Big Lots seems to be like a downscaled superstar but with a boosted focus on furniture…read more They have a section for bric-a-brac type stuff that cute and funny - kind of like "as seen on TV" items. I liked the pricing and quality for their home decor wall decorations. They also had some cute items for tableware items like bowls and cups. They have a lot of the standard department sections like home goods, bed wear, small kitchen devices, children's toys, pet's items, bathroom stuff, food, etc. There are some noticeable savings available for some items but most things in the store are pretty standard pricing - perhaps a bit higher than average. It seems like a good idea to visit their website or scope out their weekly circular savings for best savings. The store seemed pretty understaffed. There was one person at the checkout registers and she was very friendly but obviously swamped with people ready to pay for items. They should give her a raise and also hire an extra person for the registers.

This place is a hit or miss to find things that you want/need. There are great prices on some…read morethings, but others are on par with any store that you go to. I almost bought a couch there and decided to check Unclaimed Freight just in case and found a leather sectional that was just a few bucks (literally $7) more. Glad we checked! You'll want to check the expiration on some of the food items since they, though not expired, can tend to be a shorter shelf life than at a grocery store.

Bridgett was very kind and welcoming she did an amazing job helping me find everything I need and…read morewas very informative about the Ollies discount card program!

The greater Reading metro area has two nice Ollie's? Yes, it does. This store is located in…read moreShillington Square Shopping Center, a shopping center with significant vaccines. The whole complex looks dated, but don't judge this location on it's looks from the outside. Inside of the store is nice, clean, organized, and well stocked. There were very few empty shelves. This Ollie's has one major issue: Store is WAY too small. There is nowhere near enough space between any of the aisles, with most being only one cart wide, making the shopping experience difficult. There is nowhere near enough queue space behind the registers. Ollie's needs to lease the vacant 13,000 sq ft storefront next door and expand into it. Overall, this could be a standout Ollie's if it had more space. Still worth a stop.

Amish Restaurant Run but Blown Away by store…read more My good friend lives not far from PA Dutch Amish Country, so we made a date to hangout and eat together. She's also notoriously about being late, she arrived an hour late so we had ample time to checkout the nearby shops and stores. My love of this store is solely based on the candy section. I'm a sweets and treats person, I love CANDY. Growing up in New York, we had lots of candy stores. The candy selection was huge. So many choices and options, I saw candy I hadn't seen in 30 years. Once you are outside New York, you lose the mom and pop stores that supplied the candies. It was a big, clean store with fruit and vegetables priced that was amazingly low. The local was close by to the buffet. This would be a great day trip into Amish country. You should check it out.

I watched lots of YouTube videos on visiting Lancaster. Many of them included Good's store. It is…read morewhat some people describe as the "Amish Walmart." It is part Ace Hardware, part Whole Foods, part Petsmart, part denim, part fleece shirts and loaded with gadgets, tools and gifts. There is something for everyone. If you visit Shady Maple Smorgasbord, it is in the same shopping area.

This is your classical 70's mall with a concrete exterior and a low-key interior. It doesn't appear…read moreto have changed much over the years. You can still see the fountain where the famous YouTube video was taken. Not a lot of super high end stores, but it matches the area nicely. All it needs is an attached cinema to complete the feel of the pet rock era. I hope this place will endure. Unlike the Plymouth Meeting Mall, the exterior stores aren't doing as well as the interior. The Firehouse Subs place just closed. Security is present but not intrusive

With new ownership looking to close and redevelop most of the mall, Berkshire Mall's time is sadly…read moregetting short. What is sad, is while Berkshire Mall is no longer in it's prime, a large portion of the mall's interior remains filled with a mix of national and local tenants. It even has one fully functional fountain, in front of the Boscov's, with the fountain in front of the Sears not being operable for several years. Foot traffic on the weekends is excellent, with a portion of the community still supporting Berkshire. Unfortunately, this malls downturn largely started with the closing of Bon-Ton and Sears within a year of each other. The sale to Namdar Realty Group bought Berkshire into less reputable ownership, with their usual deferred maintenance leading to the mall almost being condemned in 2024 and a large portion of the parking lot being blocked off due to sinkhole issues. The food court upstairs is down to only three stands. What makes Berkshire worth stopping into despite all these problems? While the interior is dated, it is nice and kept clean. There is a fully functional mall retro arcade, Challenge Arcade. Berkshire Mall has one of the few full size FYE's left in the state. Various small businesses add charm and other shopping options. It's a shame that Abrams Realty Group, the malls future new owners, want to close Berkshire. Unlike Exton Square Mall, which they are also redeveloping, Berkshire Mall is not dead and it's far from it. Shame how it's going to end.

