Homesense at the Trafford Centre is fairly tucked away within Trafford Palazzo (formerly Barton…read moreSquare), it is a large store and it is over two floors. The store looks fairly nice from the outside and is reasonably spacious and presentable for a Homesense store, which can be a little like a non-clothing, home goods version of TKMaxx, their parent company. They had a small selection of furniture and some interesting items, some prices better than others. I like how this store is open late into the evening, which for night-owls like myself is ideal, they're open until 10 pm during the week, closing a little earlier on weekends. I did find the store to be both understaffed and untidy, the shelves were full of rubbish left by customers, including half-eaten food and empty cups, I understand this isn't the store's fault but it was just rather unpleasant, and with no staff members on the shop floor, it wasn't getting tied up to look more presentable. Again, a lack of staff on the shop floor meant I struggled to find what I was looking for. 4* - I like this HomeSense store better than their Manchester Arndale location, it is larger and has a nice range of stock, yet they could for sure improve the staffing levels and cleanliness around the store.

Home Sense is one of the greatest discoveries of the Western world. Where else can you create a…read moredesigner home for half the price? It looks very TK Maxx with endless aisles of furniture and ornaments in no particular order or organisation, but you do not have to look for as long in Home Sense to unveil a bargain. I love the grandeur and scale of some of the items; there are enormous Baroque mirrors which lounge beside huge terracotta pots- its like being in the Land of The Giants. Union Jack painted cabinets stand patriotically next to mirrored Art Deco inspired dressing tables and there are pictures galore promoting everything from Pop Art to Hollywood legends. Home Sense's garden range is definitely worth taking note of, there are table and chairs in ice cream colours and last year I saw a stone table and bench which was absolutely divine and I still kick myself for not buying it. So I have versed you well Yelpers on the stock, now for the prices! This is one of the cheapest priced shops I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Cabinets costing £600 elsewhere are £250 here, crockery is a steal and glasses are great quality and £13 for a box of 6 champagne flutes. I am serious, you blink twice with astonishment when you go to the till. What is appealing about this quirky treasure trove is its ever changing stock.There is no point admiring a Home Sense bargain found by someone else and hoping you can get it for yourself. The majority of the stock are one-offs and will not be featured again so this is a buy-it-when-you-see-it type of place. Yay! I'm a fan!

HomeSense is a chain of discount home furnishing stores, it is owned by TK Maxx, who also has a…read morestore next to this one in the Manchester Arndale. like TK Maxx the branding/styling of the name is different on this side of the Atlantic. The store is large and has a good selection of bits and bobs, from pillows to appliances, from ice cube trays and cheese-graters. Considering, they're supposed to be a "discount" chain, I did find some prices to be a little high, if you're lucky you'll find a high-quality item with a good discount/offer though, so it's kind of like a TKMaxx jumble sale but replacing the clothes with home items. The staff seemed friendly and happy to help me find what I was looking for, and the experience at the checkout was smooth. This is a fairly good store, obviously, some deals are better than others, but probably the best selection of home furnishing in the Manchester Arndale, with a fairly presentable store and helpful staff. 4*

I'm kind of in love with this shop. It's dreamy! The window displays are whimsical and they're sure…read moreto draw you in every time. The seasonal produce is brilliant, both food items and general home ware. They've got the Christmas stock in at the moment and it's absolutely gorgeous, snow globes and crockery, bath products and food. You name it :) I had to drag myself out of the shop before I spent my entire pay check. I love that you can get top quality, one off items here are a very decent price. The staff are always helpful and the store is clean and well presented. They also have a pretty good reduced to clear range. If you're in to DIY like me you can pick up something that's a little damaged for a ridiculous price and fix it up at home. I've saved so much doing this. I also find this shop to be ideal for gift shopping as they stock such a wide range of products, the packaging tends to be beautiful and I can pick up items here that I wouldn't normally see in other shops.

Maplin is an electronics specialst shop selling all sorts of electrical goods and components. The…read moreshop has quite a large car park and is situated on the Peel retail centre next to Mothercare. When you walk in it is usually easy to find what your looking for as they have specially marked out areas, computing, sat nav, TV, music, power, tools and home and car. If you wonder around like a lost sheep for a bit someone will come upto you asking what your looking for and are ver helpful. They also have a technical help department at the back of the store. They sell allsorts of components as well like resistors and capacitors and various elctrical wires near the technical help section. Prices are very reasonable.

I love this shop but never seem to buy anything, it is expensive compared to online prices, but I…read moredo like to look at the gadgets. Staff are friendly and always ask if you need any help. Always handy to buy a catalogue to have a scan through, the shop doesn't stock everything in the catalogue, but you can order in-store or online. Also if you go on the website, it will tell you if products are available in-store and also tell you the quantities of the product they have left. Overall, a very useful little store, just a shame they charge so much.

