Sugary treats, sweet delights, goody-goody-gumdrops!!! What to write about a confectionary store…read morethat I have frequented on more than one occasion... well, they are in New Lynn Mall, close to the door when coming in from the train station side, which I am sure proves problematic for many families if they need to leave that way, passing by in hope the ankle biters don't see the colourful lollies on display, wise and evil planning by The Sweet Factory owners. The shop also have a ample range of gifts already wrapped waiting to surprise a new owner, ample considering it is really only a very small store, I am guessing you couldn't fit more than five customers in there all at once. Go take some friends and try it for for yourselves, prove my theory wrong!

This place is ridiculous, with sweets of all kinds gathered for a sugar mind blow…read more Try pass your kids along this shop and you will fail miserably. The shop although tiny, is set up so that every little and big sweet is on full display. This makes it incredibly difficult to bypass it without purchasing a little something, or a lot of something. I like it because they have a great selection of foreign sweets too, which can sometimes be hard to come by. What I don't like is that it is a little on the expensive side for my liking, and of course the fact that all the sweets are terrible for your health! Also, you can't really tell what it is that you are purchasing, because not all the products have their ingredients listed on the packaging, and some sweets don't even have packaging (gross).

Nice range of candy there but the service was not it. I stopped coming here but the last time I…read morecame here, the owners were eyeing us down like Hawkes when I was just browsing. I got a small bag of lollies but when I went to pay, the owner just swapped the bag of lollies I grabbed for a different bag at the back of the counter. the lady at the counter told me it was fresher and refused to give me the original bag I picked.

Thirsty from all your shopping, need a sugar pick me up then head on over to Sweet Station. This…read moresugar paradise is located opposite the sushi place and stocks a wide range of candy, drinks and snack foods. If you're with kids and they won't shut up, go buy them some candy, get them chupa chups or something. So much gum and chocolate. It may be tiny but they make the most of the space. Need gum or mints after lunch they have that too or if you buy something they actually give you a mint. Don't trust the food court here but really hungry and won't leave until you've found a bargain? Then they have chips, crackers, yoghurts and cookies, in fact it is almost like a little dairy. Tip: there is no customer service help desk in Dress Smart but if you can't locate a store buy something and ask and they will point you in the right direction.

I dare you to try and wrap your mouth around one of the Giant lollipops they stock here. At $12,…read moreit's probably the most you should probably spend on a lollipop but totally worth it for the challenge alone. 'The Old Lolly Shop' in Takapuna may be one of the last of its kind in Auckland, stocking all of your kiwi favourites, like spearmint leaves, humbugs, chocolate fish and lots more. They have their very own instore 'Lollymaker', who you can pop in to see in action. They are available to make handmade lollies to order. You choose the size, shape, colour and flavour. If you book in a group of people, say for a playgroup or school trip , you even have the option to each make your own lollipop. I mean how awesome is that!

I was elated when The Sweetest Little Chocolate Shop opened a new store in Sylvia Park. Not only…read morewas it much closer to home, but personally, it was bigger and better- its a modern take on the charming, original Midcity Arcade store. The service is friendly, patient and very knowledgeable; because of this I can never leave without a box of ten chocolates and a bag of their delicious Russian caramel fudge. The staff really make it an experience and because of this, I've become a regular here. You'll be dying to try all the flavours they provide, and its an extensive list. For someone who already knows what they're after or they're short on time, they do provide a range of pre-packed candies, chocolates and bars to suit any need. My favourites include the almond rocher, coconut snowball truffle and the roasted almond honey truffle- all to die for! Take a few flavours home with you to try- you really won't be disappointed.

We all have that one friend that constantly checks into places on Facebook. Most of the time it…read moreannoys the living crap out of me but once in a while I get to know about cool places that I can enjoy too.One of those places is the sweetest little chocolate shop. My love for chocolate is intense, I crave it and whenever I have it I want more. So when I decided to go to the sweetest little chocolate shop I went nuts and then sat down and enjoyed myself. After a day of power shopping thats all a girl needs, some chocolate.

This place is interesting. Or I think so, anyway. Indian sweets are interesting, and this is one of…read morethe nicer places I've found that sells them. It wasn't too busy the time we went, and the people there were friendly as we pottered about pointing at things and acting like general Indian-sweet-noobs. Some of the sweets are a bit of an acquired taste, but that's not a criticism. It just means that you aren't getting the same predictable flavours you might be used to, and that's never a bad thing. Personally I'm not a fan of anything milky so it limits the things that appeal to me, but this place has enough of a range to satisfy me and the more dairy-inclined. Plus the whole place is vegetarian, which is good if you are also wholly vegetarian.

