It's kind of ridiculous, but I love $2 shops. This is technically not a $2 shop because it sells…read morethings priced above and below $2, which is kind of stupid, but I love it anyway. The place is pretty massive, it has aisles that are alphabetized for ease of search, but there's so much stuff in there that you wouldn't even know where to start. For example, $2 disposable yellow raincoats. Amazing. $7 '*insert name here* PARKING ONLY' signs to stick outside your house for laughs. $2 caps. $2 angry birds keyrings. $3 packs of bubble wrap, self-sealing envelopes. Dare you to go in there and not find something to buy. Service was super friendly.

Definitely my favourite dollar store in Auckland, such a huge selection of really great stuff, good…read moreparking and really friendly staff. They have an amazing selection of fake flowers here which look really good and aren't a rip off like the ones in home décor stores. I always buy my fake eyelashes from here too, really good selection and again really great looking and fab quality. My boyfriend likes their selection of lighters here, especially their Zippo inspired ones! It's part of the shopping complex on the corner of Valley and Dominion Rd so it's got great free parking (always deserves a mention). Such an amazing kids toy section here too they even have beautiful hand painted maracas for $2 and they would make such great gifts. I also always buy my pet paraphernalia from here too they have doggie poop bags that are pink with paws on them...so cool as well as pet bowls, leads and toys! Love this shop to death.

No. 1 Mart is located in the biggest building of SouthPoint, Manukau's newest complex of stores…read more I've been to SouthPoint so many times and never actually noticed No. 1 Mart until recently. It's a massive store but it's not as full of stock as you'd expect it to be. They do have a semi-interesting range of giftware, costumes and novelty items. They've got about half a wall full of gift bags and tonnes of crepe and tissue paper (I'm a sucker for wrapping and packaging presents!). That was probably the only part of the store I was really interested in. The prices are fairly low and that location is great for picking up that last-minute item for a gift. Otherwise there's nothing to differentiate No. 1 mart from any other dollar store. Hope they pick their game up though- the store is massive and they could stock it with some awesome stuff if they wanted to.

Just want to commend the awesome customer service I received from owner Jesse and worker Jayden…read morewhen I popped into the store today being Monday 2nd May 2016, awesome knowledge on product enquired which was the Minecraft toys and things. An exceptional level of customer service and product knowledge. Totally recommend to anyone. Keep up the great work guys and thank you Jesse. Top Notch Regards, Haedon N SATISFIED CUSTOMER

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).

I don't think this is the most well stocked 2 and 5 dollar shop (if you head up to Look Sharp on…read moreLunn Ave, you're probably more likely to find the obscure item you are looking for there). However for the closest 2 and 5 dollar shop to me, they do a pretty good intermediary job when I don't have time to head out anywhere else. I usually peruse the stationary, plastics and costume sections, however they also stock a variety of other items, ranging from makeup to candles to vases. As the name suggests, most of the prices range between the 2 and 5 dollar mark, so don't expect anything of the highest quality; however I have to say I still own a lip liner that I got from there years ago as part of a costume and it surprisingly does just as a good a job as any of the more expensive ones I own.

Look Sharp is the kind of shop that makes me want to cry. It's stuffed with impulse-buys and…read moreplastic, plastic, plastic junk as far as the eye can see. I can understand why people get excited about it though- there's so much cheap stuff and it does all have a purpose...it's just that the purpose is usually one day of being a St Paddy's day costume or a party decoration, and then being chucked. I get even more moralistic when I think of the wages the people are paid who make this stuff that. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I never buy anything plastic or made in a developing country. I just don't want to see a whole shop full of the stuff. It brings me down.

One of the most useful and chaotic stores I've ever been in, Look Sharp Store does what other…read moredollar stores try (and fail) to do. It's clean, well laid out and easy to find whatever you're in the market for - from costumes to dress socks, candles to key rings, Look Sharp has it all... and it's cheap! Many times I've rushed to this store for that last minute item that will make a costume or decorated room really pop - I can't even count the number of times I've flipped on the hazard lights, parked in a place that really annoys the taxi drivers and run in to grab streamers, beer-drinking hats, striped armbands or paint. Seriously, anything silly and frivolous you could ever want is under this roof.

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.

