Growing up I never really spent much time out west, but over the last few years I've slowly become…read moremore and more familiar with what is out there. But it was only really recently that I discovered the outlet mall at Westgate. Located right behind the Westgate shopping centre, this little strip of stores includes the likes of Bendon, a Nike factory store, an all-things-USA shop, and Jet Couture to name a few. The Nike and Bendon stores were two places I was ecstatic to find. Both had a wide selection of products available and everything was pretty reasonably priced. If it is outlet shopping you're after, I would still definitely recommend trying Dressmart in Onehunga first, but if you're already out west and just need new running shoes, lingerie or boardies then the Westgate Outlet will be able to take care of you without breaking your bank! Tip: There's plenty of free parking available both at Westgate shopping mall and in front of the outlet strip!

Not to be confused with the main shopping mall at Westgate, this is selection of outlet shops at…read morethe back on Fernhill Drive. There's not much to it really - just a random collection of outlet stores which attracts the bargain hunters on the weekend. I guess the best stores are the Nike and Bendon outlets as you can get some good deals here. There is nothing over $20 in the Bendon store and my wife comes here to stock up on underwear from time to time. There is a hairdresser called Vivo which my wife had a bad experience in - the sink was really high and she had a crick in her neck for days. Overall, it's not all that exciting or stimulating but that comes with the terroritory in West Auckland. Good for a few bargains but not what you would call great retail therapy.

The Westgate Shopping Centre is difficult to define; it is a strip mall that goes around itself…read more This is possibly the best strip mall, in the sense that you can walk around without having to repeat on yourself. You've got all the major fast foods here, KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds. There is a Warehouse and a Noel Leeming, plus nightlife in the form of Miss Q's and Origins Bar, and there is a medical and holistic health area. Looking at it in this perspective, you soon realise that it is much better than it appears. It is a pity it is likely to die a horrible death when the new shopping mall opens across the street, but until then, many other shoppers will continue to frequent this shopping landmark. I know I will.

At the end of the Western motorway is this rather odd mall I actually hesitate to call a mall. It's…read morean interesting, rectangularish strip of shops (mostly chain stores), cafes, takeaways, a bar, a medical centre and another Event movie theatre. Can't say I've spent a lot of time here, but when I have done, it's actually been pretty good. Ample parking and you can see all the shops there are, so can't get lost really. There's also a nice park at the back of it. I remember grabbing some food from the Hollywood Bakery and venturing out with my friends on a cloudy day to picnic there. Unfortunately, the ultra violet rays were not that friendly, causing me to get a tad burnt and crispy. Woops.

After visiting Costco, I walked about 15 minutes to the nearby Northwest Shopping Center in…read moreWestgate. The mall has a Woolworths supermarket, which is prevalent throughout New Zealand, as well as a few restaurants and other stores. I mainly went in for groceries. One thing to note: in the Westgate area, grocery stores cannot sell alcohol due to local licensing laws, so if you want beer or spirits, you'll need to go to a liquor store. This restriction doesn't apply in Auckland's CBD. Parking is easy with a large lot above and around the mall. While at Woolworths, I noticed a long line outside, which turned out to be for a Justice of the Peace offering free services during certain hours--helpful for locals who need them. Overall, Northwest Shopping Center is convenient if you're nearby and need groceries or a few shops. It's clean, easy to navigate, and has ample parking.

We were in the Westgate area for Costco and decided to check Woolworths i It's located inside the…read moreNorthwest Shopping Mall, which you can walk through to get there. Woolworths is one of the biggest supermarket chains in New Zealand, so we wanted to check it out--mainly to see how much golden kiwis cost here, since this is where they originated. We've been buying them back home in Houston and were curious about the local price. Golden kiwis are delicious, for those who haven't tried. The store was bright, clean, and easy to navigate. The produce section was well stocked, and the golden kiwis looked really fresh--priced a bit lower than what we usually pay in the US but not as cheap as a decade ago :) They also had a nice variety of local fruits and snacks we don't typically see at home. Overall, it was a pleasant stop--convenient location, friendly staff, and plenty of parking. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area and want to see what everyday grocery shopping looks like in New Zealand. The mall itself looks like a typical mall in the US with one exception: the information desk has a helpful attendant! I rarely see an information desk unless it's like the Galleria!

