This is a large mall where the Kmart was located…read more It reminds me of a typical mall, but with larger department stores that cater more to you every day needs. They have a Kmart for clothing and department items, and a Woolworth for grocery shopping, inside the mall! They also had some of the typical mall shops of namebrand clothing, a food court, and downstairs a little convenient store, kiosk, and even a massage parlor! I could've easily stayed here all day and explored for hours on end!

An American mall that we wouldn't have stopped and except we were so hungry I couldn't find…read moreanything opened near the museum. We took the escalator up to the eatery food hall. We had chicken & salad, it was just okay. There were many American chain stores @ some New Zealand as well. It wasn't too busy the week before Christmas.

Oh Lordy! Black Box has an outlet store! Why did I not know of this before now, I ask you…read more I originally first fell for the Black Box brand on my first foray into The Department Store in Takapuna. Now that I know they actually have their own store,and things are actually cheaper than where you would buy them originally I am hooked. It helps that they had a babe'n sales assistant on the day when I went in there, all dark hair and tatts and well dressed and oh my god did I tell you I love this store! He was actually very helpful. This isn't your typical outlet store, they actually have stuff that is being sold at other places at the same time, its not end of lines or just stuff that no one bought. It's cheap AND its not last seasons. As well as great clothes, they also do amazing shoes too. Sales assistant guy: call me!

If like me you are absolutely obsessed with the Black Box Boutique and the gorgeous clothing they…read moresell from the likes of Bassike, Ksubi and (my absolute fave) Stolen Girlfriends Club, you're going to love their little outlet store at the top of Ponsonby Road. All of the clothing in here has a discount of between 50 and 70% off of its original price. What's great about it is that, unlike outlet shopping in malls like Onehunga Dress Smart, this store is actually full of really great clothes. I recently bought a really cute pair of Ksubi denim shorts for way cheaper than their original price. Also unlike most outlet stores, the clothing is still really well merchandised, with everything sectioned off into styles, making it really easy to shop. There are few places (in fact, I can't really think of any) like this in Auckland so make the most of their great selection of labels and even better prices.

If you've ever been to Melbourne and enjoyed the arty, old fashioned atmosphere of the malls, you'd…read morelove this part of Auckland City. Just off Queens & Custom's Streets, Queens Arcade is for those with slightly vintage, classy tastes, with plenty of shiny hallways filled with boutique shops. I suspect its logo with the Queen on it gives away its slightly superior air to the rest of Queen Street, but not in a pretentious way. More inviting for a good old window shop of some of the finest products you can find. The tea rooms are a splitting image of some I saw in Melbourne, just calling out to be explored. There's a chocolate shop, jewellery stores, fashion shops and the last of the few record/DVD stores, Marbecks, to enjoy.

So interesting to visit the Queens Arcade…read more The historic arcade is actually a combination of three buildings. The south arcade is a combination of the Victorian Darby's Building constructed in 1909 and the A.B. Donald Building which was built in 1863. The Arcade was completed in 1929. The completed arcade featured marble, fine woods and beautiful storefronts. Today, it is a shopping arcade filled with shops. Go up and down the escalators to get a closer look. Make sure to go to the rear of the arcade to see the display of New Zealand flags. Not as interesting as the Royal Arcades in Sydney or Melbourne, but nice for a short stop while exploring Auckland.

I am a fan of St Kevin's Arcade, a very big fan! I love the crowd that attracts the arcade, it's…read morenot people you would see anywhere else in Auckland. It is people who are interesting, lead interesting lives and are extremely friendly. Each time I have gone to have a coffee at one of the cafes in the arcade or gone to check out the thrift shops, I have always talked to someone about life and everything else in between. My life has seemed so boring and dull after talking to these people. I love the arcade, as it is under stated, different and beautiful. The coffees served at the cafe at the end of the arcade on the right side are absolutely amazing. The cafe also serves some gluten free and a menu that consists of almost all egg everything. Egg lovers, this is heaven for you. The price for everything on the menu is reasonable, plus $4 for a big slice of freshly made carrot cake is a steal! Apart from the cafes and interesting characters, St Kevin's Arcade also houses some amazingly quirky thrift shops. They are worth a peep!

Such a cool place. A half a dozen restaurants to choose from. We stopped at a place that had…read morevegan pies. Sooo darn good. Fabulous atmosphere.

It's kind of ridiculous, but I love $2 shops. This is technically not a $2 shop because it sells…read morethings priced above and below $2, which is kind of stupid, but I love it anyway. The place is pretty massive, it has aisles that are alphabetized for ease of search, but there's so much stuff in there that you wouldn't even know where to start. For example, $2 disposable yellow raincoats. Amazing. $7 '*insert name here* PARKING ONLY' signs to stick outside your house for laughs. $2 caps. $2 angry birds keyrings. $3 packs of bubble wrap, self-sealing envelopes. Dare you to go in there and not find something to buy. Service was super friendly.

