Popped in here on Boxing Day to see if there were any bargains on offer. To be honest it's not…read moresomewhere I'd usually visit but I was feeling festive so decided I wouldn't fight it. The shop is extremely opulent with the staff matching the smart, elegant feeling of the place. There were plenty of staff ready to help us but we were just in for a look. There's a small male section but the store is primarily aimed at girls who love sparkles! Quite high end so make sure you have plenty of cash on you if you're visiting. Can't really find many faults with the store at all - just not really my scene!

Oh yes please! A shop dedicated to selling bags, hells yeah! GD1 Accessories is a small but…read moreblimmin' brilliant shop which sells a range of designer and fashion handbags. Although it's more often than not I'm only browsing in this shop, it doesn't make me love it any less! The bags on sale include he likes of Radley etc and although sometimes I'll shop in here and not see a thing I even remotely like, other times I'll come and I will literally want to buy everything in the shop! It's times like this when I know I have a handbag obsession and need to leave the shop pronto before my bank balance and I fall out big time! Anyway, this branch in the Abbey Centre is the smaller sister version of a larger branch on Belfast's College Street (think out the back of Boots) and a small local shop it has become quite popular with shoppers.

This is a neat little boutique just off the main street in Holywood…read more I have only given this little shop three stars as it does not stock the kind of fashion I would ever wear. There is a broad range of very snazzy day wear for the type of lady who has plenty of money to spend on choice pieces. There is everything from gillets to waistcoats to formal suits and posh jackets. The garments are Kirsten, Libra and Koifun brands and the cheapest item I could spot was a puffy sort of waistcoat for about £65. I think this shop is aimed at anyone of about the age of 40 upwards and who wants very durable and long lasting pieces that they are willing to pay through the nose for. The shop was buzzing with more elderly people but really nothing in this shop was for me, I'm too young still for these clothes which I feel are more of a glamorous granny style.

Nantucket stocks a variety of good quality stock ranging from smart casual to dressy. Everything is…read moredisplayed in a way that it is easy to make choices. The proprietor is friendly and helpful and I will certainly make return visits.

This is a pretty well known wee homewares and knick-knack shop with an excellent location right in…read morethe middle of town. Now, I'm not a big fan of this kind of place, my sister used to drag me to Habitat all the time and it fostered nothing but resentment in my soul for scented candles and picture frames. That is not to say that this place is not bad at what it does. It seems to be quite cheap to me but that being said I don't buy this kinda stuff all that often. There were an awful lot of signs up that said the likes of '50% off' or 'Sale' so I think this the kind of place you could go to get a bargain. Also, the staff were dead on enough when I called in here. They were friendly and polite without being too pushy or in your face.

This branch of the popular Au Naturele brand is one of two of the stores in the city centre…read more They sell homewares and random little things that you probably don't need but are nice anyway. Au Naturele certainly won't burn a hole in your pocket and you may even come away with a bargain or two. A nice place to pick up some fancy soaps or candles for your mum or aunt.

A really fantastic selection of baby and children's items - this store stocks everything from kids…read moreoutfits to prams and cots. This store is located half way down Castle street, it has a more personal feel to it in contrast to the big chain children's shops in town. They seem to stock all the essentials for a new born baby, the place is jam packed with Cots (both traditional and modern) and prams. All the prams are at ground level so you can give them a good test. Really modern store inside with the all the major baby brands stocked.

Pricewise Kids Store is another of those independent baby shops which I cant help going into to…read morehave a nosy. They are often overpriced but their stock is generally different and funky! Pricewise, as the name suggests, is slightly different. They focus more on cheaper prices and cheaper stock. Which is quite refreshing to an extent. They have all the usual items, such as clothing, blankets, sheets, toys (good for Christmas), prams, highchairs, etc etc. And I must say that the majority of stuff is pretty good and very nice. I was surprised however to see one large section of the bottom floor devoted to Halloween costumes, but I guess kids have to get costumes somewhere, so why not here. Certainly worth a wee visit for essentials and gifts!

It's such a shame to see small local businesses like this going out of business! I wandered in here…read moreafter ready some great reviews and then seeing the huge 'closing down' stickers on the windows! I think this place is more a victim of it's location rather than anything else - I'm confident that if it had been in the city centre or the Queens Quarter it would have been a real success. The shop itself sell a whole range of vintage items including clothes (I spotted a wedding dress), board games (there's currently a vintage Monopoly Board for sale) and other trinkets. It's a real throw back and a fine example of a well maintained vintage shop. The good news is that it's still open until at least mid June so if I were you I'd get down there and grab yourself a unique bargain.

Love this place…read more Lots of vintage alt clothes. Also crafts etc from local artists that are good for presents. The shop is an enterprise linked to Mersey street church I think. There is a food donation basket usually outside the door for the community larder. There is also a change one room. Upstairs is a book shop called the Book Well also I think linked with Mersey street church. The shop is run by numerous volunteers.

This store is one of the newer shops to open in the ever expanding Abbey Centre. It offers high…read morestreet fashion in yet another clothing store catering to women of all ages though mainly aimed at the younger generation. Exhibit has a number of branches though this is the first to open in the Abbey Centre and indeed Newtownabbey. They sell your basic run of the mill fashion trend clothing. It is quite a small shop though they do manage to squeeze a fair bit in. I've bought a few pieces out of here, mostly in the sale which offers some great prices for what would have been over priced fashion clothing (in my opinion) but in the sale I don't mind (I know I sound like a cheap skate!) I've seen a couple of imitation Ed Hardy pieces here which look pretty cool and they're a fraction of the price you would get them if they were the genuine article!

I called in here basically because I wanted to have a nosy at the stock. I have no gala events or…read morepremiers coming up so I didn't need to hire a dress or a bag or a hat but it was nice to look at what was on offer in case I ever do. The outfits are very revealing and very glitzy - the kind of thing young girls wear to their formals now-a-days - there really wasn't much that I would choose to wear myself as a lot are very low cut at the front. The lady who works there is very nice and she told me that they will be getting new stock in in a few weeks and that I could try anything I wanted. The hire prices range from about £35 to £55 depending on whether you choose a ball gown or a formal dress. I fell sorry for the owners as I don't think this shop will do well purely because of its location - it is at the back of the arcade mall which is a very old office block part of Newtownards and I don't think it would get much passing trade. Dress hire is a good idea but it might do better in a busier, younger town or in Belfast itself.