I always kept this place in mind over past 10yrs, very tidy place. When I saw the snack, I just…read morecant stop saliva dripping cnr my mouth. Delicious

To be honest this place kind of smells really bad. I don't know why. Maybe because some of the…read morelittle treats they sell are so strange and curious. It probably doesn't matter about the smell, because if you're into this kind of stuff then you're going to go there regardless. It's a specialty Japanese sweets and confectionary shop. They have all kinds of random stuff. I bought a tiny, plastic, golden cat that had a little panel where it's butt was that you can remove. And inside the cats butt is this little chocolate truffle thing that's shaped like a bottle of champagne. So there's that kind of thing. There's also dozens of types of dried ginger and random figgy stuff. Basically just an obscure candy party.

Safka is named perfectly- a simple word meaning "food" in Finnish and a perfect reflection of this…read morestore. An orderly and uncluttered store that stocks imported European treats, primarily Finnish and Dutch sweets. Everything has a small flag indicating its country of origin and an English description so you have an idea of what you are purchasing. The affable staff will guide you through any indecision or offer tips if you are after something in particular. Affordable overseas treats, without the flamboyant store or steep prices. You will be hard pressed to find many of the products sold here around New Zealand and no where as central as this little, genteel store.

Jari Jaakelainen was looking for something to occupy his time, and so he decided to set up a shop…read morethat would remind him of home whilst also helping Scandinavian immigrants to enjoy the foods they miss. Safka was born. Starting out with just Scandinavian food, Jari has expanded his range of foodstuffs to include items from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland and other countries in the area. Craving German bread? Safka has it. What about Finnish and Swedish crispbreads with tart Lingonberry jam? Jari will sort you out. Jari is always in store to help Kiwis choose something new and interesting, and is happy to take orders for people who want the taste of home. If you've never sampled Scandinavian wares before, take home some Ragusa choclate. Oh my golly gosh, it is so nice.

Located at the Countdown end part of Sylvia Park mall, United Sweets stocks an array of North…read moreAmerican candy, cereal and other food items including canned soft drinks (fizzy drink/soda pop). I would have given them more than 3 stars but Martha's Backyard is is a 5 minute drive from this shop & has everything they do plus LOADS more.

After a trip to Queenstown earlier this summer and making a visit to the British Lolly Shop there,…read moreI was an instant fan. So I was happy to discover that United Sweets had a selection of British confectionery for me to devour! I am of the opinion that British chocolate is superior in just about every form; there's just something about the texture, the richness and flavour that's different (and better) than what we get in New Zealand. Yorkies and Tunnock's Snowballs are my picks from the kiosk so far- always a great little treat! American candy is readily available in most places around Auckland now (a lot of local video stores are honing in on this one), but the kiosk is readily located just outside the supermarket, so if you're feeling that craving of Cookie Dough Bites or Mike & Ikes, its very convenient.

This place is absolutely fantastic. Very cost effective, huge range of different products, items of…read moregood quality. Given supply issues still impacting supermarkets you can 9 out of 10 times find an equivalent here. Big range of herbs, spices, ingredients, both local and imported. Staff are friendly. The ambiance is enhanced by the huge variation of people who shop here. Broad cross section of the community. I would hazard a guess, if you know this place you will come back repeatedly. If you don't know this place pay it a visit.

This place was a great wee find! Tucked in the corner of the Wendy's carpark in Mt Eden, it's very…read moreeasy to go about your life without ever realising Bulk Food Savings exists. Bulk Foods stock a very wide range of products, including dried fruits, nuts, organic products, flours and cereals, and all sorts of international food I'd never even heard of. Pepperdews, pomegranate molasses, Ceres organics muesli for only $9 and literally the biggest jar of gherkins I have ever seen - Bulk Food Savings was a delight to explore. I was stoked to find pure vanilla extract and vanilla pods in this store - they were much cheaper than at places like Nosh, and are great to use in baking. The only downside of Bulk Foods was the staff. They weren't particularly inviting nor were they very friendly, but hey - when the variety of food is that good and the prices are so low, who cares? You can't have everything! Bonus: It smells fantastic in Bulk Foods - all the different spices merge in to one mouth-watering fragrance that instantly inspires you to cook delicious Indian curries.