This is my favourite store in Perth for many reasons
WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT MR JONES
+ Location Location, in the heart of the city, so there is always easy to visit if you happen to work in the CBD.
+ Size, big but not too big.
+ Posh Classy Factor.
+ Brands Factor. Some of my favourite brands have stands here, Allanah Hill, Ted Barker, Karen Miller, Oroton, and many fancy international designer clothing I like to look at.
+ Display style. I love the way they exhibit their stuff. Open, touchable, stylishly placed.
+ Shoes Section. It was reorganised and renovated a few weeks ago and is looking even more splendid. They have a mix of posh and medium-range brands, and it is my pass-by favourite area in the store.
+ Millinery section, which is great always, also very expensive, but especially wonderful in the weeks previous to the Melbourne Cup. Unlike other shops selling millinery in the city, they do not inflate the prices for the season, and the quality and design of their fascinators is way superior.
+ The stationary area.
+ The cosmetics and perfumes area, which has a mix of surf and turf, but with very posh and exclusive products (Tom Ford, Bottega Venetta, Joe Malone, among many others.)
+ The high-end designer clothing on the 3rd floor. Stupendous.
+ The toilets on the third floor. Like in the movies.
+ Their Christmas decorations seasonal sections. Fabulous.
MR JONES IS REALLY SURPRISING
++ Their sales and discounts are fabulous, and apply to seasonal stuff, not to last year's unwanted stuff. I especially like the discounts at the shoes and watches areas, Oroton and Allanah Hill stands.
++ Did you know there is a BreastScreen WA on the 3rd floor at the David Jones Rose Clinic? Yes, I know, it surprised me as well. Let your breast to be squeezed in style...
++ Oh, I cannot forget their food hall and gourmet area. Descend into a pleasure-oh-able state by using the escalator!
MR JONES' AIDS OF CAMP ARE AN INTERESTING BUNCH
Most of the ladies at the shop are lovely, and willing to help even though sometimes by doing so they have to go out of their way or out their own stand.
However, it takes two uptight inattentive rude ones to make you forget the nice ones. This is the way the brain of humans work, not just mine. I have found examples of staff looking down at customers, passive-aggressive comments on the product being too expensive for you (as if they knew what the budget of the buyer is!), staff so interested in talking to other fellow-staff members that forget about you, put the beeping machine in the bag, or do not say hello or thank you, staff who get annoyed because you just make a question or because you ask something that "their divinities" think you should be asking. So It is a mix of things. I don't find that at Myers, you see, so if the price is the same or similar I will go there because the staff are friendlier.
Some of the stands don't have staff until mid-morning, so if you want to buy something, you won't be able to do so. Thanks for making me save my money, Mr Jones.
NO-NO, MR JONES!
-- Poor book section. But I guess that not many people to to David Jones for the books. My guess.
-- Mac dominated electronics area... some people don't like apples and prefer oranges.
-- Some of the staff's behaviour towards customers.
FIX IT FOR ME, PLEASE, MR JONES
= Clean and repair the toilets on the second floor more often! They are the most popular with passers-by, and I have found them sometimes dirty, with no hand paper, with some of the flush not working, a bit smelly. You know, not very posh at all.
= Train and and select your staff better, they represent your brand. Unless you want to be the brand of the uptight butts, do something to avoid a minority that give a bad image of David Jones' customer service.
SOME FREE SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS, MR JONES
>> Why are you opening half an hour later than Myers? You just want me to save money, right?
>> Update your bag section, your wallets section, and your medium-range watches section. There is something called Internet shopping, a magic world where one can buy many of this stuff cheaper because they are last season stuff in the Northern Hemisphere. Think about that when you choose the items you want to display.
>> Remove cheap brands from the cosmetics section... like Revlon. I Buy Revlon a lot, but not from here but from the Chemist Warehouse at least 30% off. The products are not displayed as nicely, but they are the same products. Why not having other brands? I mean DJ is posh, right?
>> Their stockings
section used to be the most glamorous hosiery piece in Perth, and a drop by for me. However, with the refurbishment of the last weeks, it has been dramatically reduced to stands with boring pricey tights. You can still find some of the fashionable stuff online, but not in the city. This being the case, Myers is at the moment more appealing and more varied, so I will be spending my money there... Your fault!
>> The OPI stand used to be exclusive in Perth. Now, it is not. Myer got one, and they are making reductions and sales on the whole range quite often, so unless you match that, Mr Jones, I will be heading that alley.Your fault!
