Maplin Electronics

Malins stock all sorts of electronic bits and pieces, from cables to connectors to components, plus various computer-​related stuff such as hard drives and blank media. It used to be a bit of a Mecca for nerdy types (myself included) as chances are, they would have the particular widget you were after. For many people, shopping here has been replaced in favour of shopping on the internet, as prices are so much cheaper. But what you won’t get on the web but will get at Maplin’s Hillsborough store is knowledge. The staff here are incredibly helpful and they really know their stuff. There’s also no sales pressure either — they even talked us out of buying something because it wasn’t what we needed.
The store is located on the Hillsborough tram route, and there’s a few parking spaces outside. Another useful thing is that if you’re after a particular item, you can check stock on the web in advance, to save a wasted visit.