I came in here looking for a kettle. I didn't get my kettle. I got far too distracted…read more This... place... has... EVERYTHING. You think it's a homeware store, but then there's a wall of pick n' mix and sweet gifts. So you think it's a homeware and sweet store, then you stumble across shower gel and moisturiser. So then you think you know what's going on, you turn a corner, and there's a load of bleach and kitchen cleaner. And just when you thought it couldn't possibly stock it all, there's a whole aisle dedicated to storage organiser type things. This includes SHOE organises. Clear boxes you can pop your shoes in for in your wardrobe. And label. This is my kinda place. (Yep, my friends are coughing and muttering 'Monica' again.) Hub offers the whole lot, from crockery and cutlery to furnishings and garden bits and bobs. It's all tasteful and brightly coloured (well, I love a few primary colours in my kitchen), and the best part? Cheap! As chips! I've got my eye on the multi-tiered cake stand and the cookbook holder. Don't you dare go snatching them from under my nose before you get back, y'hear.

I was really quite impressed with the homeware section of this place. I'd just come from the…read morekitchenware section of TK Maxx: a bit of a car crash, but still a lot of high quality goods in there at prices which are hard to beat, if you don't mind digging through the piles of merchandise. Hub Retail gives TK Maxx a run for it's money on homewares price-wise, and Hub also has a proper retail display and nice wide aisles. The window display featured a boxed set of matching Chinese serving dishes and individual bowls - basically, order up your usual takeaway and serve it with a touch of class, as it said on the side of the box! Lots of big brand names - Viners cutlery sets, Russell Hobbs and Breville kettles and toasters, Heathcote and Gino-somebody cookware, Sabatier cook's knives (3 knife starter pack for £26 or something), lots of really good silicone bakeware and so on. I somehow felt an assured touch to the purchasing all over - well-made cast iron griddles for £7, and a full range of nice Le Creuset enamelled cast iron copies with the largest casserole priced at £55, whereas the real thing is likely to set you back over £100 - nice! Basically, all this stuff is about as cheap as it gets whilst still being elegant and durable. For me, I decided to go out on a high note straight from the elegant homewares section to the cash register, but the wide-ranging enthusiasm of Anyonita and Emma-Louise in their reviews makes me feel I need to check out the rest of Hub's offerings. In conclusion, especially if you are starting from scratch with kitchen and tableware (and home decor), I would suggest getting the notepad out and doing some comparison shopping: amazon.co.uk vs. TK Maxx vs. Hub to find the best buys. And then top it off with any specialist equipment you need from The Cook Shop in the Arndale Market.

When we moved to our first home last year we were worried that it would be really expensive to buy…read moreall of the furniture we needed. A friend recommended the Carpet Warehouse in Glossop. The man with the moustache who served us was really friendly and welcoming. All of the furniture is really great quality - fantastic solid oak woods - and we were really surprised at how cheap it was. It was so easy to find everything we needed - the shop is open plan with a few showrooms upstairs. Since last year, we've returned for new carpets, pillows, all sorts. Although it's called the Carpet Warehouse they sell beds, furniture, pillows, mattresses, all sorts of stuff for the home. I always recommend the Carpet Warehouse to my friends - it's fab.

An absolutely massive budget shop on London Road in Hazel Grove. Parking around there can be a bit…read moreof a nightmare but if you are passing and can stop, have a look in, you never know what you'll find. Upstairs is mainly a hardware store, and a fairly decent one at that. If you're looking for any DIY tools or materials then upstairs may well be worth a bit of a look. The quality of the materials is not always perfect but if you're willing to take a chance on something cheap you might end up with a bargain. Downstairs is a much more random selection of odds and ends, ranging from homeware and toiletries to framed dolphin pictures and 5-packs of cassette tapes for a pound. Even compared to other similar discount stores, Yu & Me is especially chaotic- there doesn't seem to be any sort of rhyme or reason to where things are stacked, and look out as you walk around, as certain product lines are often just left sat in the aisles where you will accidentally kick them. There's the occasional branded item in there but mostly it's obscure import brand stuff, so a lot of it is a gamble as to whether it will be any good or not. However, most things are just a pound so if you're in a gambling mood you can end up with a basket full of stuff. It's an almost mesmeric effect- you'll want to buy something, even if you don't think you do. You'll regret buying some of it maybe, but your wallet won't have taken too much of a hammering, so you'll forgive yourself

I have bought everything from a lawn mower to a CD of dub reggae music. Also shelving for the…read morebathroom, weed killer, batteries, picture frames. There is definitely nowhere like it. Brilliant.

Just Home is a small, inexpensive home décor/furniture shop in the Huyton shoping centre. It's not…read morea very big shop, but you can find some cute items here, and the prices are good. I liked the small, colourful teapots I saw. There were two sizes, the smaller of which was only £2.50, and they colours were orange, purple, or a dark turquoise. If I had the money I would have bought a bunch of them to line a shelf with. That colour scheme is awesome. They sell a lot of different home items like mirrors, lamps, decorations.

