The largest city in Scotland sits on the banks of the River Clyde and is one of Europe’s top financial centres. Whether visiting for business or pleasure, shoppers will enjoy perusing the many independent boutiques and shopping centres around the city.
The Style Mile
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It’s a square mile in the centre of the city that’s packed with a variety of stores that offer international designer goods and pieces from local artists. Not only is this a shopper’s paradise, it’s also full of free entertainment as buskers of all types ply their trade here in hopes of getting some good tips. As the streets that make up most of the area are pedestrianised, spending a day here wandering through the shops is a breeze and the many cafes and restaurants interspersed with the stores offer a great selection of tasty treats to keep you going. Bargain-seekers will want to stop into Primark in the Sauchiehall Street Shopping Centre to hunt down some good deals on just about everything.
Buchanan Galleries
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The newest shopping complex in the Style Mile is nicely connected to public transport and also has a parking area for those visiting with a vehicle. The 80 shops that make up the Galleries include a department store and several high-end establishments.
The Penny Pincher's Guide to Glasgow
St Enoch’s Centre
Down the street from the Galleries, the Centre is a good family shopping place – and the largest glass structure in all of Europe. With several department stores and mid-range priced shops, this is the place to get some needed replacement clothes and goods when travelling. They also have a kids’ play area if your young travelling companions need to take a break from sightseeing.
Prince’s Square
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A lovely Art Nouveau roof covers a selection of designer stores and exclusive boutiques. Visitors hoping to find crafts made in the country will want to head straight for the Scottish Craft Centre which houses a lovely collection of works by local artisans.
Argyll Arcade
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A beautiful iron-framed roof covers an entire street of jewellery shops in the city’s glitteriest gallery. The 32 shops here have a number of local jewellery designers represented as well as some delightful stores offering antique bracelets and other ornaments.
Savoy Shopping Centre
A place to be pampered on a budget is an apt description of this shopping complex. Find some artwork or handmade jewellery before treating yourself to lovely manicure and a break at the cafe. While some amazing bargains can sometimes be found here, it’s mainly good-quality stuff for the sensible shopper.
De Courcy’s Arcade and the West End
Offbeat and fun, the arcade is a mix of crafts, designer goods and antiques under one roof. Its location is as eclectic as the stores – down a little cobbled path in the hip West End – but most shoppers have no trouble remembering how to find it after the first visit. Two floors filled with adventure offer second-hand music shops, vinyls, handmade jewellery, soap and artsy items that are great for gifts.
The West End is filled with little Victorian shops that will entertain antique-shoppers for hours. Go with a map and no plan as the cobblestone streets wind around and a hidden gen could be just out of sight around a bend.
Barras Market/Barrowland
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In the early years of the market vendors would sell their wares from handcarts or barrows. The word “barra” is a dialectical version of barrow and the name of the market reflects the original selling setup. Barrowland is the official name of the market but few actually refer to it as such.
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Bargain-shoppers will love wandering the stalls and shops of the Barras and surround and penny-pinching travellers can appreciate the free entertainment that comes from sorting through a mix of antiques, crafts, tools and new goods that fill the businesses. Be wary of bootlegged games and videos as the cheap price often indicates a low-quality item. A great many pubs surround the Market to keep shoppers well-hydrated and ready for another round of browsing.