Home Bargains

If you haven’t discovered Home Bargains yet you’re missing out. I always come here before going to the supermarket.
They often have the brand names I am devoted to at a fraction of the price you can get them anywhere else. Why pay £4 for Sensodyne when I can get it here for 99p?! Also, toilet rolls. Don’t buy them anywhere else.
I could go on for a shocking amount of time about the great deals that can be found here. Admittedly, just like any other discount store some of the stock is a little naff and of a low quality but the branded products are worth the trip.
They stock toiletries, dried/​packet food, cleaning products, some general household products, toys, confectionary, drinks, alcohol and usually an isle or two of seasonal goods, anything from gardening equipment to fancy dress. But really you’re never sure what you might find until you visit.
I’ve not had much contact with the staff. I often find that they’re joking around whilst staking the sheaves and there always seems to be a lot of them. I wouldn’t say they are particularly friendly but I guess it isn’t the sort of experience they are going for and it certainly isn’t something I would expect so I don’t find myself disappointed.
The store always seems clean and in decent order.
The only shame is that there is always a queue. On most occasions you won’t be able to just pop in. You’ll have to go down every isle hunting out deals and things you never knew you wanted. Then you’ll have to wait because everyone else has a huge basket full of goodies too!
Go. Now. Save money!

A very welcome cheap store nestled between Waitrose and Marks & Spencers on the Harborne High Street. Home Bargains has an ever changing stock of… everything. Groceries, confectionaries, booze, toys n games you can pick up almost anything there at super bargain prices. Very useful if you are sick of paying £££ for toilet paper in one of the more pricey stores on the street.
It might not have everything you need but you can certainly pick up the basics if you’re not fussy. Just beware that the stock is always changing so grab the bargains while you can!

When I was working in an office around 18 months ago, my colleagues all raved about home bargains. The office was always full of sweets and biscuits and came in industrial quantities. Whenever I asked where they came from, the answer always came «Home Bargains. £2.50». Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to pay the place a visit (rather than walk past, as I had often done when visiting B17 — although for many years, this was a Kwik Save). Once inside I discovered that this is a better organised version of Poundland, which is no bad thing. This place is great if you’re having a kids party and need to get a boat load of sweets and cakes for them to munch on. It’s also good for things like cards and wrapping paper. Useful but unspectacular.

Think Pound Stretcher but with a booze aisle and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what Home Bargains offers. Situated on the High Street in the space vacated by Kwik Save, Home Bargains is a really popular shop that sells pretty much everything you can think of at a cheap price. Toiletries — in particular hair dye and shampoo can be had for a bargain here and they have a massive and well stocked range of games and toys. You can find the odd gem in the home interiors and kitchenware sections — I got a vacuum flask and a leopard print throw for well under a tenner recently — and it is also stocks a wide range of weird and wonderful stuff — including fancy dress costumes, luridly coloured liquors, perfume endorsed by z-​list celebrities and luggage in garish shades. The only problem is that the stock here changes constantly so one week you might see something only to find it’s been sold and replaced by something else. The staff are sweet, although be prepared — they are super quick on the check-​out and as queues tend to veer towards the long and windy you may find yourself being ‘tutted’ at if you take too long to pack your stuff away.