While the name is "boutique", I didn't hold out much hope of this shop being very upmarket given…read morethe faded yellow signage outside. To my surprise, as I got closer I noticed the sign outside requesting Trelise Cooper, Annah Stretton etc, and curiosity got the better of me. When I walked inside I noticed that most of the stock looked to be of good quality and in good condition, but looked to me to be for the funky, older ladies of Birkenhead Point. Definitely catering more for the 50-somethings than people of my age. I had a chat with the shop assistant and their selling policy seems pretty fair, and equitable with most recycled clothing shops around town. They seem to be quite discerning with their choice of stock too.

You can either win or lose with a shop like this. You definitely need to be in the mood for some…read moresifting when you come into this small corner store. The racks are jam packed with clothes so there's not much room for maneuvering around inside. If there are other people in the store at the same time as you it can get a bit tricky making your way around. The racks are all colour co-ordinated so you can at least rule out any items you wouldn't want based on colour. But that's about all you can do to help your hunt. Once you've established where you're going to start sifting, sifting is all you can do. I came here last week and pillaged through many of the racks. I tried a few things on and did come away with a gorgeous top. It was a beautiful soft heavy fabric and was the most brilliant blue-ish colour. I also tried on a red dress, which I decided I didn't want to pay $40 for. The shop assistant told me to come check in again as they lower the prices of unsold items after about six weeks. I will certainly be doing so!

I'm a fan of Trade Aid, and the High Street shop is a tiny peace of ethical heaven in the middle of…read morethe CBD. They seem to have crammed everything they fit into the larger shops in this tiny one - namely jewellery and hair accessories, cards and giftwrap, musical instruments, soap, ornaments, toys, gifts, cushions, rugs, bags...the list seems endless. Some of my favourite things to buy from Trade Aid are the chocolate bars, which have a delicious and distinct flavour, and the coffee and spices. Much-appreciated gifts I've given from Trade Aid have included platters and placemats.

Growing up in a home decorated with sculptures, rugs and artsy items I love trade aid. One day…read moreafter uni I was walking to Britomart with my bed on my mind then I saw these basket items in a shop window. I decided to go into the shop because I suddenly remembered that I needed something. Whatever it was I was certain this store with awesome baskets in the window would have it. I walked into the store and it felt like I was back home in the markets as I was surronded by so many cushion covers, beads and essence. I was in heaven and all my thoughts about my bed faded. After I browsed around the shop I learnt that the shop was all about fair trade! It only felt right to walk out with a few coin pouches and chocolate, you never know when it might come in handy. This place is perfect when you are struggling to find a present for that one friend who is hard to shop for.

An interesting collection of antique odds and ends, including coins, jewellery, newspaper clippings…read more(there was one about the Titanic when it sunk - we are going back that far!), buttons, metal signs with the infamous Uncle Sam wanting to enlist you in the army, music sheets, ornaments and records. I felt like the things I found the most intriguing were at an affordable price range, which is so rare in antique stores! The shop owner seemed a bit preoccupied with his own thoughts, neither greeting nor asking if anyone wanted help. Perhaps it's boring on a Saturday morning, and he was away with the fairies? Anyway, it's sort of nice to be left to your own devices instead of having someone breathe down your neck in a store like this one. It's a place where dreams are inspired.

ZABOL - four stars,but only just... A unique store I have…read morevisited a few times. Each time I am instantly drawn in by the shop window items, middle eastern treasures of brass ornaments and detailed exotic rugs, beautiful and traditional. Although the venue is small they also stock some traditional pottery with unique geometric designs, also stunning in my opinion. Think Moroccan. Lanterns, jewellery, a few bits and pieces but mostly rugs/kilims, which was my particular purchase aim. I have honestly however walked out empty handed each time, they are far beyond my price range. I will consider this a high end art gallery I guess, beautiful items to be admired only. They have an amusing sign on the front door regarding the opening hours. Lets just say their hours of trade are 'subject to change' regularly, and I can attest that this is very true! Weekdays are likely to be between noon till 5pm, but no guarantee's they will actually be there either. RING first! They are also happy to have you come visit/buy outside of these times but once again call and ask. They staff are very friendly and happy to help where they can.

