You don’t realize how good shopping is in Glasgow until you spend a day wandering its streets, if you come from anywhere outside of London you will love what Glasgow has to offer, more shops than anywhere else and plenty of good street clothes. stores, well 3, but still good.

I have decided to list my top 11 stores, the ones I would visit when shopping, mention my competition, I hear you say, yes I say, the more people realize that Glasgow is the number one shopping destination the better.

1. TK Maxx on Sauchiehall St (top end) is where you will find bargains if you are lucky, if not you will not find anything of interest, I got a great pair of brown leather Air Max for £ 25 18 months ago, only now starting to fall apart , but the most comfortable shoes of all time. I also have a great case for when I’m on my travels, a fancy little thing for a lot of money.

2. Next up on Bath Street is the urban legend Fat Buddha, Vinyl Toys, Graffiti Supplies, Lifestyle and Clothing from brands like Carhartt, The Hundreds, Kikstyo, Recon, Penfield, Zoo York, Volcom, Nike, Dc’s, Reebok. Voted best store in Glasgow by an independent panel from my family, but worth a visit, just to see the shop dog Maisie.

3. Goodlife is across the street from Fat Buddha and super expensive, but after all it’s Glasgow’s only high-end urban clothing boutique, selling Original Fake & Alife, a nice mix of brands in one place So small, but the store has its following, coming from afar for its mix of brands.

I’m not sure of the exact story, but it seems like Goodlife has closed its doors.

4 On Buchanan st you will find this corporate whore that is Urban Outfitters, on sale time there are great bargains, a real mix of brands here, and some of the household items are not to be sniffed out, well worth a visit.

If you are American or visited one of these stores in America, you will be surprised how poor the British version is compared to the American, a different brand mix, terrible staff and no atmosphere.

5. Further down Buchanan Street you will find Hugo Boss, I love this store, for years I still like to visit it, great design and good product, wonderful costumes and boy, they fit me as they should. Glasgow’s first royal designer name on Buchanan St, go check it out.

I was about to get a manager job here many, many moons ago, but it wasn’t going to be a lovely shop just yet.

6. Right around the corner you’ll find Aspecto, this boys’ store, one place for Stussy and good for Adidas, Carhartt, North Face & Camper, Y3, Evisu and the like. Excellent shop, it looked great at the time so well worth a visit.

7. You want sneakers, where else to go than Size on Union Street, a big store with a good variety of clothes, the best shoe store in Glasgow, unless the shoes are rare, then the staff is the first to call them . This is the place for footwear, the 2 Chris always have a smile for you.

8. Always a department store fanatic, and House of Frasers always hits the spot, the kitchenware department is great, menswear has now moved to the first floor and a ton of money was spent on it, now It is the BEST menswear area in Glasgow by a mile, the Paul Smith section is lovely and again the Paul Smith section is lovely, great handbags and saving for the scarf now. Frasers is worth an hour or so of your time, it’s just from Argyle St.

9. Footlocker, right on Argyle St is where your Jordan cravings will be satisfied, a good selection of Nike shoes, especially Air Stabs, a good variety of clothing, and a separate women’s floor make this a destination not to be missed. Footlocker is always a must see for sneaker lovers.

10. Focus is on Argyle St and the exclusive Nike SB dealer of Glasgow, other brands include Diamond, Supra, Krew, Cliche. Skateboards are Focus’s forte and serve the Glasgow market well, they now have a good reputation and are visited just for an Obey T-shirt. Good staff and a friendly environment make this a worthy addition to my list.

11. Finally, you will walk around the corner from Focus and find Cruise on Ingram St, a legend in Glasgow who still does what he does best, feeding brands to the masses, CP Company, Stone Island, Y3, BBC make a visit essential. Lovely Shopfit too, grab a Paul Smith wallet while you’re there.

So Glasgow for shopping, top 11 stores, there are hundreds more not listed, you have St Enoch Shopping Ctr, Buchanan Galleries Shopping Ctr in the city, stretch further and you will get to Braehead Shopping Ctr and Silverburn Shopping Ctr .

The more you get out of Glasgow, the more you’ll appreciate it, so come eat, shop and party.

Updated April 2010