Large, warehouse-style buying in bulk shopping trips are de rigeur in suburban America, especially…read morewhen you have 5 children, like my mother. So Costco and Sam's Club (Costco's arch-rival in the US) shopping trips were a fond part of my childhood; mainly for the food samples and 10-packs of chocolate bars. Costco is the first of its type in Birmingham, if you disclude "cash and carry" stores, which are really another thing all together. It works like this, yo: You go into the store. You fill out a membership application. You can join (often for free) through an employer or union, or on your own. The annual fee is £25 for individuals, and slightly more for businesses. Then you grab an enormous trolley and start shopping. Costco carries an assortment of goods, ranging from electronics to lighting, tobacco to food to 125 paper plates for £2. I would imagine people with large familes could do their weekly shop in Costco, only getting a few miscellaneous items from a smaller shop. My husband and I typically buy things like wine, bread, washing up liquid, loo roll and kitchen roll from Costco. On these items, the prices tend to be very reasonable, and cheaper than buying individually in a grocery store. Bulk buying can go to a shopper's head, however. Who doesn't need a three-pack of curry seasoning?? So as a veteran bulk shopper, I encourage people to do their research, or at least have a think before you buy. If you need a lot of something, Costco is a no-brainer, especially if you can't find it cheaper locally. But not all products bought in bulk are more economical than their individual counterparts. Costco provides labels with price-per-unit and price-per-weight, which should be perused carefully. All the staff at Costco are very helpful, from the fresh deli and bakery counters to the checkouts. It's a really fun shopping experience -- much more enjoyable than getting one's ankles rammed by a hyper child wielding a trolley in Morrison's.

Costco is simply mahooosive!, Its basically a very large wholesale store that sells an enormous…read morerange of goods, from car tyres to TVs to bulk food items and drink cases. There is even a small cafe beyond the tills where you can get a coffee or a slice of pizza, a full pizza and lots of yummy 'american' treats when your shopping is done. It's especially good if you want to buy food and drink for a party or an event where you have a lot of guests. the cakes are huge and very good value, and the drink is cheaper than you'd find elsewhere. If you're lucky and go at the right time, they often have little taster counters set around the store where you can sample different products before you buy. It is a case of buying in bulk, and i understand that not everyone wants to buy a catering-sized jar of mayonnaise or 48 toilet rolls all at once! But if you can share with a friend then it is extremely good value for money. A warning about the prices though the main price you see on the labels doesn't include VAT, so make sure you check the price further down in smaller print, or you could be in for a shock at the checkout. But if you an exclusive business member like me you can claim back you VAT Expenses. and i also get a 2% return on all my spend annually. Yes you do have become a member before you can enter the store its £25 for the cheapest individual membership but a member is allowed to add a second person to their card for half price, so if you know someone who already has a card or can team up to join with a friend then it will work out cheaper. Great Tip is that as long as your a member they have record of all your purchases from the past 5 years. you can walk in with a product u brought years ago and get a full refund.

Bookers cash and carry is a large cash and carry store, They stock products for small shops and…read morepubs and resturants, etc. They foor such as chicken breasts for cooking in pubs and resturants to tins of beans for resale or use in kitchens. They have a large selection of booze such as spirits and can of beers. This store is located just out side of town. It has a good location and is easyily accesible. You need an account to shop there so it is not usable by the public. This is a good things as it is used by lots of small businesses in the area.

A nice shop with good access. Plenty of choice with very reasonable prices. Staff will go out of…read moretheir way to help.

UAE Exchange is a money transfer service available in many countries worldwide. However, this…read morereview is based on the Handsworth branch in Birmingham. I had never used a money transfer service previously when I first visited UAE Exchange. So when I enquired about the process, the staff were polite and helpful in how they explained the membership and transfer process. I was seen to almost immediately and within minutes I had a UAE Exchange card and had made a transfer! This branch is visited by a lot of Asian people who know little, if any, English. However, they have multilingual staff who I have seen explain their services calmly and patiently, even when the customer can be difficult. The front of the shop is very minimalist and well-maintained with a few counters. There is usually parking on the side road, which is a residential street and can get busy during the school run.

Being originally from Zimbabwe, means I have to know which foreign exchange places to visit in case…read moreI need to transfer money a.s.a.p. I normally use Western Union because that's the best place to send money via if I'm wanting funds to reach Zimbabwe. However, I did try and go to UAE Exchange to see what the service is like at this establishment. After attempting to use their service I found it wasn't really the best place to transfer money to Zimbabwe. I personally think it's best for those wanting to transfer funds to European countries or countries in Asia. You'll tend to find a lot of Asian customers looking to transfer money abroad and I think it's a great place for them to do so. Even though I didn't use their services in the end, I would recommend it to those of you who are looking to transfer money abroad.

Good place for a cash point - local to shops but doesn't tend to be as busy as other ones. Never…read morebeen broken when I've gone to use it

An easy walk from the library to get to this bank and its normally open on a Saturday morning which…read moreis an added bonus . However it is probably the busiest bank in Redditch. There are normally plenty of counter staff although be prepared to queue at peak times. There are plenty of staff in the other areas waiting to help you with personal banking and there is also a business banking section. There are cash machines both inside and out if you want to bypass the counters.

Barclays bank is situation away from the shops down the hill past te library. Its easy to get to if…read moreyou park a lidl and walk over( watch for the car park attendant) or cut through the market place at the back of debs. They have a large branch, with lots of counters, although they can get very, very busy at the weekends and the wait can be annoying, same in most banks. They have desk areas when you can sit with someone for help and offices for super private business.

Those Queues !!! I waited 35 mins to pay money in and when I…read moregot to the counter I was asked if I was interested in a morgage...I think that counter staff should concentrate on getting the queues down instead of their commision !! EVERY time I go in I have to wait a long time !!

this bank is alright to they have time foe youread more

This is a great little newsagents. Like many convenience stores, they seem to sell just about…read moreanything you can urgently need at 6am - and they are open at that time too. OK, it's not somewhere you are going to specifically go out to, but if you are in the area and need something at a strange time of day they can probably help. The service is not exactly 'with a smile' and they don't run endless BOGOF type promotions, but they do have a good range of stuff and have been handy many a time when I needed to grab something on the way into work and nowhere else was open.