Bags & Baggage have two stalls in the market. The one with a more central position in the upper…read moremarket hall sells mainly handbags and purses. If you like your handbags with large sprinklings of kitsch garishness then you will love this shop! There are plenty of brightly coloured gleaming quilted PVC bags with gold fastenings. Some have a shimmering leopard print and are embellished with bows and lace. There are also some rather cute classic-style purses with snap fastenings and some slightly more reserved brown and cream bags in a more unassuming style. They also sell umbrellas and have a make-your-own charm bracelet thing where you can choose different letters and charms to add to a chain. Prices are probably about high street level or cheaper. 30 seconds walk away, the Bags & Baggage on the south side of the upper market hall sells a similar range of handbags but also sells luggage bags of a variety of sizes and some unisex shoulder bags. Together the two Bags & Baggage shops cater for a range of tastes and uses at a decent price.

This little shop sells all types of bags from handbags to suitcases, sports bags to school…read morerucksacks. The handbags dominate the small shop and nearly put me off my lunch. They are quite tacky and all seemed to have a gold crown symbol on. Perhaps the proprietors are royalists? If you long for the designer handbag but like most of the population cannot justify spending hundreds then you will be able to find an equally sparkly, glitzy replacement here for a fraction of the price. If you can see beyond the handbags then there are some good deals on suitcases which are strangely expensive outside of market-world. There were a few sets decorated in different patterns in varying sizes. A decent sized one is about £25.

'Batley Mills' is a great place to visit for a relaxed one stop discounted shopping experience…read more I am pleased to say 'The Mill' in the last couple of years has evolved and improved greatly on their selection of women's clothing and fashion, catering for a wider range of clients than just the over 60s. As well as Planet and Precis Petite, they have expanded their clothing range to include Minuet, Kaliko and Jacques Vert which is great. I have as a result started going to the Mill regularly to keep my work wardrobe up to date. I have really had some good buys. As well as the improved womens clothing, the Mill in Batley is a great place to find handbags, luggage, wallets and purses etc. The discounted brands include Radley and Hideskin The staff seem helpful and friendly and if you are visiting by car there is plentiful free parking (although it can get busy at the weekends). The Cafe Nova coffee shop is located on the 1st floor of the mill and they not only serve delicious teas and italian coffee but their cakes and sandwich selections are also very tempting and a great excuse to have a break. It would be nice if good quality fashionable footwear could be introduced to the mill, similar to the selections found at the Boundary Mill in Colne. I also think emailing offers and information out to customers regularly for shopping events such as an extra 10% off or a free coffee voucher would be a good way of encouraging cutomers to keep visiting. I don't always go to the upper floors of the mill as I find the escalator system a little bit frustating in that you are forced to walk along the length of each floor for the ascent and then the same again on the way down. This zig-zagging may be an attempt to encourage shoppers to walk through each of the floor areas but I am afraid I just find it a nuisance. Other than that I would enthusiastically recommend a visit to The Mill in Batley. Happy Shopping :)

The Mill at Batley is great, there are loads of different shops inside offering designer clothes…read moreand shoes also home ware at good discounted prices. They have several cafe's too. I was there again last week and bought 2 nice suitcases and 3 pairs of shoes all good makes. They have a great selection of Radley and Tula handbags the prices are about half the normal price and I bought my husband a really nice Regatta jacket for £45 instead of £100! If you want a good shopping day out you can spend several hours at the Mill with all the top brands available at half the cost! A mile further along the same road is Red Brick Mill which is fantastic for Home purchases rather than clothes.

This is a great store! We managed to find a new bag for my mum and it's perfect! They have a…read morereally super selection of everything and their prices are amazing! Staff had the line moving efficiently and quickly! Very happy the purchase!

