The filming of corporate videos is normally an easy thing to do, you take your camera, film the…read moretalking bits and get enough pictures to cover the talking bits. You then edit it, and deliver a finished product. Okay a bit more than that, but you get the drift. With most work edited, mixed and delivered on computer, this is becoming a job for everyone. All you need is your own gear; you don't even need tapes, everything is digital. You do need a small number of things like tape, clips and things like cable ties. This can all be bought at a dedicated film and TV store, or at most photo shops. For basic elements you will pay up to ten times more than normal, just because it is for TV production purposes. This is why I do all my shopping for TV gear at J.A. Russell. They charge a low price for everything, so I get my cable ties, gaffer tape and globes at next to nothing, and with tight budgets at play, the bottom line makes a huge difference. The staff are well informed, and they stock more things than you even thought necessary, plus there's saving for bulk buying.

Having a hardware store in your neighborhood, albeit a small one, is unbelievably handy. Especially…read moreone like this, which has all manner of knick knacks. I usually head straight to the counter to ask for what I'm after as I'm hopeless at finding things in shops like this.

I normally do my hardware shopping at Bunnings or Mitre 10, not because I have a great affinity for…read morethese stores, but mostly because I don't know where else to go. With a pending repair job to my shed, I realised I needed to buy white screws (do you even get white screws), so off to Bunnings I went... As I drove down Constellation Drive, I noticed Hylton Parker Fasteners on the side of the road, so i thought maybe they can help. And they could, and they did. Simon, the highly visible salesman, offered me his full attention, and managed to run me through the various options available. He explained that they are normally geared for the trade, but are happy to service walk in customers. I was impressed with the level of service, and the informative approach Simon took to the sales process. I will return, even though I only ever do handy man work every second year.

Placemakers is basically a delux hardware store. They've got everything you could possibly need to…read moremake your DIY dream come true... Personally, i'm more of a Bunnings girl. The staff are waaaay nicer and definitely efficient. Don't expect any sort of hello when you enter Placemakers. Need assistance? The 10 staff on the floor are suddenly no where to be found. We came in recently to buy outdoor rubbish bins. We found them (sans lids, which were missing) and headed to the check-out counter, which was manned by one lone ranger. After watching them struggle to process the transaction of the lady in front of us we gave up and drove down the road to Bunnings! Pick up your game Placemakers!

The store sign says Japanese souvenirs and gifts but there's definitely more to this store than…read morethat. I am a huge trinket and ornament person and if I had infinite funds to spend on junk my house would be filled with... well, crap. Cool crap that is. The kind of dinky stuff you find in this shop. Quaint little ornaments, cool wall hangings and some cool Kiwiana stuff. The prices are pretty inexpensive. I know there are some places where you pay an arm and a leg for some plain wood thing to hang on the wall but here everything seems pretty tame. Besides that though there's nothing particularly special about this place but it's definitely worth a nosy if you're wondering past.

Great gift shop with so much packed in to this small store. The owners are friendly & willing to…read moreorder in stock if you have something special in mind. Lots of handcrafted knicknacks, signs, ornaments, along with all the typical kiwi souveniers. Definitely give this place a go if you need ideas for gifts.

I find the the Bunnings Warehouse staff really helpful when you go in with a DIY problem. From…read morepainting to gardening they have guys (mostly) who are willing to give you the time to sort out a solution. I really like their garden section - not just for plants but also a really good range of pots, mixes and things like stones etc.

I love Bunnings. Do you remember, as a kid, that fresh paper smell whenever you got a new…read morestationary order at school? I get that feeling whenever i step into Bunnings. First of all unless you're a die hard expert, you do a cursory exploration of no more than five minutes before asking someone. Yes it's a practically a man cave and asking for directions is against a creed, but in this case it will get you to the goodies faster. The staff are so helpful, you can interrupt anyone and they just smile at you and don't show the levels of frustration associated with constant interruptions. I had to return something recently and it took around 20 seconds to arrange. Bunnings in Glenfield has great parking and is really well located, the place is clean and they almost always have a mass of checkout staff to ensure you can use more of your day. If you're looking for DIY this is the place

I've always come in ehre with my mum as it is a shop for women in her agve group. But I secretly am…read morein love with this store and always find something that I really, really need. Ok, really, really want, but you know what I mean. It's really classic, chic, and has everything from shoes, to homeware, to dresses, to gloves. There's so much nice stuff in the store and would be the perfect place to head if you've got your mum's birthday coming up or Mother's Day. My favourite thing to look at there is their knitwear range. I'm one of those people who go around feeling the clothes. Weird I know. But here you can totally tell the difference between a chain store. They feel like they're so well made and are of a good quality. Why not take your mum there. Sure it may be just for her at first, but I'm sure you'll find something for yourself too.

Fantastic shop and amazing service! I had never heard of this brand and seldom go to Albany so…read moreimagine my delight to spend at least an hour in there with a brilliant sales attendant bringing me mix and matches and all sorts of gorgeous clothes. I had to buy a fair few items for a new job and she was right on the money helping me out. I love experiences shopping like this. Well done Blue Illusion... I will definitely be back!