I love you David Jones (and I curse you at times, too).
Calle Obispo Hurtado, 20
18002 Granada
Spain
Phone: +34 958 253 006
This is one of those shops that are disappearing from the city, an old traditional family operated leather and luggage shop. Local and international franchises and the big stores' tough guys are making life difficult for businesses like this, so one has to give big kudos to these little shops and buy from them. The owners' children won't continue the family business; they, as many others, have left the country and are working in "more important" things overseas.
The shop's space is minimal, and the shop's space is crowded and nothing to rave about. What you can rave about is the service your get from the owners (Manuela especially), who also happen to be the shop attendants, the variety of luggage they have, and the pricing. Moreover, these people know their trade, where the suitcases are made, material of the handles, anything you need to know about suitcases or leather goods. Old times savoir faire.
They have been specialising in Samsonite products since... forever, but they have some beautiful trendy arty luggage items by other brands, Ágata Ruiz de la Prada's being my favourite. Pricing is fantastic for Samsonite and good priced for other brands.
They also have a small selection of basic leather goods, some of them branded, some others unbranded, made by hand from the leather itself to the stitching. Awesome quality at good prices. However, I found most of the stuff a bit boring for me, perhaps perfect for my mum or my grandma if I had any alive.
I bought my new cabin suitcase from here, great brand, great quality, great price. Hurrah!
Calle San Antón, 16
18005 Granada
Spain
Phone: +34 958 521 638
Website
Baba-Shop is a must stop for me each time I visit Granada.
Tucked away in Calle San Antón, this bazaar has an ample shop with a large but non flashy shop window.
This would have been my perfect shop if it had existed when I was at University as it has everything that my younger self (a bit hidden now underneath my more glamorous me) loved and love: unique pieces of clothing and jewellery, colour, textures, earthy stuff, alternative fashion, world jewellery and decoration items, new-hippy, hipster, grunge - Paradise! Their website does not make justice to the shop.
I don't wear the sort of clothing they have or most of their accessories any more, but I do still wear and purchase some of the pendants and jewellery they sell, which are always beautiful and original. I super-love their silver jewellery cabinet, which is not too expensive for foreigners (a bit for locals).
This is a pricey shop in general, which offers sales just on sales periods. That is possible because they have a loyal clientele who returns over and over again, and prefer to pay for one unique alternative piece than for three mass-produced ones.
The attendants are matter of fact and won't bother you in your browsing unless you want them to open the magic cabinet or bring something down from the upper shelves. Browse peacefully, buy if you want.
391-395 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
North Perth
Get Directions
Phone number (08) 4441 904
Website:
Hours
Mon-Wed 8am to 3pm
Thu-Sat 8am to 4pm
Sun 8.30am to 3.30pm
Jean Pierre Sancho in Fitzgerald Street has become one of my handy stops while going to the North Perth Plaza to do my grocery shopping. What brings me there is mostly their coffee and the lovely staff. Great combo for me.
Coffee is nicely prepared, strong enough for my sensitive tongue. Yes, I like my coffee to taste like coffee. I like their colourful macaroons and sweets, and the staff have been and are lovely every time I visit, very friendly, smiley, and accommodating about anything. No-fuss people.
The place, unlike its predecessor, is a bit bland and dark regarding ambience and vibe. I was expecting a bit of more "Frenchiness" in the decoration and style, but concrete looking floors and almost bare walls are not that chic. However, the place is n the decoration and atmosphere, still the place is quiet and comfortable.
Food has proven to be a bit of a disappointment. They are very generous with their servings (point!), but somewhat the food tastes just OK. Not bad, but not remarkable either.
My first breakfast there was total knock-out, tinned beans, stale harsh brown, like... I didn't like it. They have improved since them, but their cooked breakfasts are still not their forte in taste or plating (sometimes they put too much on the plate, carelessly, in ways that make the food look unappealing, like in the photo).
Their house-flag dish is very French... Gosh Bless Hamburgers. They are very tasty and come with fries and salad, huge size. That always makes me happy, size does matter, and tasty hamburgers as well.
In short a nice place to drop by if you just want a nice friendly quiet café to hide from the world and have some simple cooked food or nice pastries and sweets.
Notes to myself
> I love their coffee cups!
> They have lovely loaves of bread for sale
> It would live up the place having some French posters or photographs on the walls.
