got the phone home, it wouldn't charge properly due to a faulty connection, and it immediately displayed a battery fault on the screen. Clearly, this was not the "A-grade" quality I was promised. Due to work commitments, I was away for six weeks and couldn't return the device right away. When I finally made it back to the store, I asked for an exchange -- but there were no phones available at a similar price point. The only alternatives were hundreds of pounds more expensive. I then asked for a refund, as I had clearly been sold a faulty item, but was told that only a credit note could be issued. This left me without a working phone and out of pocket for a product that was defective from the start. Selling a faulty device and refusing a refund goes completely against basic consumer rights. CeX seriously needs to review how it handles quality checks and customer service in cases like this. Very disappointed with the experience -- I expected much better.

This branch of CeX is quite a nice, cool store, it is slightly smaller than other branches I have…read morevisited such as Manchester and Bury, but the layout at this branch in St David's just is nicer and more modern, and of course it is easier to browse, look around and go in and out of the store quickly, as there isn't really long queues, which I'm used to when visiting CeX in my home town, which puts me off the store alltogether. The prices here are average, some products are good value and good buys, but others are quite expensive, and sometimes cost the same as buying a new product at high street retailers or Amazon. This store still isn't perfect however and there are some flaws, extending the size of this store and keeping it in its' current format would be great, as well as perhaps focusing on selling a wider range of products, albeit as a store which relies on trade-ins, I understand this can be hard but for now I'm pleased to report that this branch of Central Entertainment Exchange (CeX) does deserve a solid 3 star rating

The Domestic Appliance Centre is about to move premises, but no-one actually knows exactly where…read more.. not even the owner! When I visited just over a week ago, they said that the move would take place within about a week, and so it's likely that the windows have already been whitewashed out by now, and hopefully has a sign advising people of where they need to go in future... or, at least a telephone number that people can call to find out what's happening. (If you are one of the few lucky people that seems to know what's going on, please update this review). As the name suggests, the Domestic Appliance Centre sells white goods including; fridges, fridge freezers, cookers and washing machines, all of which are second hand. Prices seem to be reasonable. I have been looking for a second hand fridge freezer for a couple of weeks, and the prices for the ones in stock here were around the £85.00 mark, which is cheaper than I've seen elsewhere. Nevertheless, the quality and condition of the stock was inferior to the other options, and I'm unsure if the appliances are reconditioned and cleaned before they are resold. I'm also unsure whether they come with any kind of warranty, and so felt less inclined to commit to buying a fridge freezer here, especially in view of the fact that I didn't know whre they would be in a weeks time... if anything went wrong with the appliance I would probably end up out of pocket...

Gadgets Gadgets Gadgets galore! Red 5 has all the gadgets for your geeky and useful needs. Recently…read moreopening in St David's centre it has an excellent range of gadgets along with top service from the employees that work there. They are very reasonable prices for some of the items they sell. There are the more expensive items too but they are worth the price. My favourite thing about this store is that they do not mind demonstrating a certain product if you're unsure about whether you should purchase it or not. You can tell that the employees enjoy what they do and why wouldn't you enjoy it? Selling and playing with various gadgets every day? That certainly sounds like fun to me. If you are ever stuck to get something as a present for someone then I would recommend to have a look here as you will definitely find something whether it be useful or quirky for your friends or family to have. Check out this cool and modern gadget shop to see all the unique and funky things they sell. You will probably walk out with more stuff for yourself as well as a present for your friends.

It was my friend's birthday, and being into alot of weird experimental, alternative bands, I though…read morehe might like a stylophone. To anyone who's never heard of one it's basically the most irritating "instrument" ever invented, and consists of a stylus which you tap onto a metal, keyboard-y thing to make an electronic kind of droney noise. The perfect gift! I had seen them online for about £20 and thought there's bound to be one around somewhere in town. Naturally, and probably a bit stupidly, I tried the music shops first to no avail. I've got very little patience and was considering resorting to the standard "I'll buy you a couple of pints" line, when it suddenly occurred to me that one of the local gadget shops may have one. I walked in, and couldn't see it on display so sheepishly asked the guy behind the counter if they had any or knew where I could get one. He informed me they had them the week before but not many were sold so they weren't around this week blah blah blah. I must have looked pretty gutted because he said he'd check in thestoreroom. Lo and behold 3 or 4 minutes later and he's found one lying around in the back. Unfortunately for me, it had no price on it and he wasn't sure if he was allowed to sell it. Again I must have looked pretty gutted because he spoke to someone "behind the scenes" and said I could have it for a tenner. So half the price I found it online as well! Sorted.

Clifton Electrical seem a little out of place on Clifton Street these days, and if it weren't for…read morethe fact that there is a large carpet and furniture warehouse-style shop at the other end of the street, they would be the only vendor of items for the home in the area. (That is if we don't count the newly opened second hand store that has the occasional white good and a small selection of electrical items, that now occupies the shop unit that used to be a hardware store). I'm unsure how badly affected Clifton Electrical's is by the new one way system that the council implemented about a year ago on Clifton Street, but I'm sure that trade will be down. Luckily Clifton Electrical are not entirely reliant on their retail sales as they are also a wholesaler of electrical goods.