Agreed, this place is a great place to go if you know what you are looking for. I often come to…read moreBrand Smart for one of two things: Bed Linen, Laura Ashley, Adairs or Sheridan (sale prices) Gift Purchases, Oroton, Witner, CK. The Oroton warehouse is a great place to shop for gift ideas. They have some of the latest stock that only just goes on sale and some times they have massive savings like 50% already reduced prices. You have the potential to pick up some great leather goods for less than half the price. I would recommend this store to anyone who is looking for a bargain but doesn't want to deal with the massive crowds and cant be bothered circling a car-park for a spot. This place seems almost undiscovered.

This is a little factory outlet warehouse that isn't really comparable to places as large as DFO;…read morebut it doesn't make it any worse. Brand smart is a relatively quite place, to me it feel like a forgotten place. This said- I still come here because I know I can find what I'm looking for. BrandSmart offers a good range of brands including esprit, footlocker, oroton, bendon, laura Ashley, poltix, sheridon and royal doulton-just to name a few. This is a good place to come if you just want some personal alone time, to wonder around and shop aimlessly. There's no sense of rush or excitement here, just a relaxing place where you might find a few good bargains along the way. There are over 400 free car spaces here, which make it all the more stress free.

The prices are sky high and I'm not even sure where the money goes from sales and what it's used…read morefor The staff are all friendly but it's a small shop with no sorting with the clothes etc BRING CASH THEY DONT TAKE ANY EFTPOS!

I am so happy that I have a good second hand store close by…read more Although I usually head further in to do most of my vintage shopping I always make time to stop by Yours, Now Mine and check out the wide range of accessories, home décor and memento. It doesn't suffer from the over-expensive second hand fever that is sweeping our beloved stores (ahem Brunswick Street), and every time I pick up something and have a look at the price I don't have to immediately put it down and walk away with my head hung. There are always some great retro vases or platters in the window that hark back to a time where lurid orange and brown were chic and big belt buckles were king. Even if I don't end up buying anything, a short trip here is an instant pick me up. The atmosphere is fun, the sales assistants are friendly and the products are very kitsch.

Given the demographics of Doncaster and surrounding burbs it doesn't come as a huge surprise that…read morethis store is constantly filled with high-end secondhand stock. Located a couple of K's behind the big mall this store offers a surprisingly awesome level of selection. With seven donation bins waiting patiently out the front and a whole basement full of stock this gives you some idea of their level of turnover. There are several racks devoted wholly to designer clothing and retro/costume racks with actual vintage pieces. Don't get too excited though, the staff know their stuff and price the stock accordingly. It's still cheaper than looking for vintage pieces around Collingwood/Fitzroy but don't expect back of the church shop prices. There is a huge selection of kids clothing, bric a brac, sports equipment and electrical goods. There is also A LOT of vinyl, I found Carly Simon and ELO without even trying. So if you're up for the drive (public transport is almost impossible) Doncaster Salvos is worth a visit.

Look, I'm not a huge fan of shopping centres, namely because they lack the authenticity of your…read moretypical main street, and the shops inside tend to be part of larger chains, so there also seems to be somewhat of a lack of personality to many of the shops as well. They do have their uses in part, and some of them are trying to create a bit of a main street feel, but unfortunately it tends to fail more often than not. As for this one, well, I have to admit that it is pretty fancy, though like a lot of them it is easy to get pretty lost inside as well. I liked it, and they do have a number of good coffee shops as well, so I'll certainly give it marks for that.

The Ugly Duckling that once was Westfield Doncaster has recently received the ultimate makeover and…read moreflourished as a stylish swan. Luxurious lounge area's to rest after intensive shopping are glittered throughout the centre and the brightly lit malls lead to over 400 shopping outlets. This shopping mall is a mix of chain stores from high street to designer fashion stores, home wares and electronics. Home to department stores Myer and David Jones, Village Cinema, Big W , Target, Safeway and Coles and countless food outlets. If your after high end designers then Chadstone is your best bet but for designers such as Alannah Hill and Max Mara then Doncaster is a more manageable option.This centre looks bigger then it feels so if your up for a shopping marathon you may feel let down by the size. But for my shopping and entertainment needs Doncaster is fantastic! The new personal shopper suite is perfect for individuals and groups who need a little fashion help, which may be useful in the upcoming party season! While not my speed I can totally appreciate its merits. The main obstacle to shopping bliss is car parking during peak periods, especially December and weekends its every car for itself. To ad insult to injury parking will cost you if you spend more then three hours in the centre. To remedy this you can pay $10 for valet parking and have your car sheltered for you. Doncaster Westfield is my pick for shopping in the Northeastern suburbs.

