Mr Thank You is your typical gift store every mall complex has at least one of. A little bit better…read morethan a $2 shop but stocking cheaper and more functional items than a souvenir store. Mr Thank You has mainly stocks a range of cheap novelty T-shirts and unisex bags with pop culture references. There is also plenty of cheap jewellery including the teen popular ear stretchers (gauges, tapers and spirals). Angsty youths also have access to knock-off Zippos and various pipes. With identification you can also pick up a hunting knife or two which is always fun to sell side-by-side with instruments used for getting high. The staff members quietly eye you from behind their counter which I think is typical small mall store behavior, especially in a store that attracts excitable teenagers. Though I'm not sure if I received a thank you from Mr Thank You. Come to think of it I don't think he was a man.

Society has changed us all into consumers; we can't get enough of shopping, and getting new stuff…read more Products aren't made to last anymore, and we are more than happy to throw things away while they are still fully functional. At Cash Box in Glenfield, formerly loved products are given an opportunity to become loved property again, and this little second hand store is home to a good range of used items. They also buy gold and other jewellery, so it is a pawn shop of old. I found a little digital camera I was looking for, and for my wife a cheap as blender. Sometimes it pays to visit second hand stores.

Before I developed my love for independant bookstores, Whitcoulls was my go-to for Christmas…read morepresents. A book (or board game, if I was feeling generous) for each family member and I was done. Despite being a chain, they've got a relatively good selection and the staff that i've interacted with seem to like and read a number of them, which is always a plus. Whitcoulls of course, also have stationery, magazines and a small selection of puzzles too. If you desperate for a gift, they're a one stop shop that's often open late but personally, now that we've got our own independent bookstore in Milford, The Booklover, I'd much rather support them and get a recommendation that's sure to wow!

What an incredible store for gaming - just wow…read more I was in the area, so decided to pop in to have a look at the overwhelming selection of XBOX 360 games. Good value. Great service. Friendly too. There were a (few) roaming shop assistants that were fighting for my attention, while I looked at laptops and tablets: time for an upgrade! They stock Apple, Toshiba, Acer, Microsoft, HP, Dell, Samsung and other brands I have never heard of. Yeah everything. I found what I was looking for, so paid in record time, with the view of returning to purchase other bargains. Also, the staff know their stuff about technology. Happy customer. I will be back...

As someone who spent a lot of his youth browsing in record stores, I can't pass a branch of JB Hi…read moreFi without paying it a visit. There's a big cd section and you can surely find what you want here as they have all the usual suspects; Beatles, Pink Floyd, Sting, Elton John; Van Morrison etc. They have a good back catalogue of all the artists and are reasonably priced. JB Hi Fi probably relies on its electrical to make its profits and they sell phones, laptops, tablets, TVs; Hi Fi's etc. They do some very good deals on their electrical stuff too as we were looking for a TV a while ago and after going to all the other electrical stores, we found the best deal at this place. The staff are quite well informed and are quite helpful if you happen to be technologically challenged like me! If you are looking for a good deal on something electrical or if you are a male who has always loved his music, then this place is worth a visit.

Every time I'm down in Browns Bay something always pulls me to Paper Power. Is it something to do…read morewith my stationary obsession, primal need to find a bargain and my ability to use retail therapy to fix all problems? Yup, you've caught me red handed. This shop fills all my wants and needs as it's packed with awesome stuff at the best prices. Whether I'm late for party and need to pick up sellotape asap, or am just in the mood to browse around all their crazy store, it's great. It'd be a really great place to do the yearly shopping for the kids' stationary as they have everything other stationary stores have, but it's just a lot cheaper. Otherwise, if you're just a stationary nerd like me, it's a great way to fill in an afternoon hehe.

Great little shop tucked away down an arcaderead more

It's a little disappointing this store is hidden away down a West Auckland arcade. Though come to…read morethink about it, if my girlfriend new there was a book exchange shop she would be more than happy to discard part of my growing home library. While I find it hard to relinquish books, Leisure Time offers to exchange or sell books out-right to it's customers. I hope the gruff greeting I received when I entered the store was just part of my interrupting something. The book selection itself didn't really appeal to me (focusing on romance novels, Dean Koontz and glossy magazines), but any business offering a book exchange or cheap books is going to attract my attention. With some organizing and advertising, which would create a wider selection of books, Leisure Time could be a great store.

Henderson is a lovely store that is bright, clean and everything is set out so well. Staff are…read morelovely and are always on hand to help. It appears to have a good array of clothing, furniture etc and parking is handy at the door.

This is a fairly large op shop, with a fair selection of women's, men's and kid's clothing for okay…read moreprices. My husband got a jumper here for $6. They have some furniture, although not much, lots of books, some kitchenware (but no pots or pans, sadly), toys and some other stuff. Prices seemed okay, there were a few odd people hanging about in there but the woman who served us was very friendly!

Really good ebgames really suggest going also they have one of the most nicest employees called…read moreAaron