B & M (Department Stores) > Reviews (7)

B&M is a retail chain of discount warehouse-type stores. There is only one that's local to me and it is on a retail park next to matalan and argos etc, it's single storyed and it's huge! I first discovered the shop at the start of last year after my friend dragged me there rambling about how great it is and i've been bargain hunting there regulary ever since! I think the main attraction is that it has a car boot/junk shop atmosphere to it, and i almost always find atleast one bargain whenever i go.

It sells pretty much everything; garden furniture, barbeques, tv stands, trampolines, makeup, beds, bedding, electrical items, toys, clothes, shoes, clocks, baby items, picture frames, cushions, pet accessories (food, beds etc) decorating tools (wallpaper, paint etc), tinned food and bottles of different drinks.. too much to name! Most items are in particular catergories, such as garden wear with lawn mowers etc in one section and makeup/hair things in another section. Most products are stacked onto large shelves, most of which are attatched to the walls, but larger items such as beds, wardrobes, cabinets etc are arranged neatly in one area all together.

My personal favourite section is the pet things as i have dogs. Not long ago i got a big fluffy dog bed for £4 which has been brilliant and is still in one piece. They also sell dog toys, dog treats/food, hamster cages/accessories,cat litter/toys/food/beds, rabbit food etc. I also love the makeup section. They sell lipgloss, mascara, face wipes, foundation etc. Most is unbranded but seems good quality. I've had several bargains!

- 4 piece brush set for £2.80 (always stocking up on these)
- 20 unbranded but great quality eyeliners £6
- ceramic straighteners £8 which are better than my £55 argos ones!
- Playboy makeup giftset £6, my niece loved it and it seemed good quality

Another bargain i had was a glass tv stand that holds up to 72kg. It was reduced from £120 to £30 and looks great.

It's also a good place to stock up on food; they sell a wide variety of tinned and packet foods such as soup, supernoodles etc for really good prices, they also sell chocolate/sweets at discounted prices and there diet coke is only £2 for 6 cans which is atleast £1 cheaper than most shops! They also sell branded alchohol.They don't sell fruit/veg/fresh meat or fish.

I've never got any clothes from there because they're all unbranded, most tacky looking and they don't seem great quality (one item i liked the look of was straw like to the touch), however my friends got several baby grows from there for £2 each and she's always on about how well they last, so there's probably a few hidden gems. I've only seen womens and childrens clothes, not mens.

They don't have a changing room there so i'd reccomend keeping the receipt if you do by an item of clothing from there just incase!! The only downside is things are cheaper but not dirt cheap. For example, there dog food is only 20p or so less than sainsburys basic and looks to be lower quality.

There's also cheap tat that's overpriced for what it actually is, however as i said before there are some bargains if you look properly. Staff seem okay, they never really talk and take a while to get ques on the till down. I've only ever spoken to the manager once about a faulty item and it was replaced without too much fuss apart from her wondering off randomly mid conversation and me having to find her to follow up about getting the replacement sorted. There are only 6 tills even though the store is huge and only 3/4 of them are usually open which seems a bit silly! The building has a very high roof so is quite cold and drafty with grit/concrete flooring that can be quite slippy but apart from that the store overall is pleasent. Baskets, small trolleys and large trolleys are available upon entering the store. Check the trolley though, most at my local b&m have got wonky wheels so they're a nightmare to control!

Overall i'd reccomend popping down there if you haven't before and having a good rummage. Just don't get carried away, some things aren't as much of a bargain as they seem.

Summary: The primark of homewear