Calle Mesones, 1
18001 Granada
Spain
Phone: +34 958 190 162
Website
Hours
Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00
Selected Sundays
Phone House is a Spanish franchise chain (part of an International Company) that sells mobiles, mobile accessories and mobile internet and has also a repairs service. They usually have seasonal catalogues and the variety of mobile phones, mobile brands, mobile carriers and mobile and-or Internet plans, and pricing are unmatchable in Spain.
So, what makes this shop different from the others? Many things!
+ Location location. This branch is located at the beginning of Calle Mesones, five steps away from Puerta Real and five minutes from anywhere in the city centre.
+ The staff really knows their stuff. They are not just selling or repeating like lorikeets. They can advise you properly on anything you need according to your own needs. I received unbiased advice from one of the guys. I was most impressed, and I got what I needed at the price I needed.
+ The staff will give the attention and time you need, no matter is five minutes or twenty, so you get your problem solved or your phone purchased and ready to use.
+ The staff would help you dealing with little faults in your phone, if you purchased it from them, and help you with settings and things like that, or safety measures not to get your super-duper smart phone stolen!
+ There is an in-house mobile technician at this branch, which works full time a few days a week, so he will be able to sort out many of the issues you have with your phone, for free, unless you need a spare part and your phone has run out the warranty.
+ The staff were always friendly and lovely to me!
The not so good things:
= Waiting 20 minutes or 10 in a cue is never acceptable, especially because they could easy install another desk and have an extra staff member to attend to the public. Also, why not having cueing by numbers or waiting stools?
= Their selection of mobile accessories is poor, pricey and a bit boring!
TIP
Best time to visit at Spanish lunch time. Everybody is eating, cues are minimal, and service way faster.
Carretera de Jaén, s/n
18013 Granada
Spain
Phone +34 958 185 480
Granada, despite being a very small town, is a buzzing one, with lots of travellers moving in an out every single day. People move basically by bus, so the station is always busy.
The station is located in the outskirts of the city, but well communicated by normal city buses (number 33, especially) and taxi, and has provincial, regional, national and international services. There are more than 25 platforms in the station, which shows the volume of travel in this small town.
The building is very functional, as well as the whole structure of the station. You will find the services you expect to find in any station, but nothing fancy, as the movement is steady and you won't need to spend hours waiting there. So you will find the information and sale windows upstairs, an escalator to access the waiting area, café-bar and toilets, plus some tiny shops and shopping stands around. There are electronic information panels in the waiting area, as well. The place is kept clean.
The Station's sales windows can have long cues at pick ours or pick departing hours, if you arrive with not much time to buy your ticket, it might be too late. Buy you ticket online through Alsa's website or in advance.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
> Some of the services to Málaga Airport or to the big cities are always full. Depending on demand, there can be more than one bus doing the same route. This means that the volume of passengers in the cue in front of a bus can be humongous as the drivers need to check the tickets before passengers board and place their luggage in the luggage compartment. It would be great having another person doing just this, so the boarding is quicker, and people don't get confused or annoyed.
> A better lighting for the platform area is needed!
> A few more coffee and snacks machines would be handy.
MIND
> If you are a foreigner holding an electronic ticket, the bus driver will request you to present your passport together with your online ticket. This is the law. If you are trying to jump about basic travelling regulations, you are just being obnoxious, are giving a terrible image of your fellow-nationals and are being a nuisance to other travellers. There was a group of fellow-Aussies doing just that, making demeaning comments on the country just because they were requested to show their passports! I felt very ashamed that we were holding the same passport.
> There can be some drug addicts and odd people begging around the main entrance at times. Do as you would do at home, ignore them with gentleness and keep an eye on your luggage.
647 Beaufort St
Mt Lawley WA 6050
Mount Lawley
Phone (08) 9328 7775
Website
This is an icon of Beaufort Street. It has been in that spot for years, since I moved to Perth and Mount Lawley many years ago.
The shop is small and a bit crowded, but the space has been well taken advantage of, and you can buy most things you would want from a chemist, beyond prescription medication: organic body-care and cosmetics, perfumes, basic emergency kit items, condoms, over the counter basics, spectacles stuff (very convenient for spectacled people :))) cute little thingies that you might be tempted to get but you don't need...
The staff will let you browse around, if you tell them that is what your want, or give you personalised attention. I have found this to be the case every time I have visited, no matter what I wanted was proper medication, over the counter medication or just hygiene or cosmetic products.
The major downside of the place are the prices, higher than in other chemist around for the same stuff. However, this is a 24/7 and we have to pay for the convenience of having them awake and open when we need them. Amen.