Forest Hill Chase is never really springs to mind when I think of shopping centers. Located in the…read moretiny suburb of Forest Hill, I came here once and was pleasantly surprised at the center. It was clean and new-ish, it didn't feel like one of those old and forgotten places that nobody ever goes to. That said, it was relatively quite in the center- but it certainly didn't feel forgotten. Forest Hill doesn't have a huge variety of fashion stores, there are still a few goodies here though (such as Myer). Forest hill also have a Hoyts cinema and AMF bowling/M9 laser strike. My favorite thing about this place is the fact that there is a TGIF here! I think I would come back if I ever wanted to just wonder aimlessly through a center, without feeling rushed or buzzed like I do at Chadstone. Would also come here just for TGI and Hoyts.

Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre is somewhere I drop into if I am passing by, but it is not…read moresomewhere I tend to go to on purpose. While it is fairly big and there have been a lot of upgrades recently, the atmosphere here is pretty non-existant and I don't enjoy myself. One good thing about the centre is that there are over 3500 free car spaces without restrictions. These are spread all around and under the centre itself. The centre has 3 levels with the topmost (and smallest) being the best. This is the newest part of the centre and has been designed to be a bit of an entertainment hub. It features Hoyts Cinemas, TGI Fridays, Nandos, Timezone, Rebel Sport, The Chase Hotel and JB Hi Fi to name a few. Despite being the biggest hit of the centre, it still doesn't get very busy up there. The centre is never really busy so if you don't like crowds then this place is perfect for you in every way! The average shopper tends to be a bit older although most of the shops seem suited to younger shoppers. There are a heap of taxis that wait just outside the food court. Bizarrely they are often there during the middle of the day. Bigger, rival centres don't have this service so this is a definite plus.

One of my favorite craft and produce markets in Melbourne - this one runs along the picturesque…read moreWarrandyte river bank (Warrandyte Pub end of town). Lots of lovely craft stalls - jewellery, cards, hats, slippers; fresh produce stalls, veggies, meat and cakes, native and non native plant stalls, cut flowers; entertainment and a pseudo food court... Oh and how could I forget the two favorites... French crepes... And the best vanilla slices I have ever tasted. In addition - dogs welcome, lots of wet dog fun frolicking down the river banks! Well work a trip to Warrandyte - market day is first Saturday of the month. Parking after 0930 can be a challenge.

Tunstall Square is a gold mine for those who live in Doncaster/Donvale. There aren't many dud shops…read moreis this 'square'. This vegetable shops proves to be no different. There are mountains and mountains of fresh fruits and vegetable oozing out of this shop. If you want to find particular hard to get produce or herbs, this is the place to go to. There is also an organic section, a gluten free section and their deli section is filled with delicious goodies! From olives, fresh dips, organic yoghurt , tofu, cheese and the list goes on. Definitely a destination for a weekly shop!

Wantirna Mall is pretty crummy. It's very old and the buildings all look quite dated. Most have…read morebeen spruced up on the inside and had big shiny signs put up overhead but it doesn't hide the signs of disrepair and age. When I last visited there were renovations happening to the walkways around the shops. It looked like they might be widening them but I never see many people there so it seemed a bit odd. There are plenty of shops to make this place entertaining for an hour or so and there is a decent selection of cafes and restaurants to choose from. I like the op shop here as the staff are just fantastic and the stock is pretty decent. There is ample parking and you will always manage to find a spot.

I think Jess below is from Torak…read more This is litrally the best mall in Melbourne. It has everything you need CHEAPER than the supermarkets and FAR better quality. The best mall I've ever had the privilidge to go to. I rave about it on Facebook and some of my friends come from 20 minutes away to shop here as it's faster than going to Westfield and better quality produce. I've never been this lucky every, this place has everything from supermarket, to butcher, to grocer, to music shop, 3 atms, a gym thai, chinese, italian and indian resturant, a party shop, two chemists.... cafes, tax accountants... and it's old style... the way all shops should be!! Takes just minutes to get everything, and you can always get a park. If you're not happy shopping here, you're not happy shopping anywhere.

FO Customer Service Officers ...... was rude and pushy ..... plus not all stock is priced. I won't…read morebe going back after the attitude I got!

An op shop so cool it takes two shops to sell its stuff…read more I spend most of my shopping time in the clothes and little things side. This is because I like clothes, and I have no need for the furniture. It also sells stuffed toys, a huge array of books, shoes, curtains, fabrics, knitting gear. Really, everything, and all at spare change prices. The stock changes all the time, too, so it's worth popping in whenever you're in the area. Be warned, though, they're running very low on space, so you might end up in a customer traffic jam (the aisles are only one person wide), or if you're clumsy like me you might find yourself on the floor having tripped over a long wedding dress. I've had it recommended to me a few times as the op shop to go to for shoes. I don't know why this is, I didn't find anything I could wear - but then I have large wide feet so perhaps it's my problem, not theirs.