Corkills Southport

If you're doing some proper shopping in Southport town centre, you can't miss Corkills. They're on Eastbank Street, and they've been around for ages. It's not just clothes – they've got a bit of everything, from shoes to homewares to fancier bits and bobs. Good if you need to pick up a gift and don't want the usual high street stuff.

The Google reviews are pretty solid, 4.5 stars from over 240 people, so it's not just me saying it's decent. Prices are maybe a touch higher than Primark, but you're paying for the brands and the service, I suppose. They're open pretty late most days, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, which is handy if you work in town. Sundays they open later, 10am to 4pm.

It’s a department store, so don’t expect a cutting-edge boutique experience. It's a bit more traditional, if you catch my drift. But they do have a good range, and the staff are usually alright if you need a hand finding something or figuring out sizes. I pop in now and then when I need something a bit better quality than what's in the big chains.

Worth checking their website (corkills.com) to see if they have any sales on before you head down. Eastbank Street can get busy with parking, so you might be better off using one of the bigger car parks near the train station and walking over.