I'm not sure if i'm just getting old or my style has just changed but I used to walk into Superette…read moreand want to buy everything, these days i'm lucky if I see only a couple of items to add to the wish list (I say wish list bc as a new homeowner, clothes have gone waaaaaaay down the priority list). By no means has the quality decreased, it's still a beautifully curated collection of both international and local designers, I think it's just no longer my style. That being said Superette gets four stars because their store is always immaculate, the staff re friendly and they're a great one stop shop for jeans with a tonne of brands to choose from. I also have bought a couple of great gifts from their selection of homewares and one thing I have most definitely added to the wish list is their linen sheets (waaaaay higher up the priority list these days). It seems to be a bit of a trend at the moment for popular AK City businesses to open up shop on the Shore and being a proud North Shorian myself, let's hope it continues!

I stumbled upon Hunter Furniture when I was on Link Drive one weekend. I'd been looking for a sofa…read morefor a while, and thought I'd pop in to have a look. Really nice big store, with a good display of furniture items and accessories. Not too cluttered and lots of natural light. I was approached by a friendly shop assistant who was very knowledgeable about their products. I was very interested in buying New Zealand made, and many of their products are made here, but not all, depending on the type of materials required. I went back about six weeks later during one of their sales (20-50% off everything in store) and was served by another really knowledgeable sales person. Another nice thing was that I could choose the material and colours for the sofa I was interested in (I don't think this is possible with ALL items). I was really happy with the final price - although you could probably get a cheaper version of a similar styled item elsewhere, I was happy to spend a little more, as I was happy with the quality of the product. Only needed a 20% deposit as well. Some of the styles were not quite to my taste (i'm a bit fussy!) but am really happy with my new sofa!!

I bet that you won't find a long list of male names when you compile the people who actually enjoy…read moregift shopping, I know I don't, and you are more than welcome to remove my name from any such lists. I don't mind receiving gifts, I don't even mind giving gifts, it is just the shopping process I detest. Fortunately Elements at the Glenfield Mall is the perfect place to buy gifts, as they have something for everyone, and the price falls into the affordable category. From cups with your name on it, to T-Shirts and barbeque aprons. This is a quick stop, get-your-gift-and-go kind of store, and even the most reluctant shopper will find something here.

So many great things to feast my eyes on. At first I thought this was a shop I'd enjoy looking…read morethrough but would probably come to find a lot of the stuff I've seen elsewhere or just a lot of generic stuff. This was sort of true for the first part of my exploration, but I soon discovered a unique corner, which spiked my interest. It was like a medi-evil nook filled with dragons and darkness. There were lamps covered in dragons, big statues, HUGE wall ornaments and little baby dragonet figurines. I grabbed one of the small dragons for my boyfriend. I thought he'd appreciate the little guy, and he did! I also got a little plaque for my mom. It had some special words on the front and was only $15. I just couldn't resist!

There is just so much stuff at Spotlight. Even if you are looking for one particular item, chances…read moreare that you will end up wandering the store checking out everything else. I've been to Spotlight a lot over the years for many different reasons. I've had great fun picking out fabrics and they've got a lot to look through. Depending on the type of fabric you're after, the price is rather reasonable here and I've found that if you're not quick enough, there aren't enough metres left of the fabric you want! It's certainly one of the more popular places for sewing equipment because its a one-stop shop. I've found Spotlight's bedding to be quite expensive, so I usually wait for a sale to happen. They've got a lot of children's bedding too and tonnes of matching Dora the Explorer/One Direction sheets and luncboxes- just a side-note for any parents wondering where to get these! The arts and crafts section here is pretty substantial and its the first place I can remember doing huge wooden letters for displays. I love their selection of iron-on prints for jerseys, they've got some awesome letterman/varsity type fonts you can choose from to personalise sweaters and jumpers. Spotlight has a lot of stuff you'd probably never think you'd use, but it's great for buying stuff for scrapbooking, sewing, home storage, homewares and the like.