Retail
Glasgow – a shopping city
Glasgow is a ‘shopaholic’s paradise’ according to Lonely Planet and is ranked number one UK retail destination outside of London’s West End.
Over half a million square metres of retail space can be found in the city, with prime and super prime shopping to be had within one square mile in the city centre, known as the Style Mile. Buchanan Street, Glasgow’s premier shopping street, is the busiest high street in the UK, after London, with an average hourly footfall of 6,500 people.
Glasgow is the UK’s second largest retail centre by spend equating to £4.2 billion annually. This is sustained by £1 billion annual spend by 20 million day visitors and £619 million spend by 2.2 million tourists each year.
Glasgow has something for every taste from unique independent designers to flagship stores for British and international retailers. The city is home to an abundance of luxury outlets while independent retail is vibrant and continues to grow.
The city also has a well-founded reputation for music, gigs and nightlife and is a growing foodie destination. Combined with a robust economy and busy calendar of events and conferences that will attract leisure and business tourists all year round, Glasgow’s retail sector is set to thrive.
>>Glasgow’s city centre Economic Health Check (PDF 1MB) is a progress report on how the city centre is performing on a range of indicators and the impact of economic activity on the city centre.
>>You can also download the Glasgow Retail Prospectus(PDF 2MB) for further detail on the city’s world-class retail offer.