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.

Super helpful staff, a great array of things that you just don't find anywhere else. Takes me back…read morein time which is fun. Always my first choice for materials, wools, sewing notions, so the list goes on. I am a repeat customer and will stay that way. Cheers to Ikes! Lin.

Sure they sell a wide range of homewares, sewing supplies, dress up costumes and everything in…read morebetween. Ikes used to be the place to go if you needed a proper sized flag of your home country. For $10 they had a huge selection of international flags behind the counter. When I was there last week I couldn't see any indication they were selling these anymore. The place looks quite run down and messy, I'd rather shop at the Look Sharp Store in Albany for costumes, party & craft/sewing supplies.

It was nice to see such a lovely little shop pop up in Birkenhead, since, let's face it, the…read moreshopping area itself is a bit down-at-heel. Crave and a few other little cutesy boutiques are giving this shopping centre a new spark of life, which is fantastic. From the outside the shop is very enticing, with a great mix of funky homewares and a few gift items thrown in the mix. My personal opinion is this shop is a bit over-priced though. I picked up a few items to see the price tag and almost immediately set them back down again. As cute as a box of stripey paper straws is, I'm not paying $12.50 for it. Perhaps if they got in a few reasonably priced options I'd be back.

Crave is a top quality home and gift store that is a new comer to the classic Birkenhead shops…read more Located at the corner of Mokoia Rd in Birkenhead, you will be in for a delightful shopping experience at this stylish boutique. They are award winning as of 2012 receiving a retail excellence award- so enough stated really. If you wondering what to buy a friend or family member who seems to have everything and anything. You might be lucky in finding a few special pieces in this original gift and home store. Stylish cushions and jewellery are my fave's here, because they have flair and style and standout with oomph! The staff are friendly and will help with your needs, all you need to do is call out. If you have found that perfect pressie they will also wrap it up to look gorgeous darling! A real shopping experience with class and sophistication.

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

This is a fantastically run store. Halfway through me rummaging through their super-bargain bins,…read moresomeone (customer or employee, I can't remember) knocked over a display of water bottles and everyone in the store rushed to help. Everyone. People gave up the treasures they were clutching in their grubby hands and ran over, and let me tell you, there are some considerable bargains here. This is the kind of goodwill this place gives. There are great deals, great bargains to find, cool stationery, hilarious greeting cards and just a well laid out store. This is what I want my Urban Outfitters gifts section to be like, but they've decided to turn up their nose at me. A lot of the designs run heavy on Paris, New York and skeletons - this is not a complaint. This is me wanting to buy a mini iPad so I can have one of their "Paris, je t'aime" iPad skin. I love it here.

I am currently on a mad stationary/ general homewares spree, for no particular reason, just because…read moreI can really and Typo on Queen street ticks all the boxes for me. There's lots of cool little knick knacks available that you don't see elsewhere (well not for these prices anyway) While the goods are evidently mass produced in some third world country, if your a trade aid groupie, probably best not to shop here. They are constantly having sales on already reduced prices which you can't really complain about. I have found many canvas prints at Typo that are currently hanging out pride of place in my apartment and little lantern fairy lights that just look awesome hanging in my bedroom

Kikki K is only losing one star because I feel the place is a tad expensive for what it is. Yes the…read morestationery is beautiful, quirky, cute (depending on what one chooses) and of quality. But still. I bought numerous items on their most recent sale and loved all the goodies with a 30% or 50% markdown. The service is always friendly and the girls working there now recognise me. It's worth noting Kikki K also holds organisation and happiness workshops. Great place to go shopping for gifts.

A wander through the Britomart precinct is incomplete without a visit to Kikki K. It's the…read moreclassiest stationery shop in Auckland by a million miles. The staff here are friendly and seem to have an idea of the very specific way that true stationery officianados need to revisit each item in the shop about twelve times per visit, as they make their mental lists of which pencil is cuter, which noteboook is the ideal size, which illustration best sums them up as a person. I'm not being mean! It takes one to know one. The only thing I would advise against at Kikki K is asking for too much assistance. I made that mistake and it kind of just made a hard decision harder, with all the options the sales assistant showed me.