Definitely my favourite dollar store in Auckland, such a huge selection of really great stuff, good…read moreparking and really friendly staff. They have an amazing selection of fake flowers here which look really good and aren't a rip off like the ones in home décor stores. I always buy my fake eyelashes from here too, really good selection and again really great looking and fab quality. My boyfriend likes their selection of lighters here, especially their Zippo inspired ones! It's part of the shopping complex on the corner of Valley and Dominion Rd so it's got great free parking (always deserves a mention). Such an amazing kids toy section here too they even have beautiful hand painted maracas for $2 and they would make such great gifts. I also always buy my pet paraphernalia from here too they have doggie poop bags that are pink with paws on them...so cool as well as pet bowls, leads and toys! Love this shop to death.

The Strand Arcade is a very thin corridor of shops that has a nice kind of Victorian feel to it,…read morewith hanging signs and the odd ornate decoration. This classiness ends with the stairs leading down to the foodcourt however, which is a Spartan white-tiled affair. It's not a bad food court though, and a good option if you work in town and want a quick, tasty lunch. Of special mention is the South American / Middle Eastern place, which not only has delicious food - burritos, kebabs, lots of variations on steak - and massive portions, but also has one of the nicest guys behind the counter that I've encountered in a long time. Not only was he really friendly and welcoming, but he was also helpful in a way that seemed genuine rather than sales-technique. My girlfriend ordered a vegetarian enchilada and he suggested she get a burrito instead - he reckoned for a vegetarian it was heaps more food for the same price. It's that sort of helpful friendliness that loyalty gets built on. We'll be coming back to him again.

Arcades offer a different type of shopping experience, usually small boutique stores that make a…read morewelcome change from the usual chain stores that are everywhere. This arcade however is devoid of anything really decent with the exception of the mini mart at the end and the hair salon. These are all small businesses, clothing and skin care mostly with a cafe and a sushi place thrown in for good measure. There is also a food court below ground. Don't go down there. It is in the bowels of the earth because if there is a hell, that would be their food court. It is horrible. A friend of mine took me down here a few years back. The memory still haunts me. It is dirty, I saw cockroaches. If you cannot see the ratings, there is a reason. I saw a few D's, so I am not exaggerating about the state of this hole. I felt like I had to disinfect my coke zero can before drinking from it. Very unpleasant, I can't believe my friend ate from down there, did she have a death wish? You have been warned, unless you want a side of a trip to Auckland hospital, do not go to this food court.

Wow, what a great find! Latin America Family Day Event…read more Discovered this event while just walking around the area. Quality/Quantity - Many food booths, see pictures. Shopping booths for my wife; I just like to eat. :) Atmosphere - Live festive music. Cool decor. Service - Good, everyone was friendly and welcoming. Price - See pictures as it depends on what you buy or eat. Owner Comment - Glad we were able to visit, thank you!

Dear Chancery lane ,…read more What happened to you ? You used to "be" the place to be and be seen ,but sadly you are now the poor long lost cousin to that hip child britomart ! I hope you get your mojo back cause I remember having a very good steak there . With the random stores and mish mash of eateries it's time to get it together! Yours regretfully, A concerned Yelper

I literally want to buy EVERYTHING in this store! BLOC is a collaboration of a number of cool…read moredesigners - kind of like a mini department store. There's beautiful, beautiful homewares, WORLD Beauty, fashion labels and even a cafe. I would even go as far as to say that BLOC has made me excited about christmas present shopping. Granted it's not the cheapest but some labels are more affordable than others (Citta, Father Rabbit) and thankfully, we have a small family!

BLOC is a super stylish department store w Citta design and Father Rabbit downstairs and Peppin…read more(children's clothing), 8 paws (dog clothing) and collected upstairs. There's also a delicious cafe in case you work up an appetite. I was lucky enough to go to one of the Bloc's special shopping nights with wine and cheese as well as discounts and goodie bags. As a marketing exercise, it worked. I explored the Blocs offerings fully and I now know where to go to get that gift for someone that is hard to buy for. The wide variety of things for the home, for the inner self and for the fur baby ensures that The Bloc will solve the gift problem.

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

Little High Street used to be much more fun, but we can't wallow in the past. There's still good…read moreshopping to be had in here, especially of the vintage and reworked vintage variety - think Tango, Smoove, and Smoove Reworked Vintage. And there's plenty of cuteness nearby too, like Pencil, which is just outside on High Street. If you're not into Asian fashion though, the choices are a bit limited and I never find myself browsing outside my comfort zone of the abovementioned vintage trinity. It would be great to see some exciting little local designer shops set up in here, rather than the cheap, mass-produced stuff that fills most of the mall at the moment. I don't want CBD shopping to turn further into a series of shops offering knock-off handbags, synthetic shoes, and clothes in nothing-natural fibres. I'd like a bit of originality and ethically-produced in my shopping options, please.

I first discovered Little High Street when I was in high school. A secret wee gem tucked between…read moreHigh St and Queen Street, it is accessed via the second floor of the Whitcoulls building or from Durham St East, opposite the Blue Dude swimwear store. Little High Street used to be relatively unknown and was home to up and coming New Zealand designers, however over the years this has changed quite drastically and now largely consists of Asian clothing stores. Smoove is one of the exceptions, and actually takes up two of the stores on the Street. If you're in to rock, vintage and street-type clothing and accessories, definitely make sure you pop down to Little High Street and check out Smoove. Mezze Bar is also located on the Street by the Durham St entrance and is a great licensed cafe/bar that does fantastic iced coffees and has a great lunch menu.