Mega everyday shopping
As I stand waiting for my Click and Collect outside The Warehouse, I realise how important Albany Mega Centre is for giving us easy online shopping access to all those items we need for daily living. This has become even more important over lockdown, letting us get on with everyday living.
Lockdowns have been a reality of life over the last 18 months and it’s been particularly true in the last 10 weeks as us Aucklanders have been confined to our homes. It’s been hard juggling work, home, kids schooling and the mental pressures of uncertainty and isolation. We’ve kept ourselves busy with numerous projects.
And as I stand here at The Warehouse waiting for someone to bring our latest Click and Collect purchases for the whole family – gardening gloves, socks, a cookbook, Lego and other items – I reflect just how many times I’ve been at Albany Mega Centre recently. I also think about the variety of everyday things we’ve purchased from here to get us through lockdown, and lockdown projects.
I look across at Pricewise. I was only there a couple of days ago picking up my online purchases. There’s such a huge range I buy from there: from cleaning products, to soaps and shampoos, to herbal teas and gifts for friends and family. I think they’ve got the balance of quality, range and price just right and there’s always some good specials going. This week I was here to pick up my daily vitamins – yet another thing they have a great range of.
Looking further along, I see Storage Box. I was there last week to collect a couple of big plastic storage tubs. One of the upsides of lockdown is that we have a bit more time for things around the house. I spent a day in my workroom sorting out my art and crafts materials. I have a huge collection of things I’ve made over the years and just as big a range of tools and equipment to make them. Clear storage tubs let me put everything away and still have easy access to them when the creative urge hits.
Further up, around the Albany Mega walkway, is Bed, Bath & Beyond. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been there over the years but I know I've been there twice over the last few weeks. First, it was for new sheets. I noticed my son’s sheets were starting to wear through – no doubt from spending so much time in bed over the last couple of months! We get online, and after painfully going through the options together, he finally chooses a set of new sheets he likes. He doesn’t understand why I don’t get them delivered, accusing me of ‘being stuck in my old ways.’ The truth is I’m looking for any excuse to get out of the house, even if it’s just to pick something up.
A few days later, I’ve got my mask on and am back scanning in at the door of Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up our new towel sets. Sorting out the linen cupboard was another long-overdue lockdown project and I was horrified at the motley collection of towel colours and styles we’d accumulated over the years. Most got stuffed into bags to go to the charity shops, to be replaced by two new matching sets.
Further up I see Warehouse Stationery. We’ve been there for paper, books, pens, glue, Post-It notes and other stuff since we moved to Alert Level 3, helping us get our work and schooling done. Further up is Briscoes, again we’ve purchased a few things from here recently - from a new coffee machine right through to Soda Stream flavours. In fact, I was here collecting from both these stores, at the same time, not that long ago.
It’s amazing how much stuff we need to get through daily life and, when you have even more time, you find you need even more stuff. The stores at Albany Mega Centre have been a godsend this lockdown, giving our family easy access to everything we need for everyday living, all in one place.