This is a pop up outdoor clearance store, which I guess means it's not going to be around forever…read more It doesn't actually say how long the sale is for, but they have heaps of stock in here to get rid of. For anyone who needs outdoor gear, this place is great. They have all the well known and quality brands for sale, and it's all pretty well discounted. If you don't actually need anything though I'd suggest that you should probably stay away as you'll end up buying something that you don't need, like I did. The store itself is not what you'd call a designer's masterpiece, but I guess there's no need for it to be pretty when it's not going to be there forever. It serves its purpose, which is to sell cheap outdoor gear and lots of it. Oh they also have some snowboard clothing near the back.

Acquisitions is like a gift store on crack. Seriously, it's packed with so many things to buy…read more Almost too much. You can find yourself walking around the store for way too long faced with too many options to choose from. First world problems, I know, and in many ways less is more. In saying that though, it's the perfect place to go for a present for someone who has everything as there is so much stuff to choose from. It's situated in the Albany Westfield Mall and there's an entrance right buy the store. This means you can park pretty much outside and save yourself running all over the mall. You just need to make sure you drive over to the Cinema side of the mall and enter from there. It's a great place to go if you need a present, something to cheer you up or an hour to kill while window shopping.

I'm probably sexist in believing that girls enjoy gift buying more than men, however men are…read moreprobably the better gift givers, it's the process we hate so much. Maybe we fear buying a bad gift, and that's what inspires us to spend so much time and effort. Shopping for gifts is a torture like no other, but I've narrowed down my gift-buying destination to one, Acquisitions in Albany. This shop caters for all ages, differing tastes and even crosses the cultural barrier with ease. No matter the occasion, or the person on the receiving end, the gifts you can get here are of high quality, and for most instances, inexpensive too. My birthday is coming up soon, please feel free to shop for my gift at Acquisitions, they've got my approval.

I'm not sure why I have not been outlet shopping my entire life. I was on the hunt for new football…read moreboots and was advised the Nike Outlet at Westgate had a 30% off sale. Half an hour later I had new football boots for $90, which had originally been on sale for near $200 at their time of release. I got sucked into the outlet trap (some would argue bargain bin) immediately and explored the store that was full of deals. Replica soccer shirts were only $30, a fraction of the price at other sports stores and running gear was also much cheaper, such as shorts and singlets. Outlet shopping appears to be all about timing however. Many of my first preference boots were not the ideal size (way too big or way too small) with the limited range for the most desired and popular sizes being the trade-off. It is possible to find out from the retail Nike stores when they are sending products to the outlet stores, something I would suggest doing.

I would just like to preface by stating that I ordered online via the Best Blooms website from…read moreacross the globe for someone very dear to me for Valentine's Day, and it was the best experience i've ever had with a florist, truly. The customer service was communicative, responsive, timely and more than anything genuine. The florists were extremely receptive to my requests, and the arrangement that was delivered was IMMACULATE! The blooms of the orchids were of utmost quality, and I could not have dreamed for a better bouquet to be in the hands of someone so dear to me. Thank you so much Best Blooms for your unparalleled service, quality and efficiency. I will certainly be using your services again, and will recommend you very highly to others! All the best from Miami Beach, Florida!

This florist is amazing! I ordered flowers off their website from Florida, and they were…read moredelivered, fresh and beautiful, literally 2 hours later. I highly recommend!

Definitely my favourite junk shop. It's not the biggest junk shop, but they change their stock so…read moremuch you are always finding new things. They have a great collection of make up, clothes, kids' toys, hair accessories, household items, I could go on, really. Everything is organised and has its place, and the owners always say hi when you walk in, and they're always there behind the counter watching some good old TV. It's not always the tidiest with people leaving things in the aisles and kids playing with stuff while their parents shop, but it kind of works since the owners seem so laid back. They'll always go searching for things if you can't find anything either. I come and have a look here every weekend just to see what's new.

If you have a thing for jumping into bed with clean, cool, cotton sheets then checkout the linen…read morerange at the spacious new Wallace Cotton store in the NorthWest mall! I love the feel of fresh cotton sheets and I would happily stock my entire linen cupboard with their sheet sets but unfortunately, most of their crisp colours and designs don't quite work with my bedroom furniture. Now if I had a batch or a country cottage, then this is definitely where I would pick up my linen. I like the versatility of their reversible designs and the fresh sea-side cottage feel they seem to create. Wallace Cotton products don't come cheap but they are worth every penny.