Koziar's Christmas Village landed on one of those "highly recommended holiday adventures" lists,…read moreand since it's only about one hour from home, we added it to the 2025 must-see lineup. December got packed packed, so we didn't make it out until the last Sunday after Christmas -- which honestly turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I can't even imagine how absolutely packed Koziar's must be in the days leading up to Christmas, and while there's plenty of room to spread out, massive crowds just aren't our thing. Visiting after the holiday rush made the experience much more relaxed and enjoyable. Even though it was post-Christmas, it was somehow still considered a prime night, so admission was $18 per adult. Not ideal, but also not outrageous compared to other big-name light displays. Parking, however, was free, plentiful, and close to the entrance, which immediately earned major bonus points because so many places charge extra just to park half a mile away. Pulling up the drive is where Koziar's really makes its first impression. You come over a dark country road hill and suddenly -- BAM -- Christmas lights everywhere. They shimmer across the lake and light up the entire valley in a way that genuinely stops you in your tracks. This is one of those moments that's better experienced than explained. Once through the gate, you're welcomed with a miniature diorama and a warm holiday greeting from the Koziar family themselves. The walk-through path is simple and clearly marked -- just follow the arrows painted on the pavement. It's fully paved, well-lit, and stroller/wheelchair friendly, which makes this a great option for families. If you're a small child, this place is probably pure magic. Older kids might be a little less impressed, but as an adult, the nostalgia factor here hits hard. The wooden characters -- hand-painted and intricately lit with antique-style Christmas lights -- immediately transported me back to childhood visits to my grandparents' house. There's something very old-school, very comforting, and very heartfelt about the displays. It's not flashy or tech-heavy; it's warm, charming, and intentionally vintage. There are plenty of indoor buildings along the route, which offer a chance to warm up, grab a snack, and contemplate evacuating your wallet. We kept it simple with a churro, a chocolate chip cookie, and a hot cocoa for about $6 total. The snacks were clearly mass-produced and not gourmet by any stretch, but they were hot, fast, and fairly priced -- exactly what you want while wandering through the cold surrounded by lights. The music playing throughout the village was a surprisingly nice mix: classical Christmas carols, country holiday tunes, and classic cartoon favorites. It added to the experience without being overwhelming. The dioramas scattered throughout ranged from intricate and whimsical to slightly unusual -- some made us smile, some made us tilt our heads -- but there was always something to look at. At no point did the experience feel dull or empty. Koziar's Christmas Village may not become an annual must-do for us, but it's absolutely worth experiencing at least once. If you're looking for an affordable, walkable, nostalgic holiday experience that warms your heart and reminds you what Christmas used to feel like, this is definitely a place to put on your list. Cozy, charming, a little quirky -- and very much its own thing.

