Favourite shops - any hidden gems?

Allexie

I'm not talking about the big multiples...more the specialist, quirky or just full of bargains. The sort you just have to pop into on a regular basis.

I've recently discovered HomeBargains (Thirsk, North Yorks & Cross Gates, West Yorks). Great for non-perishable foods, (olives, olive oil, coffee, pesto, pannatone recently), also household, wine, toiletries and other odds and ends.

At the other end of the scale...Lewis & Cooper in Northallerton, North Yorks - better than Harrods Food Hall. Wonderful for coffee beans, local cheeses, fruit cakes to die for and all those unusual ingredients the supermarkets don't stock.

Do you have any special favourites???

moggins

Yep, a shop called Motala's in Gloucester. Small asian supermarket and I can get any herbs, spices, etc much cheaper than anywhere else. And there's also a small shop just up the road from it where I get milk shake syrup for £1.57 for a litre bottle

VickyA_2

There's one near my parents in Lincolnshire (near Scunthorpe) called "Pink Pig Organics". They're an organic farm shop, with lots of lovely things in at not too bad a price. And they also have a lovely organic cafe/restaurant for lunches.

Think they've got a website somewhere.

Here it is: Pink Pig Organics

Curry_Queen

All my hidden gems are online I'm afraid, and I think I've already mentioned most of them in previous threads.

I do miss living in Yorkshire though as it's abundant with bargains, for absolutely everything, something I didn't appreciate until recent years

Murtle

Curry_Queen online gems are good too especially as I'm not up North!!!!

Curry_Queen

Murtle wrote:

Curry_Queen online gems are good too especially as I'm not up North!!!!

Depends what you're after really, but I've eventually managed to source a fair few reasonable online sources to cover the majority of my needs, but as to whether they're economical for people who can shop locally or travel a fair distance to find what they need is another matter

squeaky

I've followed just about every shopping tip you've ever posted. I'm a bit limited for travel and, living out of town it can be cheaper to pay for delivery than it is to go by bus to collect.

A typical example was that I bought a low voltage filament for my bedside lamp over the web from the very town I live closest to! P&P was just £1.75. The extra bus fare from the center of town (£2.30 return) to go further on and get the bulb would have been another £2.20

Allexie

squeaky wrote:

.....I'm a bit limited for travel and, living out of town it can be cheaper to pay for delivery than it is to go by bus to collect.

Hi squeaks

I'm a 'public transport/goodwill of car-owning friends' shopper too and I know what you mean about bus fares these days. I do a fair bit of online shopping but I do miss a good old rootle, (is that a word?), around a shop though!

Curry_Queen

squeaky wrote:

A typical example was that I bought a low voltage filament for my bedside lamp over the web from the very town I live closest to! P&P was just £1.75. The extra bus fare from the center of town (£2.30 return) to go further on and get the bulb would have been another £2.20

It wasn't from BLT was it?


If so, I've found an even cheaper source, as I go through a fair amount of light bulbs as you can imagine

squeaky

As a matter of fact it WAS!!

Cheaper per filament and P&P combined? Then yes, I'm interested.

You know, you really ought to put together "Curry_Queen's World Famous Hit List of WWW Shopping Sites"

squeaky

Allexie wrote:

Hi squeaks

I'm a 'public transport/goodwill of car-owning friends' shopper too and I know what you mean about bus fares these days. I do a fair bit of online shopping but I do miss a good old rootle, (is that a word?), around a shop though!

Yeah I said somewhere else that my neighbour takes me up to Asda once every month or so. I just call and say "Can I go with you next time you go?"

The thing is, they aren't my neighbours any more!! They moved house right across the village but are still happy to take me along. So, since they're doing me a big favour I speed through my shopping as best I can to ensure that I don't keep them waiting. They've already done me favour enough, to my way of thinking, without being held up by a slowcoach old git like me!