This is a gift shop, all things gifty; traditional Western wedding coming up? a birthday that you…read morewish to purchase that-oh-so kitsch personalised b'day magnet? Or maybe something a bit more left of field, clocks? a Buddha statue that has very un-Buddha-like faces attached, or maybe the poor cliched Native American paraphernalia? So much to choose from where to start! This shop can be found on the ground floor of the West City Mall in Henderson. Oh, and they sell the lovely Nag Champa incense for just a mere $2.90, worth going in just for that me thinks, other than that, just another gift shop...

Staff was awesome.. so helpful with all the information about the Pounamu and other items in the…read morestore. Last day, so everyone is buying for their OHana. All three ladies were so kind as well and patient with us. Lots and lots at questions for them. Lol... To much variety of things to take home. Wish we had more time and money... lol! Check it out!

Opposite New Lynn Mall is a lovely shop that I have to recommend. If you are looking for that…read moreunique Kiwi gift to send to your family or friends overseas for an extra special occasion then check this place out. They stock a large range of quality jewellery and although it may be out of the budget for a lot of us, think of it a memorabilia or keepsakes, and of course you are paying for quality, not your run-of-the-mill token teatowels! Head down Veronica Street before you get to the mall if you are coming in from the city, it is easy to find and there is plenty of parking nearby. It is also open everyday except Sundays.

Never have I so frequently seen such fatigued and spiritless staff members as in the Henderson…read morebranch of Smiggle. Any time you walk past, your eye it immediately drawn to the brightly coloured products, and then to the slumped, listless staff member in the window. And that basically describes the store. You are instantly excited by the multiple neon pencils and books and erasers. Then you realise there are only a handful of items in stock, replicated a hundred times over in dazzling colours. It's like someone threw a school bag and a packet of Skittles in a cloning machine and walked away. Smiggle is essentially a migraine-inducing child trap and I sympathise with the lugubrious staff.

This is a cute little store hidden away in the back of Titirangi village…read more It is filled with the sweetest little gift items for others, with all items stemming from kiwi influence. In this shop you can find things like kiwi-ana memorabilia, like vintage looking kitchen wear like aprons, oven mitts and table cloths. Also kiwi posters and paintings, and green stone jewellery. I like that this store is here in the village, as it is perfect for buying gifts for family friends and especially for visiting tourists. What I don't like is that it is a bit on the expensive side, which I think is a little unnecessary.

Gecko is hidden a bit off the main street in Titirangi Village with big glass windows that look out…read moreonto the bush below, making for a very appropriate setting to browse their sweet range of mostly NZ themed gifts (although there is definitely some internationally imported stock in the mix as well). It was a perfect place to find a present for a friend of mine who lives overseas, as most of the NZ gifts were all really quite tasteful (not the generic tacky touristy stuff you find in a lot of gift shops nowadays). However if you aren't looking for a NZ themed gift then Gecko still has you sorted - you could probably find a present for everyone in the family here due to the diverse range of stuff available (from old fashioned games and toys to funky clocks to locally-designed wall hangings). The shop assistant was very friendly and packaged my present up perfectly so as to minimise costs when sending it overseas. Definitely a place worth a visit if you are out West.

When I think of the word exhibitionist, I think of naked people. So it's weird to me that this…read morestore stocks clothes among other things. I don't know, there's just something about this store that really doesn't appeal to me. It may just be all the incense and candles and crap, coupled with some pretty fugly outfits. There was just nothing that really caught my eye and that would set this store apart from millions of other crafty/homewares sorts of shops. Can't say anything about the service because the lady was so engrossed in whatever she was doing that my presence in the store wasn't even acknowledged. Some of the home-ware items are actually alright but not anything that you would go out of your way to come to this mall solely for. It's one of those places that stocks all its nicest stuff in the window to lure you in, and once you are in, you have to wonder, "Is this it?"

Exhibitionist is a great shop that I mainly frequent for gifts, however I have also bought some…read moreunique brightly coloured items for the house and I am tempted to purchase some of the lovely (also brightly coloured) clothing for women and men, such as the long sleeved cotton shirts, that little bit hippy but essentially practical. Actually the jewellery is stunning too, ample silver with encrusted gems, good competition for all the loyal Third Eye customers! The staff have consistently been friendly and helpful when I have been in and always ready to assist if need be, however there may be a slight line up, they do good trade. The prices are reasonable to high end, depending on what you are after. Plus this isn't a 'plastic' shop, (find that next door, literally), the items are quality. Relative to some of the more upper class suburbs in Auckland, the prices are fine. It is easy to find if you are coming in the New Lynn Mall entrance facing Great North Road, they have the prime street window display.

This shop in Lynnmall have some nice gift ideas, I have bought a cool kiwiana bag tag for a family…read moremember a wee while back, and have enquired about their range of watches, some dressy, some casual (all were a bit pricey). They also stock a large range of cards - why oh why are cards so expensive?! The majority I looked at today were over $6.00. This is why I often resort to making my own I guess! I like Elements none the less, they have some really nice household decorations (cool owl collections at the moment) and display them well at the front, draws in my attention when I walk past.

I have a soft spot for Strandbags as I used to work for one of the stores in West Auckland a while…read moreback. Because of this I know personally that the store really puts an emphasis on customer service and product quality. When I was on staff I would always be going to product education seminars, where the staff would learn all about the product. But I particularly like this store, as it has such an expansive range of bags, wallets and travel accessories on offer. Their massive range is because their store is quite massive, which means they get a great turn around of new products on a regular basis. The layout of the store also makes it easy to look for the exact bag you are after, with the handbags and travel cases organised in order of used materials, design, and price range. I have purchased many bags from here over the years, because I know that they are durable and not too expensive, and of course because they have a stylish selection of products.

This is good place to go if you are a woman after an inexpensive handbag. I have bought my wife a…read morecouple of handbags as gifts here and she has been happy with them. The only downside is that they are not great quality and don't tend to last. But they are good to look at and for about $40 I got her a bag that was very pleasing on the eye. Similar bags would cost well over a hundred bucks at Farmers though they would probably last longer. They also do good deals on wallets for both men and women. To go with her bag, I got a nice wallet with room for all your cards that only cost $20. I'd like to think there will come a day when I have written a bestseller and can buy my wife a Guess Bag costing hundreds of dollars. In the meantime, I'll make do with Strandbags.