TK Maxx is both a blessing and a curse. The store is humungous, which bodes well in terms of…read morechoice. You can literally get lost in a sea of clothing, and there is such a vast range that they are sure to have what you are looking for. The handbag section alone is about 6 aisles, with all the colours of the rainbow covered. My favourite items to look for are their dresses. They have so many quirky pieces that you will almost certainly find something unique. All of their stock is marked down designer clothing so that is another bonus - bargains galore! On the flip side, the vast array of choice can often be overwhelming. If you aren't in the mood/tired/in a rush, then this place can be as hellish as Primark to sift through. Too much choice and too many people. The other dark side to TK Maxx is once again, the designer clothing element. Whilst in a lot of cases it means that the unique brands are more affordable, it also means that the one item that you might fall in love with is something like £300 marked down from £500. Whilst a £200 saving is great, it's not so much if you only meant to spend £40 in the first place! So I have a love-hate relationship with TK Maxx. On so many occasions I have walked away with some really lovely, quirky and well made frocks. But then on a few occasions I have run out screaming (or, at least, briskly walked out tutting) with nothing.

33 North Parade Bradford…read moreBD1 3JH Tel: 01274 732247 This store is based at the top end of town just near to one of the main markets so it is in a good position. I like this store as it has everything all in one place - i think there is 3 floors, each accessible by the old fashioned lift which gives you muscles every time you use it - it is so hard to open and close the doors so im not sure how most people who shop there manage. On the bottom floor there are pet supplies and the odd ornaments and luggage. They also have a part called the bargain basement where they sell off odd bits of old stock like a jumblesale type of sale - ive never found a bargain yet. On the first floor as you go in there are sweets and other goodies galore and toiletries,etcthey do a good range of makeup which is very cheap even though they are the top brands. There is also school uniforms on this floor which are a lot cheaper than other places, but good quality. There is also a wide selection of toys and games, books, dvds, stationary, etc on this floor with many bargains to be had. The space is limitless and you also have brick a brack, decorating and d.i.y supplies, etc on this floor While im not sure which is on which floor there is also a good stock of nightwear, underwear, shoes and clothes. They do baby stuff too and a very good selection of craft supplies. Their bedding and curtains are also a good range and price. As i said they have everything you could need at a good price.

A store of many floors. In truth it's probably only three or four but each small department seems…read moreto be up or down stairs. I'm pretty sure that at least one is between offical floors. The lift is probably an original feature and is therefore difficult for the elderly and the disabled. It's of the type where you close the doors yourself - mind your fingers - and that also means that if someone forgets, the lift is out of service, but that doesn't happen often. It would be hard to list in order all the floors and what they contain but Boyes does have mini departments with the following ranges; toiletries, toys and stationery, school uniforms, womens clothes, kids clothes, mens clothes, hardware and a very nice craft department. There is also a small but very nice cafe at the top of the store, very quiet, I don't think most people realise it is there.

Rohan is a specialist in highly functional clothing for all climates and weather. The clothing has…read morea simple, under-stated style and doesn't shout about its careful design and technical prowess. Rohan also sells plenty of travel accessories from medical packs and luggage to insect repellent and water purifiers. This is the kind of shop you might imagine Ray Mears would visit to prepare for an expedition. Prices aren't low but this reflects the careful design and technically high-performance fabrics that are used in their products. The products at Rohan aren't fashionable or beautiful, but that's not the point... the point is that they are highly functional and durable and their simplistic design means that they will not end up looking dated, thus increasing their lifespan. From Rohan's website they seem to take environmental and social responsibility seriously. They are members of the Ethical Trading Initiative, which, though not a gold standard for ethics, at least means that their progress on implementing improvements in their factories is being monitored and they are ensuring a basic level of acceptable working conditions - more peace of mind for customers than is provided by the majority of the high street.