Asked 3 members of staff for help and each 1 passed the buck to some other department, does no one…read morewant to help! I only wanted some paint that was out of reach. Got stopped by security because they thought I hadn't paid for goods, but I had, all quite rude and unapologetic! Not impressed!:((((

Verity of product a little expensive but worth spending. Good value of money. Especially like the…read moretimber section large verity

Quality and sales are the two words which sum up this store. As a home magazine addict, the…read moreglossies are full of made over rooms done top to toe in Laura Ashley fabrics and accessories which encapsulate middle England decor. Positioned in Barton Square, this is only a small store but it is crammed full of beautiful fabrics, wall coverings and cushions which are exquisite. The staff here are wonderful and will go out of their way to source an out of stock item from other branches for you. You don't get the expected response you may have received from other snotty assistants who smugly inform you that they simply cannot hold an item for you. Quite the reverse, this Laura Ashley will hold items for a couple of days and the assistants are friendly, chatty and helpful. And the sales are spectacular!! Some of the stock, particularly the furniture, are expensive but the regular sales make them affordable. Laura Ashley has sometimes been thought of as rather twee, but you can discover some unique bargains and everything is so well made. Mum was over the moon with the geisha print cushion she received from me for Mother's day and I cannot pass by without calling in.

I do quite like Laura Ashley anyway, but I really like the one at Barton Square (I like most of the…read moreshops at Barton Square) mainly because there is so much SPACE, something I find a lot of the stores lack, which when you are looking at furniture is quite important. Saying that I didn't actually buy any furniture. But the sale after Christmas was really good and I got some lovely wallpaper, which is actually back at full price now.

People are often quick to take the time to write negative reviews, so I felt it was really…read moreimportant to share my very positive experience today 11/05/19 in the Prescot store. It's the one with the garden world and cafe. I went into the store to purchase two very large and heavy plant containers. Being by myself I was unable to carry these. Despite the store being busy , two very helpful staff members came to not only help me, but bring the containers to the till area and kindly brought them and lifted them in my car. All the time they were doing this, they were also helping out other staff members and customers. They were polite, helpful and a credit to their employers. I feel that such positive and outstanding employees really do deserve some recognition , so much so that I spoke to the store manager, to praise the employees, she was aware of how great these two staff members were already and also created a nice atmosphere in the shop herself. The staff members I later learnt were called Greg and Jack L . Keep up the positivity, it's really refreshing. And thank you .

This shop is great with some fabulous bargains. I often pick up gifts here for birthdays &…read morechristmas especially for the kids. Great for stocking fillers especially. They have a good selection of household items such as toiletries & cleaning products as well & all at great prices. They also have a small selection of food. The shop is nice & bright & has wide aisle but they are often filled with large cages full of stock which can be annoying. The staff are generally helpful. The only other downside is they often seem to run out of change.

Forget pots of paint, stencils and fancy wallpaper…read more The only reason anyone would be crazy enough to go to B&Q this week would be to buy one of their wood burning stoves or electric fires. Last time I checked they had about half a dozen different models at reasonable prices. Admittedly, none of them looked as stylish as the fires you see in lifestyle magazines but when Britain is having it's worst cold spell for thirty years, I think some people might be willing to sacrifice a little style for the sake of staying warm! Handily, this branch offers Reserve and Collect so you can order products online or by phone and collect later.

B&Q at 'The Fort' on Cheetham Hill Road, less than a mile out of the city centre. What can I say…read morebut DIY. This store is very big has a large garden centre, both inside and out. Whatever you need for your home you will mostly find it here.

I am going to completely agree with Emma-Loiuse about this store which upon first discovery, I…read morenever even knew existed until I found out by accident. Branded Bargains is if you like, your large version of Home Bargains as it is very similar in layout and style so don't be fooled for seeing double; this place is like Home Bargains big brother and you will find allsorts of extra items to buy at low prices in addition to the usual Home Bargains products. I like this place so much, that I'm now a regular shopper at this store; its truly a hidden treasure chest (well, not exactly but you know what I mean)! It is out of the way from the main road and situated behind TJ Hughes so not often noticeable. If I had to use a map to find this place, I would say its definitely worth it.

Home Bargains, Bodycare or Savers and Branded Bargains, the big three, the holy trinity of stocking…read moreyour bathroom, below-kitchen-sink cupboard or generally making your shelves feel like they're full, primarily with Supernoodles. Just outside of the little Textile Town on the outskirts of Liverpool's centre is this marvellous store, located adjacently to its furniture offering and nearby to a heck of a lot of fabric and second-hand stuff. If you've never read my reviews before, well, shame on you! I mean, sorry, let me correct myself and say that you might not have HEARD of Home Bargains. Well, Liverpool, you are lucky. Not only do you have the behemoth of good value that is TJ Hughes on your doorstep, you also have the student and freelance writer (not that I'm talking about myself, noooo) Mecca of shopping wonderment that is Branded Bargains. They're Bargains. And they're Branded. Meaning they're cheap, and they're things you've heard of. Johnson & Johnson moisturisers, for instance. L'Oreal shampoos. Heinz beans. Pot Noodles. Jordan's cereals. Not stolen personally from the muesli arsenal of Katie 'Jordan' Price, but rather the ones that Bill Oddie's voice waxes lyrical about when he's narrating the adverts. You name it, at some point (somewhat rotationally, we have to remember, as with Home Bargains) they'll have it. It's a great place to pick up quirky gifts and offers plenty of homeware as well as edibles and toiletries, and if you're even slightly strapped for cash you'll save a bundle here. Put it on your list of shops to visit.