Any vintage or retro lover out there knows that to get the real deals, you've got to leave the…read morecity. To find quality vintage at cut price items can be a chore, but it's made all that more enjoyable if the little places you visit are clean, well laid out and staffed by friendly volunteers; Papatoetoe's hospice shop is all of the above. The shop is often inhabited by a lot of older people who bring clothes in and take more out, I think it's only fair to warn you that there is a large contingent of Miller's shirts in this store... much like there is in many other stores of this nature! The Miller brand isn't always the most desirable pick for a vintage shopper, but if you can dig through the collared nightmares, there are gems to be found. Amazing dresses, skirts and shorts for just a few bucks each. And because it's out of the hipster radius of 10km from the city, there's always plenty of vintage/retro stuff to choose from.

The first time I came to the Cotton On Pop Up I thought that it was temporary. Months later, it…read morestill stands and people go there by the truckload. It's pretty handy to have at the Supa Centre since its only a minute's drive from the Westfield mall. The Cotton On Pop Up sells a combination of clearance clothes from $5 and also has a section of new season clothes in the mainstream stores. I'm not sure why this is, but I suppose its a good option to have for customers spending up large here. It's all the Cotton On brands rolled into one, with a great Typo area filled with discounted canvas prints (the best bargain in there!), Cotton On Body with more clearance bras and undies than you could imagine, and Rubi Shoes' discounted heel, wedges and flats. It takes a bit of a hunt to find the good stuff but the bargains are everywhere. The only downside is that everyone will be wearing the same top the following week. The man's area is filled with $10 long sleeve shirts, a pretty amazing price, and other end of line stuff worth a look, so you don't have to ditch your male halves to check this place out.

If you're looking for a bargain and a great day of shopping then Dressmart is the place for you!…read more Dressmart is a mall that houses over 100 stores and offers up to 70% off the normal retail price, all year round. No need to wait for end of season sales to be able to spend up large! My last trip to Dressmart I was looking for work clothes and ended up buying three dresses, a blouse, and a singlet top for $60 - a feat that just wouldn't happen anywhere else. However, my real find of the trip was the chunky wedge sandals I found in Glassons. Down from $59.99, I ended up purchasing them for $10, and when I took them to the counter found out accessories were buy one get one free, so ended up walking away with a great black flower hairclip for free as well! Talk about a happy shopper! Though predominantly a clothing outlet, Dressmart also houses eateries, sports shops, shoe shops, health and beauty stores and book stores. The only thing that is missing is a jewellery store, but when you're saving so much money on everything else I guess paying full price for jewellery isn't so bad! Located near Auckland transport stations and with lots of customer parking and a free shuttle service operating Monday-Friday between the mall and Auckland CBD, despite being in Onehunga Dressmart is easily accessible.

You can get some real bargains here I've found. I love my Nike running shoes and shorts which I…read moregot from the Nike shop. The shorts were about $30 and the shoes, I think were not much over $100 and are so comfortable. Since I've had them, I've kept up regular running which is an achievement! My flatmate also got a really good new outfit for a wedding at Working Style and saved a lot of money on good quality clothes. The service here was also excellent. Also Dress smart Onehunga is home to the only outlet shop for Peter Alexander in New Zealand! Dress Mart really is the place to visit if you want to save money on branded items. It gets really busy on weekends though, so either be prepared, or come early. Sometimes I find myself getting a bit disoriented inside trying to find a particular shop, but that might just be me!

The reviews from 2013 might have been accurate for the time…read more But coming to you from 2015, this place is rockin'! Not going to give it the full five stars because it's not the cheapest or nicest looking store around. I expect cheaper prices as the place gets drabby-errrr. But that is by no means a reason not to go, just initially misleading. The place is much more organized than what I read, even has a 16+ section which is nice. Also note, the men's section is microscopic, even considering the smaller sizes of men's sections at charity shops, it's almost overlooked. But for women, it's great. They have a sale rack out side, a $2 rack indoors, 50 cent table, boutique or price-ier items section, intimates and swim separated out and in baskets of different quality and prices: glorious. The selection is wide in style and in size. I found basics I was looking for, like black leggings, and ridiculous cocktail dresses that I would't find anywhere else. The ladies working there were extremely friendly and on top of making sure the people milling about the place got what they needed. They were really nice to one girl shopping there, helping her in the fitting room and encouraging her fashion sense, which, coming from snobby-mall culture, I appreciate. They were having a 30% off day when I went which made everything even more of a bargain than the tag prices. I spent $24 and got a cocktail dress, nice black stylized leggings, a velvet+sheer shirt, two bras and maroon tights. The girl who rung my up was sweet, funny, talked to me about clothes, gave me tips of other charity shops around and was just great. Maybe not 5 star status, but this place is awesome. Should totally be a must on your thrift-list through Auckland.

No doubt a good place to find some good second hand deals, but I personally found the layout of…read morethis store absolutely claustrophobic and dizzying. It was really hard to keep up with sizes and different items of clothing, as it was all very mixed up. They have some more expensive items out the back if you're seeking a discounted ball dress or two. Yet I could find nothing in my size, because I guess the store assistants would rather natter to each other than organize them into appropriate sizes, or colours, or something! It's a sanguine's room in there without the decency of a bed. If you just want a deal, and you don't mind spending countless time sifting through racks and racks of clothes, then great! If you'd like a more efficient experience, perhaps a Cotton On Outlet down the road will do?

