Glasgow is the largest retail centre outside London’s West End, according to People Make Glasgow.
Glasgow is known for its quality shopping and, in particular, the ‘Style Mile’. The ‘Style Mile’ is an area packed with a mixture of high-end shops combined with those you might see on any high street in the UK. There is a general agreement that the area is comprised of several streets, which are mostly pedestrianised — Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street, Argyle Street and Ingram Street. A large section of the ‘Style Mile’ is located within Merchant City, one of the oldest areas in Glasgow. It has been a centre of trade since the 1750s and, all these years later, it is still thriving!
Buchanan Street (North)
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At the heart of Merchant City sits Buchanan Street. The northern tip of the street is home to Buchanan Galleries — a shopping centre containing fairly affordable brands such as Claire’s Accessories, Next and River Island. There’s also a LEGO Store, for all of you big kids (and regular kids) out there. Additionally, the adjoining Royal Glasgow Concert Hall offers the opportunity to see some amazing music, theatre and comedy.
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Moving south, you’ll see The Hard Rock Cafe and Waxy O’Connors. Both very busy but brilliant places to grab a drink in fashionable surroundings. The interior of Waxy O’Connors is like something out of a fairytale — with a huge musical organ giving it the atmosphere of a church, only with pints!
Buchanan Street (South)
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But don’t stop there, keep walking down Buchanan Street and you’ll find Absurd Bird, one of the tastiest and most eccentric restaurants in Glasgow. Here you can sit down for a boozy brunch, drink a ‘farting unicorn’ milkshake and sample some cracking cocktails.
Buchanan Quarter is another shopping mall on Buchanan Street and it’s the perfect place to find shoes. There’s a Vans shop, an Office, Skechers and, just across the road, Schuh. As you move south down Buchanan Street you will stumble upon Prince’s Square. You’re now in the realm of fancy makeup brands. This area is like a beauty Youtuber’s dream. You’ve got L’Occitane, Space NK, Molton Brown, Urban Decay and many more, all within a few feet of one another. The massive House of Fraser offers ample opportunities to spray excessive amounts of perfume on yourself and smear lipstick on your hand.
Just off Buchanan Street, on Mitchell Lane, is The Lighthouse. It’s a massive centre for arts in Glasgow and well worth a visit if you’re out shopping in the area. The viewing platform, seven stories up, offers amazing views of the city.
Argyle Street
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Right down towards the River Clyde, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street intersect. If you’re shopping on a budget then this area around St. Enoch Shopping Centre, is a great place to start. St. Enoch Shopping Centre is just your typical, practical and incredibly handy mall. You will see shops like H&M, Boots and Card Factory. However, the highlight of this mall has to be the Disney Store. Everyone in there is sure to look giddy as hell.
Head east on Argyle Street and you will see that it turns into Trongate. Head west and it will take you through the train station. This side of Argyle Street there are loads of hotels and restaurants, though it’s not so good for shopping.
Sauchiehall Street
At Buchanan Street’s northernmost point, Sauchiehall Street runs perpendicular to it. Just as you turn onto Sauchiehall Street from Buchanan Street, there is a pretty large Forbidden Planet, which will excite even the most moderate of nerds. Nearby is The Howlin’ Wolf, named after the legendary Chicago blues singer, with great food and excellent live music.
Sauchiehall Street is packed with restaurants, like Tuk-Tuk Indian Street Food, an award-winning establishment serving tasty food. There’s also the amazing Nanakusa, a Japanese grill restaurant just a few minutes away.
Ingram Street
Ingram Street runs all the way from the High Street train station to The Gallery of Modern Art, running parallel to Argyle Street and almost meeting with Buchanan Street at its westernmost point. It’s another great, restaurant-filled street. However, the most striking building must be The Corinthian Club, in all its grandeur. It boasts five floors of restaurants and bars, and there’s even a casino!
Just across the road from The Corinthian there’s a Fred Perry and an Emporio Armani, amongst other fancy shops. If you head down Miller Street, there’s a restaurant named The Spanish Butcher, serving some fantastic Spanish fare.
Royal Exchange
At the west end of Ingram Street, there is a beautiful square named Royal Exchange Square. The building at its centre has been many things in its long history but now it houses The Gallery of Modern Art. There are some brilliant bars, restaurants and shops around the Royal Exchange, such as 29, which has a seriously opulent rooftop terrace.