If it was more aptly called "Koziar's Christmas Lot," I don't think anyone would go but it would be…read moremore appropriate. After planning to go for years, we went tonight (two days after Christmas, a Friday). We got there right at 6 pm. Some signs said they open at 5pm and other signs said they open at 6 pm. Teenagers were competently directing people where to park. That part was easy and orderly, and parking was free. We got in one of the three disorganized lines, one for cash only, one for cash AND credit card, and one for credit card only. I don't know why they needed to make it complicated. It wasn't intuitive, people were confused, and gaps in the line fences allowed others to cut in, bisect the existing lines, and create their own branches of the lines. The cash line didn't move very fast. Why not do online ticketing through Eventbrite---you KNOW they make a lot of money and much smaller family businesses do it so why can't they----have a QR for entry, and zip people in. $18 for one adult during peak days. No receipt, no stamp for reentry. Pets aren't allowed, which was made clear upfront (online) and posted on-site. The attractions are mostly Christmas and so much of it is the same stuff from 20 to 30 years ago, creepy doll decorations with lights to make it Christmasy, and then they have random things like Betty Boop, dinosaurs, and stuff that's not iconic Christmas. The walking pathway is such that you can't really go back to see anything or do a second lap. It's meant for a one-way walk through and a quick boot out you go. Lots of lights were out, one huge gingerbread inflatable was completely flat, and a bunch of lights on their main "Kozier's Christmas Village" were out---at least fix that! The hot cocoa was good, and it wasn't Swiss Miss thankfully. It's a small 10 oz cup and $3 each. The chocolate chip cookie was very very good, buttery, soft, gooey, hot, and freshly made for $1.50 each. Go once, don't recommend it to others, and go home. If you need to drive 2-3 hours for it, skip it and find a more local attraction.

An absolute gem! My husband needed to go to the feed store next door, so we also stopped in here…read more It is absolutely wonderful! The owners are very kind and knowledgeable. They have beautiful gifts from around the world, as well as local items. The store is full of interesting things. The more you look, the more you find. Upstairs they have lots of toys, especially things they do not require batteries. We found some great puzzles. Downstairs there two rooms full of gifts and jewelry. I picked up a few things and returned later that day to get more. This is now my first stop for gifts.

This is our favorite place to buy gifts year-round. The (really nice) owner stocks a fantastic…read moreselection of high quality games and toys - learning games, craft kits, etc. Also really nice items for the home. This is not the usual "country crafts" selection, but a lot of thoughtful and humorous choices for all ages and genders!

I expected this place to be very crowded, given it was a sunny day and warm. It was not crowded at…read moreall on a Saturday. It seemed like there were many shops that were closed. I felt aweful for the shop owners. Things seemed a bit pricier than other markets, but I would assume the rents are high. The place is extremely clean and very pretty and picturesque. I really hope it gets busier as the summer season goes on.

Maybe if you're trippin'. This place is like a fever dream. Obscure storefronts mixed with…read moreresidences you can't tell apart down a surreal labyrinth into oblivion. Do people live here, work here, am I intruding in someone's space ... what? Picture a mall but some stores are people's houses. One minute you're in some dude's Lego shop wet dream and the next you're in somebody's backyard....I think. Even when you can tell if a place is open for business you have no idea what's inside. The signage is terrible. Who came up with this monstrosity? Don't even get me started on parking and figuring out how to get into the place. I'd say 60% of it was closed on a Saturday afternoon though it's hard to say what was supposed to be open to the public in the first place. It's superficially pretty but the deeper you go, the more you want out. I'm more confused after visiting it. For full disclosure, we went one time years ago for *Out of This World* Robot Shop and Museum which was amazing but now closed, and truthfully, that's all we saw at the time. Based on this recent trip, I don't get it.

Barnes & Noble are currently the 'king' of the Big Box stores in the books and literature field…read more It's a great place to hang out for a bit. They have a wide assortment of new books. Plenty of journals, multimedia and other entertainment products as well. They also have a cafe in-store for patrons to rest at. My only gripe is that the workers there aren't exactly the nicest. I've been to this store many times and several of those visits including rude customer service and abject apathy.

Open floor plan is easy to navigate for all patrons, including in wheelchairs. There's an endless…read moreselection of options for everyone. It's not just for book readers. There's books and magazines of all genres, movies, games, toys, greeting cards, journals, a Starbucks to sit and relax in, a children's area, special events and so much more! Prices can be about average for most items, some in a higher price point and others (especially on sale) are great deals. It's best to price compare prior to hitting the registers. The layout can be altered frequently which makes it seem difficult to find specific items- but the staff is always there to support and provide guidance. I love that they will personally escort you through the maze of aisles directly to what you're looking for. They are knowledgeable and professional. My biggest complaint is the unkempt restrooms. The trash cans are frequently overflowing onto the floor and it's always advisable to check stalls for toilet paper availability as there are many times that it was necessary to find an alternate stall due to unkempt and poorly stocked stalls.