This is one of those weird shops that says it's a pond shop, when actually it sells items at a…read morerange of prices...some of which are more than a pound. Usually this sort of deception repulses me, I get all upset and start ranting and raving, writing letters to my MP, burning my bra. That sort of thing. I don't like liars. Luckily, Mighty Pound saved my ass on several occasions, cheaply. And for that I will be forever in its debt. The stock here is as eclectic as you'd expect. The shop is split into vague areas, which I shall describe now in needless detail: - Clean up your act. Selling name-brand items for cleaning your body and your bog, most priced around a quid. You can pick up bumper packs of sticky plasters here, but they are rubbish and don't actually stick. This section is good for buying shower gels and toilet cleaners that have all weird Russian writing on them. You'll get them for about half the price of Superdrug. And who care about the language? Nobody actually reads the info on their Toilet Duck anyway. - Pet shizzle This section is poo. They sell everything BUT the stuff you need for your pet. So that's a yes on novelty Christmas dog bowls and litter tray freshener, but a no on litter, litter trays or any bowl not affiliated with Jesus' birthday. - Let's give this place some atmosphere, baybeh. Candles and incense, in every hue and scent. Great for biiiiiig bags of tealights. Not so great for scenting your flat. - Whaddayou lookin' at? Mirrors and photo frames in varying sizes, all rectangular. Not exactly the sort of thing you'd hang above the mantel, but likelihood is if you're in the Mighty Pound you're not really looking for glamour. - Get in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. Pots and pans and tupperware of every description. Sure, it's not Le Creuset, and your pans will rust and the sieve will break, but it's cheap and the oven trays here are fantastic. The tupperware is also pretty admirable. - This is not a choking hazard, honest. Weird, often ugly, often pointy children's toys. I want the tiny faux-Barbie with a mobile phone that lets you 'call' her 'boyfriend'. - I bin waiting for you all my life. Big plastic bins and washing up bowls. Good for if you have a lot of rubbish, or want to make a robot costume. So, that's a pretty unnecessary summary right there. Woo! As well as all the fairly useful shebang above, the Mighty Pound sell condoms and pregnancy tests. Now, I'm no snob, but I feel like I'd probably have major trust issues with prophylactics purchased at the Mighty Pound...and if I did, I certainly wouldn't be relying on their prego-tests to determine the quality of aforementioned goods. So, you need a bin, a rubbish toy, a heavily scented candle? Come right in. Birth control? Get thee to the pharmacy, child!

Wellyou could be surprised at some of the bargains you can pick up in here. I often go in for the…read moreodd kitchen implement/accessories which are charged at a much higher premium in the more, salubrious shopping palaces. Need a new kitchen washing up bowl? Brush? Mop? Party paraphernalia (paper plates, balloons et al)? Light bulbs? Drinking 'vessels' (wine glassesas I tend to break these on a regular basis it makes complete sense to buy the cheaper ones)? This is the place to visit then on the boulevard of dreams which is Withington's Copson Street. Of course, there one or a dozen so items of useless tat (best not going in there after a few German ales) but generally you can pick up useful household items for next to nothing. One note however: they do not sell those Ken Doddesque feather dustersand I really do need one.

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.

You'll be sure to get all your chinaware in here! Selling tableware, kitchenware, glassware and…read moretowels to name a few this is a great plac to get rally high quality stuff a discounted prices. The store nearly always has some kind of sale on! When i say discounted i dont mean dirt cheap, but a good price for very high quality especially the crystal glasses. They sell 100% egyptian cotton towels, and towels made by christies which are luxurious! They also sell ornaments by the truck load, for me they are a little old fashioned but if you like that kind of thing youll get a good price in here! They also sell candles which are some of my favourite things to get from here.

This was built as a Doulton Home store but has slowly become a great discount and end of line store…read morefor the Doulton companies. The shop stocks a large amount of china and glassware from the Royal Doulton company. This ranges in price from £1 upwards and you get often pick up a real bargain. The boxes of glasses are good value and great as a gift or for starting a collection. At the back of the store is a range of towels from Christies, some of which are 100% egyptian cotton. There are then glass cases full of Royal Crown Derby paperweights or figurines for the collector. The shop also stocks Bunnykins and Disney figures. This is a must for anybody after a bargain or a special gift with items for all age ranges and for all pockets.

You don't have to go into Manchester to get inspired gifts & funky ideas to adorn you Pad with! If…read morefact ... i challenge you to go here, and not leave with something... go on .. try it! They sell such a wide range of goodies like, original artwork, bespoke jewellery, cool lighting ideas, gifts for children, unusual and beautiful home storage ideas and a dizzying array of home trinkets both useful and decorative! There is also a lovely range of cards for all occasions and wrapping paper! The shop is situated just across from The Unicorn in Chorlton, and the staff are incredibly friendly... you can also order from their website if you don't live near the area... worth a look either way!

Another great little gift shop in Chorlton, which I try to stop myself from going into, as I know…read morethat I'll come out financially less well off. Having said that, 20cm by 20cm canvases are going for £19.50 and include a good range of Banksy's work - I don't think that's too bad for canvases I haven't seen anywhere else. From looking at my Yelp ratings I realise that I am much more useful than cool, so I'm not sure I fully appreciate some of the 'cool' items that Pad sells. If you are a fan of superfluous paraphernalia such as candles and candelabra, embroidered photo frames and Wizard of Oz beanies (?) then you'll definitely love Pad. They also stock some vaguely useful items such as his and hers hooks (shaped like the toilet symbols), which I think I'll be purchasing when I move in with the boyf! As Alison rightly says, the staff are friendly (but they're very rarely rushed off their feet!). If you order from the website, delivery is free for orders over £50.