It's silly I know but whenever I think of this place, or walk past and see the name, it conjures up…read moreimages for me of the Riders of Rohan. It also reminded me of the game a friend and I used to play, imaginatively dubbed "The Riders of Rohan", which involved simply trotting home at full speed when drunk. Warning: this may cause broken little fingers, especially when icy. Play with caution! Anyway. I mostly think of Lord of the Rings when I see the name. Being transported away to a magical, exciting place would always make the reality seem a little less exciting, but in my opinion this isn't the only reason I found Rohan dull. I wandered in on the ever more difficult Christmas shopping expedition, tasked with trying to out do last year's gifts. A nice jumper? No. Rohan is filled with, I suppose, nice jumpers, and other outdoorsy style clothings but here is the problem. Not only are the clothes pretty grey - colour wise and excitement level wise, but they are very expensive. I can't justify buying a simple jumper, with no real oomph about it, if it costs in excess of £60. According to their website they are award winning outdoors clothes specialists. Perhaps it is my lazy-bum way of life that deprives me of the special understanding of what makes their clothes worth the buy, but I just can't see it. For now we could blame my ignorance, and say, 3 stars as the chap was particularly friendly to me. But that was it really. Good for high end outdoors style (perhaps more style over hardwearing?) clothes and shoes.

Debenhams is one of the many department stores in such a small area of Leeds city centre on…read moreBriggate which includes the likes of House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols, this is a rather unique branch for Debenhams as it doesn't follow the original branding in all aspects of the store, with it being so close to the old part of Victoria Leeds and many stores from designer brands to department stores and even a Starbucks having a victorian name-sign, this was no different. I like how they had a direct lift from outside the store going out to the cafe, although it looked more like a service entrance - this was one of the easier ways in, saving time too especially if you just wanted a seat with food or a beverage. Pretty much your average Debenhams in terms of offerings, although the toilets could have been in a better position and more clearly labelled, staff again were average. It is over multiple floors, as I recall there are three or four floors with Click and Collect on the top floor, another idea I don't like as I believe Click and Collect should be quick, it feels like this way they're punishing online shoppers by making them go through the store, possibly hoping they buy more. Still a decent store by Debenhams standards in a good, central location, I also like how this store tries to be slightly unique compared to other stores, but still, it remains pretty much average - with some flaws such as the service not matching a traditional British department store, and the location of Click and Collect, and perhaps a lack of a food and technology section especially compared to other department stores nearby. Slightly generous three-star rating as this store is bold, unique and stands out and inside, pretty much average, albeit above average for Debenhams, who tend to have some pretty old and terrible stores across the UK.

So, I was on a seemingly never ending search for a bridesmaid dress. You've probably heard me…read moremoaning about it, and if not before, you have now as you're reading this. Yes, it seemed an impossible endeavour to seek out the perfect vintage style deep purple, slightly plum, bridesmaid dress. That was, until I found the concession within Debenhams, Debut. For starters, all the dresses on this concession were lovely. All in beautiful silks, tailored for the most part from the empire line which is always flattering, and they were in a variety of classic colours. They had deep red, turquoise, deep navy, ivory, forest green and my beloved purple! I immediately rummaged for the sleeveless maxi in my size. To my delight it was there! I took the dress, and a couple of others for good measure, to the fitting rooms and had a try. Fantastically, as I was browsing solo, the staff were incredibly helpful and gave me a ton of advice - including a hand with the zips! I explained the situation regarding my sister's wedding and they advised accordingly, not once pressuring me to purchase, but assuring me that the fit and look were perfect. Happy days! I was able to put the dress by so that I could come back and confirm with a friend later in the week, which I did, and so purchased the most lovely deep purple maxi silk bridesmaid dress you could ever find. Woo hoo! I shall go to the ball. I was really pleased with the service and the price, at £110, was a lot less than I had expected to have to fork out for such a lovely garment. So, if you're on a similar quest, my advice is try Debut. I'm going to glitz mine up with a home-made fascinator and such, so as to make it my own, but for the most part this dress will speak for itself.

I think I loved this experience because I'm from the States and I've always wanted to visit a…read morePrimark. The clothes were so cheap and not horrible quality! I had to get some sweat pants for my son because he made holes in his. Also, I got an umbrella for cheap! So cute!