I really like Simply Plus. I've only been here a handful of times but they have some awesome arts…read moreand crafts stuff in here for really low prices. In fact, this store saved me when I had to pick up some last minute card and other items for a big scrapbooking day I was having with a friend. Tonnes of glitter, coloured paper and necessities like glue sticks and compasses were all on hand. All of their arts supplies take up a good two to three aisles, so needless to say that I was there for a while just checking out all their stuff. Its quite a good size for a bargain store, lots of aisles and they have a good selection of stuff- they have quite a few toys and things for kids. I've noticed that a few of Simply Plus' products are slightly better quality than what you would usually find in a bargain store. The people that own Simply Plus are super nice. They don't talk much but they've always been friendly during my encounters with them. This store is probably a bit too out of the way for some people, but as a local it's great to have a store like Simply Plus close by- a great alternative to having to drive to a mall for similar stores that just aren't as good.

Quite a brief trip in to suss out the Coin Save in my neighborhood, and what a range of things to…read morebuy in one stop really. It is a cheap store to say the least and has a range of bits and pieces that you would find in any two dollar store anywhere in Auckland, something that I have never seen for sale in a Two dollar store though is the range of BB Guns available. I always thought BB Guns were little plastic devices that didn't cost much, however you can pay anything up to 395 dollars for a really good one. Lots of inexpensive unbranded clothes, and some funny t shirts stood out to me, and they have quite a selection of clothing for a Coin Save.

Affectionately named "the best store in the world" by my partner this store is literally a…read moreone-stop-shop for virtually anything! Whether you are scouting for an extension cord, fish slice, nail polish, sewing kit, BB gun or bikini you are sure to find what you are looking for. Okay so the quality of the products can be questionable but you get what you pay for and let's be honest you only walk into a $2 store if you're looking for a quick-fix. The store is reasonably well laid out but with the familiar clutter of a well-stocked bazaar. The friendly and helpful owners have even managed to squeeze a small curtained change room into the corner! Like I said, best store in the world.

Imagine the department store that Hello Kitty would shop in, and you'll get an idea of what Daiso…read moreis like. It's tiny, it's jam-packed from floor to ceiling, the aisles are only big enough for one-way traffic, and everything is so cute it makes me want to squeak. Unlike other discount shops, Daiso $3 Japan contains higher-quality, made-in-Japan products. I've been shopping here for years for everything from kitchen equipment, to gift wrap, to cosmetics, to crockery. Plus they have all the wacky Japanese products you've never heard of - refrigerator curtain, anyone? I guess Even food needs privacy sometimes. But don't be fooled, everything in store in actually $3 plus GST, making everything $3.50. Or you can get three items for $10. Check it out and spoil yourself with a fluffy toilet-seat warmer.

Cute little shop in between the city, if you're looking for something from Japan! The with lots of…read moreitems in stock from basic home goods to crafting the variety of choices are available! The shop aisles are narrow, and because of the tiny space it does get over crowded. If you're trying to shop with a baby stroller/pram, it'll be very hard to navigate in the store. I recommend leaving the pram outside with a family member/friend while you shop inside. If your pram is narrow it'll fit just fine. The staff are quick to serve you if needed. The prices are 3.50$ each for any item in the store. If you purchase 3 items they are 10$. It is always being stocked with new items! I would recommend this place if you're looking for some cute but cheap items for stationery use and or household decorations!

The name "OK Gift Shop" is pretty funny. It's like, "go here for the gifts for people you don't…read morecare too much about but have to get one for." Ironically enough, this is actually one of the better gift shops I've come across. I don't make a habit of gift shopping, but I try to make a habit of gift receiving, and I wouldn't mind if I got one from here - if I was overseas that is. On the day I went they had a weird little promotion where buy a number and they spin a thing, if you win you get a prize. There must have been about 40 Japanese school kids on a trip in the shop all hoping to win big so I missed out on having a chance, but it looked pretty cool. For once, a shop that actually outshines it's name.

You can find OK Gift Shop in Downtown shopping Centre corner of Customs Street and Albert Street in…read morethe heart of Auckland's city. They are on level one, not easy to miss in this small mall. I was impressed by the fact this souvenir shop sold work by New Zealand artists, probably commissioned based, but so are galleries. It is a great way to buy a unique gift for someone without having to trek out into the outer markets or surrounding suburbs if you on a tight time schedule but want to buy that something a little bit different and not mass produced overseas. Their was photographic art, ceramics with Kiwi iconography and New Zealand's natural timbers made into crafty useful objects. I personally picked up a small ceramic plaque with a kiwi bird on it and a nice green glaze over the top, it was by 'Art Locker' and cost me $9.20. I was pretty happy with that, and I hope my friends in Perth will too, since it is intended for them. A lovely little, well quite big actually, store to keep in mind when on the hunt for presents to go overseas.