I really love everything about this store. This is Australian designer Lisa Gorman's only store in…read moreNew Zealand and it sells some really gorgeous pieces of women's clothing. Gorman specialises in dresses, tops and trousers in really cool, funky prints. I think the great thing about it is that the clothing can really be worn by anyone of any age. Nothing in there is ever too short in the hem or low cut on the bust, which is perfect for older customers, but the cuts and patterns ensure that the clothes still look really trendy and hip enough for a younger crowd. My favourite things though are the shoes and boots. I've got a pair of little Chelsea boots from here and they are so comfortable and really well made from real suede. They have lasted for ages and I wear them all the time. The store itself is really spacious and is all wooden floors and walls, making it feel really organic, which complements the clothing perfectly. It feels very light and airy in there, so you can really browse for ages and the staff are always really friendly and give great advice as they clearly know the products inside out.

I absolutely love this store. Located on Nuffield St in trendy Newmarket, this store fits in…read moreperfectly. Everything in Gorman is beautiful. The boots are gorgeous - real leather, buckles, thick comfy heels - I was transfixed by them. Not to mention this great knitted clutch bag that was on display. And all that is before I even started flicking through the racks of clothes. How I wish I was a millionaire and could spend up large in Gorman!!! Every single garment was delightful; Gorman have managed to stock their store with items that are classic yet chic, fashionable and have a certain alternative, funky flare. This combination of styles means that Gorman is a shop that would appeal to a really wide age group. Both my mother and myself love their stock. It's just that great. The quality of the fabrics and the sewing means that even though items from Gorman may set you back a few hundred dollars, it's worth it. The garments and accessories you find in this store are the kind of pieces you can create multiple outfits around - they're staple pieces for your wardrobe, so spending a little more on them isn't too bad... Or so I tell myself! Bonus: One of the things that stands out the most about the stock in Gorman is the fabrics that have been used. They are amazing - really textured, bright and great quality - you'd feel like a million dollars in one of the pieces from this store.

My mummy friends, kids and I recently decided on meeting at The Fairy Shop for a coffee and a bite…read moreto eat recently as we hadn't tried out the new cafe in the revamped store. What a place to be sitting in the fairy shop sipping on coffee and nibbling on sweet cakes and treats. You order in the Fairy Shop, where you can browse the stands of toys for the kids, they even had little boy options too which impressed me. The pretty pink decor is happy and playful and this would be any little girl/boys dream come true. I hear they also do fairy birthday parties, now that would be fun! They have a lot of tutus for sale in different shades, plus accessories and fairy related toys. My coffee was creamy and chocolate layered, accompanied with yummy chocolate fish, and the cheese scone was also cheesy and tasty. I bought my nephew a chocolate brownie and he demolished this within seconds. Overall I enjoyed my afternoon at the cafe, and so did my friends.

As a little girl the Fairy Shop was my all-time favourite place. Wands, tutus, glitter, mushroom…read morestools, candles - it was a dream come true. I don't know how many birthday parties I went to at the Fairy Shop, and each time my stomach would be churning with excitement and wonder. Though I am now in my twenties, I still feel that same rush of excitement whenever I pass the Shop. And no, I'm not embarrassed to admit it. The fairy Shop may have moved location - it's a little further down Ponsonby Road than it used to be, however the amazing costumes and fantastical supplies you can buy there have only improved. If you want good quality, beautiful outfits that will make your child feel like a feel fairy princess then this is the one-stop shop for you! The new Fairy Shop still hosts birthday parties, so ring and book in advance and be prepared to rock your little girls' world. A new addition to the Shop is a fairy themed cafe, so parents you can relax over a delicious cup of coffee while your children marvel at the wonder that is the Fairy Shop. Bonus: You don't have to have kids to enjoy a sweet treat from the cafe and oggle at the delightfully beautiful, glittery costumes. I do it frequently!