Acquisitions at Barrington is the Spreydon branch of a larger giftware and homeware business, based in Tenancy 5-6 at 256 Barrington Street. The shop is set up around occasions, with gifts for birthdays, farewells, Father's Day, graduations, hens and stags, housewarmings, Mother's Day, sympathy, Valentine's Day and weddings. The range covers candles and diffusers, bath and body products, garden and kitchen items, tableware, bar and wine accessories, bags, gourmet food and artificial flowers. Brands on the shelves include Banks and Co, Maxwell & Williams, Wild Kiwi, William Morris and Willow Tree Candles. The shop also sells e-gift cards by email and gift cards by post, which can be used in store or online.
Customers' views are mixed. One says staff tracked down a replacement sunhat from another store and had it sent to Christchurch quickly, with clear communication throughout. Another says the shop was the only one of five to find a specific candle by product code. A third reports a rude reply from a young staff member when asked a price, and felt patronised. The shop suits a last-minute gift or a homewares browse, with New Zealand made pieces from local makers and designers alongside the national range.