Southmall certainly has it's reputation but if you're in the main Manurewa district it's almost…read moreunavoidable. Southmall is at the centre of Manurewa's public transport, with the main bus stop on the main road, and the train station and mini bus depot behind the building. It is home to the local supermarket, and an Asian food place that uses too much dough in their pork buns. However, there's another place that does some great round pancakes just a stone's throw away and there are two awesome bakeries on either side of the mall (I appreciate the occasional chicken savoury). Southmall is also home to two internet cafes that are pretty reasonably priced and the guys that run them are really helpful if you're having computer troubles or trying to print something last minute. The fruit and vege shop here isn't bad and I get fruit here occasionally when they've got some good deals on. The lotto kiosk here is where I have to top up my train card, so I'm in Southmall every week. From there its just so much easier to pick up what I need from the supermarket before I catch the bus or train to wherever I'm heading. This place is very dated now but it is what it is, and I've got nothing against that.

This place is a complete dump. Honestly, the only reason why this place still operates is because…read moreit is connected to the train and bus routes. With all the Auckland malls around, this is the last place you'd be tempted to visit. My worst memory here is the night I fell asleep on the train and missed my stop at Homai. So I woke up, panicked with the horrific thought, WHERE AM I?!, and hopped off at Manurewa Train Station. This is Southmall, of course, and it was pitch black, raining and filled with unfriendly looking people. As I stood under the dim streetlight beside the grocery store waiting to be picked up, I couldn't help but feel like I'd wandered into a horror film. Whenever someone looked at me, I busied myself with my phone, almost expecting to be kidnapped. It was all psychological, of course, but it permanently imprinted this place on my brain as one to avoid.

David's emporium is your one stop shop for everything! Here they have tools, paint, art supplies,…read morecrafts, material, nick-nacks, appliances, wigs and my favourite.....dress-ups! It's at David's you are able to find anything and everything suitable for a party, or if you're after something on the cheap. Located on Cavendish Drive in Manukau, it's only really convenient if you're in the area. There is plenty of onsite parking available. I have been here a number of times to pick up bits and pieces with my boyfriend, who is really in to art. He finds that they always have great sales on their canvases, sketch books and cheap paint brushes that he might need for touching up. Here I have managed to purchase lint rollers and a foot exfoliator, both of these cost next to nothing, I was very impressed.

Compared to Sylvia Park, I really like the layout of Westfield Manukau; its much easier to walk…read morearound, and while not as big, has the basics necessities of any shopping centre. Its also the closest major shopping centre to the Papakura and the Pukekohe regions. Events are always happening here, whether its a magic show, talent show or a musical guest- major props to Westfield for that and for making parents a little less stressed by having something to distract the kids with! Parking here is usually pretty good with parking lots surrounding all entrances of the mall, but fills up quickly especially on late nights and weekends. Apart from clothing retailers, there are also a number stores for footwear, stationery/books, electronics, jewellery and novelty items. Some great places worth visiting include Pandora, one of the newest in the mall and extremely popular- lots to look at for the ladies; JB Hi-Fi, a tech- and TV-geek's dream destination; and LJ's, because they really do make the best fries in the mall. Manukau caters pretty well in terms of menswear, but lacking a bit in womenswear. Without stores like Max or Portmans for a slightly higher-end option (as opposed to Dotti or Cotton On), there just aren't as many options as there were a few years ago.

It's not the biggest or best shopping mall in town, but it has all the usual suspects and more…read more This is my nearest mall, so I often visit here and see what new shops have opened or if any bargains going. I visit more often as the cinema has a bigger choice than my local. one.

Excellent service, bought a 22ct chain and absolutely love it. also got given written guarantee on…read morethe quality. dont know what I could have asked for. Happy customer

From the owner: Sparkles Jewellers Was founded in 2006 By Gurmeet Singh (Happy) and Ramandeep Kaur (Bitty). With…read moreyears of experience behind their hands, the partners decided to give New Zealand a new name for Indian Jewellery. Bring Jewellery from Dubai and Italy, Repairing Jewellery on Site within minutes and giving satisfactory customer services has helped build a reputation of love, Respect and honesty within the Jewellery Market. Sparkling your life is not just our motto but we believe that Jewellery from sparkles brings happiness into everyone's hearts. Whether it may be someone's first anniversary, first savings, first child, first love it all begins with Sparkles Jewellers Jewels.

There's this bright pink sign catching your attention on Cascades Road, which immediately signals…read morethis is no mechanic shop along a busy industrial district. What a Girl Wants is a second hand store, but packed with top quality bits and pieces. There are bags, clothes, shoes, books, furniture and ornaments, all geared towards the classy women of East Auckland. I thoroughly enjoyed having a browse, and picked up a nice singlet for a whopping $2! It's next to a coffee place and also an antique store, so your vintage tastes can be quenched, along with a nice spot of coffee afterwards. You can just park on the gravel outside, which is really handy. The shop assistant was friendly enough, and the way things are set out is really eye catching. It's awesome to see some creative thought going into the layout of a thrift store, considering most of the time, you have to rummage to find anything particularly useful. Here, it's all on display, in order of size and product. Good stuff.

What a Girl Wants would be a solid four star shop if it weren't for the staff…read more The two times I've been in I've wanted to stay longer, they have some amazing bargains and a very well organised shop, and overall the quality of their stock is excellent. The problem is, the two ladies who work there were very, very loudly talking politics both times I went in. As there's a dance school directly above them, it's fair enough that they need to raise their voices a little to be heard. But maybe don't stand on opposite sides of the shop? Or don't go on loudly about how much you dislike beneficiary bludgers who just sit around all day doing nothing. I mean, you're running a second hand shop, people...perhaps put two and two together and come up with four?