What stores do you miss, and would still like to buy from?

[cathgates]

It seems that more and more shops (UK anyway), are now allowing us to buy direct. For example Next have recently opened up there clothing departments for direct sales (hurray).
Just out of interest, if you were able to order say furniture, or other items from your favourite stores, how much of a premium would you be prepared to pay?
For example, we are busy renovating our house, and I am struggling to find items like light fittings that I like and are at reasonable prices, I found one I really liked in Next, at £50 and got my Dad to post me 2 out. It worked out much cheaper than any alternative I could find here.
(Item 401-109-X45 if anyones interested!!!) I also bought my kitchen tap and kitchen door handles from Ikea which again worked out much cheaper, even with postage and I preferred them to any I could get here.

Cath XX

[Chiba]

I miss Muji in particular, for minimalist stuff. We still get most of our kids clothes from Uniqlo, because it's cheaper to ship from Japan, the quality's better, and they're cooler. Ikea was good too.

[Sam B]

I still get most of my kids' clothes from the UK, either using ebay or Boden. I mostly miss M&S, Jigsaw, Zara but don't care as much as I used to.

[Kea]

I really miss M & S for baby clothes. Stuff is so much cheaper than here but getting the seasons/sizes right is a challenge. Particularly as my baby is wee - only just growing into 6-9 month clothes at 10 months old. Also for underwear, socks and vests. I normally do an internet order before people visit and get them to bring stuff out.

I would almost kill for an M & S food here too. Belgian chocolate refrigerator cookies...

[Jo Jo]

I hardly bought anything from IKEA when I lived in the UK because there were so many other furniture retailers that offered well designed furniture at good value for money, but I really miss it now. I also really miss Habitat ( I know you can get some Habitat items from nest, but it's not the same). I miss Waterstones and Borders and W H Smith and all their brilliant 4 for the price of 3 and 3 for the price of 2 offers on books. And John Lewis and Boots. When I was in the UK last year I was absolutely dazzled by the variety and price of cheese in Tesco, but I don't actually miss the big supermarkets - I like the fact the food offering here is much more seasonal and that the prices reflect that, and that the produce is more wonky - I just miss all that variety of cheese. Mmmm. And I miss French Connection.

[cathgates]

Yes, I miss being able to buy books at reasonable prices too, and Boots and Superdrug, oh the choice and value for money!!!
If I could get the choice and value that I had before, I think I would be happy to pay a little more, as I think it would still work out cheaper than buying direct.

Cath XX

[mooncalf]

ikea

[mylesdw]

I don't miss any shops but I do miss ScrewFix and their catalogue.

[nickiware]

I guess M & S and Next for clothes, I used to buy a lot from Amazon but the p&p to NZ is very high. I use the library here a lot more as I refuse to pay so much for books. I don't mind that much though as we have just has 3.5 months of great weather which I am to swap it for shops! I use Farmers a lot here and never pay full price as there is always a sale!

[girlwithanewf]

Amazon. Charity shops with a good selection of books and clothes. Cheap shops for shampoo, toothpaste etc. Nice cheese shops. Not much more, but then I am looking forward to a second Christmas when our container turns up next week. I was despairing of finding somewhere for children's clothes in Wellington but then found Pumpkin Patch on Thorndon Quay for leggings. Don't really miss the shops, use the library loads. It's great how they have lots of older books which in the UK would have been thrown out or sold so you get to read things (particularly children's books) which are out of print. I also like here the section in Moore Wilson which sells catering stuff like glasses, baking equipment, crockery etc. Mind you, I used to live in the middle of a wood so never really did a lot of shopping. I used to also grow a lot of our food so buying fruit and vegetables is a bit odd still.