NewsPoint is quite a nice newsagents in The Lowry Outlet Mall and is also a Post Office, which is…read morequite handy. It is located on the Upper Level near the so called foodcourt containing the likes of BB's, Burger King, Subway and Chicken Cottage. I came here to post a letter, there didnt seem to be a Post Box, it just was a hidden counter service, it didn't feel like a full post office but they did still sell a selection of envelopes. There was a large selection of drinks, however some of the pricing was a little expensive such as a Lipton Iced Tea costing £1.29 which normally retals at around £0.99. The overall vibe and feel of the store was average, not too great but one thing saved this store from getting a low two star rating and that was - Customer Service. Having been well and truly drowned in the Manchester rain, my envelope was ruined and wet too, but the man behind the counter went out of his way and gave me a free envelope and a pen to use to re-write the event and then of course he helped get it posted for me, which was really kind. Shop as a whole - 2 stars Customer Service - 4 stars Overall - 3 stars

WHSmith is certainly a staple of the British high street, it seems there are very few towns and…read morecities in the country to lack a WHSmith store. It's a brand you pretty much expect to find wherever you go. This store fits that quota, it's nothing too exciting/different, it's your typical, average WHSmith. The store is a little dark, and while it isn't as modern as some of their newer stores, the store isn't as old-fashioned as some of their older ones which aren't very easy on the eye either. It is in a good location within Bolton town centre, it is a couple of minutes away from most shops in the town centre as well as Bolton Interchange. The prices are a little high, but they do have a satisfactory selection of books/drinks, nothing too impressive but if you're thirsty in town and looking for a quick beverage or to put on your lottery, without much of a queue and/or without having to go into a larger store such as one of the nearby supermarkets, this isn't too bad. The staff seemed friendly enough. 3*

Three floors! Three floors of... stuff! I don't know that I have ever been in a WHSmith that…read morespans three floors. Although three floors doesn't necessarily mean that it is bigger or contains more stock than the average WHSmith. Actually, it feels a bit cluttered... when we walked in it actually felt a bit like a location of The Works rather than a WHSmith. We didn't go upstairs, but the main floor has magazines, cards, stationary while the bottom floor has books. We were actually there looking for books and while they have a decent selection, it isn't as large as some of the other stores I have been to. Also if you have a large shopping bag or back pack, you may want to watch turning around and moving about as some of the spots in the store are quite narrow. It can be difficult to find a staff member, especially if you are on the bottom floor and the staff are on the other floors. I only saw stairs to access the other floors, so I'm not sure if it is accessible for all customers.

For a newsagents this is indeed as good as it gets. Next door to my favourite sandwich shop I…read morealways pop in here for their epic (this is an appropriate use of that word) selection of crisps to grab a bag or 4 to accompany my lunch. See my photos of the wall of crisps for evidence, all your childhood favourites are here. They also have literally every chocolate bar you could want. Unfortunately I quite often buy several and stash them in my car for subsequent snacking.....

Got all my Christmas decorations in here tonight and spent around a tenner, to kit out the tree and…read morea few other garlands etc. It's better than the other pound stores for food, I reckon. You can get 12 eggs, a pack of bacon, butter, two tins of Heinz soup - all for a pound. Anyone coming to Manchester on a budget should shop here and Aldi for all your food!

As far as pound shops go, Poundland is top of the tree. Stocking all of your pound shop favourites…read more- bog rolls, lighters, bags of sweets, plastic toys, jumbo bottles of bleach - all at that classic price. Poundland also have a pretty good range of high street cosmetics brands in stock - if you like mid-range shampoos and shower gels then this is the place to pick them up for half what you'd pay at Boots or Superdrug (they even have Original Source shower gels). Also, if you have a baby they have tonnes of nappies, talc and other products you might need in bulk. I like going here if I need to get stuff like bin liners or if I'm having a party and want to pick up loads of crappy food like sweets and crisps as you can get loads for really cheap. Its not a particularly nice place to shop - everything is crammed in and there are always loads of people at the tills or in your way down the aisles, but hey - beggars can't be choosers.

This is a handy newsagents just inside the entrance of Wilmslow Railway Station, ideal for grabbing…read morea paper or drink before dashing onto a train. Rasool Entreprises is located just opposite the ticket booth and is really small - only a few feet squared. Nevertheless, there are all the major papers in stock and plenty of confectionary, crisps (always McCoys for me) and drinks. Normally I'm in and out with my Guardian in less than 30 seconds. Excellent.

Waterstone's in Altrincham town centre is probably one of my favourite stores within the town…read morecentre especially after the closure of the Carphone Warehouse store which was virtually opposite this one. It is a fairly large and modern store and it does stand out more than most within the town centre's shopping street, especially with the dark nights drawing in through these cold winter months and it is one of the larger stores on George Street anyway. It does shut early but this is common in the town centre and I did find the store again to be a little understaffed considering I did visit at quite a busy time (Saturday, the run-up to Christmas). 3* - Nice book-store for a big town, obviously it is a chain and I feel a little uneasy about paying higher prices at a chain compared to online retailers unless it is at an independent book-store, again this store doesn't compare to larger branches in larger towns and shopping centres but still it isn't a bad alternative if you don't fancy heading into Manchester from Alty.

Nice large store located in crewe town centre. They sell a large wide range of cards and gifts for…read moreall different occasions. This is a nice laid out store with everything easily labled. The staff are very helpful when you need them and know alot about there job and the different types of products available. Good priced items. Also contains a small thorntons store for all those extra treats.

Usual goods available from this chain. I always seem to pop into these shops when I see them -…read moreusually in quaint market towns! So could not resist buying a shirt here - I like thir quality and their reasonable prices and two for £20 deals. Worth a visit.

A fairly large branch of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill set in the centre of Bakewell. Targeted at the…read moremore mature members of society, the clothes are well-made, hard wearing, but a little on the old fashioned side. However, their formal shirts are of excellent quality, comfortable and smart looking, I regularly buy them for work. The rest of the store is punctuated with the occasional DVD and CDs ranges, as well as items like shortbread, blankets etc. The staff are always helpful and friendly, theres always a sale on, but for me this is a place where I only ever buy one type of item.