A fairly typical branch of Primark, located in Trinity Leeds - although the store isn't as modern…read moreas some larger stores in other big cities, in many ways this store still does the job as a pretty average Primark store would. The store here, like most Primark locations, always seems really busy no matter what the time of day, meaning queuing seems to take much longer than other clothing shops, which considering the size of the store is quite big with ample space for more staff to work on the checkouts isn't good enough really, I ended up putting my shopping away and leaving as a result of this. - The store was certainly understaffed, or perhaps it was an issue with how the staff were utilised, just not making any sense. I'm not a big fan of Primark as a brand, which interestingly seems to be the case of the other two reviews, but they do sell some decent cheap clothing here, it isn't the best fashion but again does the job, the selection for a store of its' size is OK. It isn't the best, nor the worst Primark store, the waiting time, however, seems to take longer than other stores, with a narrow and uncomfortable queuing system, but still, the store isn't terrible and it's another one of those businesses which warrant an extra star through being a good brand which without it would be a big loss to the city, as despite many flaws the selection is okay, but that only warrants a two-star rating, in my opinion, they need to utilise the staff better, improving the store layout, waiting times and adding more modern, bold features which other larger stores have from Manchester to Newcastle.

I love this place and go out of my way to go there. An…read moreAlladdins cave of treasures from shoes to fabrics..kitchen ware to religious icons..suits to saris.Balti trays and cooking utensils are very reasonably priced compared to any cook shop. This store is massive! It packs a lot of stuff all under one roof! Lovely sari fabrics from around £15.99. I often buy the plain white silk ones for £15 and cut into smaller pieces and dye for other things.Ornate saris make wonderful furnishing fabrics too. A great selection of haberdashery..lovely ribbons and trims. A bargain bin with short pieces of amazing fabrics at about 8 pieces a £1. Some stunning jewellery as well and indian cosmetics and hennabindis, henna tattoos and I also stock up on incense. The huge emporium is a gleaming bazaar with rolls of silks in every possible shade. Racks of spangled shoes and sandals seem to come straight from Bollywood. Yet there are also racks of little girls' organdie dresses like those worn by Shirley Temple in the 1930s. Indeed, something about Bombay Stores is very comforting for English people: it is as if time has stood still. For the Asian community is a taste of home. There is order and calm, no pressure selling and plenty of space to wander from the boutique, selling Bollywood pop hits and videos, to the cafe, en route to the fabrics, suits and shoes. I always keep carrying armfuls of stuff to the checkout but now they have also devised a new idea. In fact there's so much that the only way to shop for larger goods is to browse the store and pick up tickets for each item that you want to purchase, and when you're done you go to the checkout, give in your tickets and all your items will be ready to pay for and collect. I bought a huge, thick fleecy throw for about £20 and everyone wants to steal itit is so soft and luxurious! The brains behind Bombay Stores is 68-year-old Abdul Kader, who came to Britain in 1957. He knew nobody, and started with nothing, but there were jobs. He worked on the London buses and in the Bradford mills. By 1963 he had bought his first business, a former fish and chip shop. His capital was only £100 and his wife, Maryam, worked long hours in the shop making dresses while he drove buses on a double shift to pay for the enterprise. He expanded to the present premises in Shearbridge Road in 1983. Today, annual turnover is £10m and he employs 70 workers. Very efficient and helpful service. They have a cafe for wonderful samosas, coffee and good western style kids meals too. Bombay Stores in Bradford not only sells fabrics that attract customers from all over the world, it also brings together a multicultural community. It is the UK's largest Asian department store. They have a web site with a small online catalogue and various department goods. Opening times: Mon to Fri 10:00am till 07:30pm Sat 10:00am till 08:00pm Sun 12:00pm till 06:00pm

A great place to find interesting and colourful fabric/trims, Bombay stores has stacks of the…read morestuff. The wide range offers everything from simple plain white cotton to the most heavily embellished and luxurious satins perfect for wedding dresses. They have a dedicated bridal section and I believe they do custom made wedding dresses these do not come cheap but you get what you pay for. The extensive trims section offers glittering diamantes and a fantastic selection of buttons. They really do have everything you need at Bombay stores. The only thing that does start to get irritating after a while is the music as Bollywood tunes really aren't my thing but it's an INdian store so it fits well with the shop.