I'll say one thing for HMV - they're a survivor. This is the only remaining branch in Glasgow…read moreoutside of retail parks (and not counting their subsidiary Fopp), and with everything purchasable from your phone these days it's questionable how long this one will continue to survive. Their longevity is entirely due to their diversification into DVDs, games, books and other merch - in fact these days you have to look hard to find CDs as the ground floor is almost entirely given over to DVDs. I've been buying records in here from the days when it was Virgin Megastore, and I still do buy some CDs here occasionally, as I'm pretty old-school and like to have a tangible purchase on my shelf when it comes to music. But today I was browsing the DVD box sets to see if anything caught my eye. There's plenty of shelf acreage to sniff around in, and the aisles can get a bit cramped at busy periods. This was a Sunday so it was very quiet, with only one person manning the tills. Yet another two were standing right beside me chatting when they could have been serving me, which didn't best please me. But apart from that minor service black mark, I don't really have any complaints about this place. It's not outstanding, but it does the job.

In the recent sad news of yet another business going into administration, it has alas came to visit…read morethe little dog and his master's voice. With more and more online sales either via Amazon, Play .com, itunes or equivalent, it really has hit the store hard. I think as a 80/90s child I still prefer a CD or DVD over a downloaded file. I like to see the hard evidence of where I have spent my money and know that I can never lose it unless it becomes a victim of the sock monster syndrome. I went in before Christmas to get my Dad the Daniel Craig's Bond Casino Royale DVD. I'm not at the Blu-ray stage so a good ol' DVD is still fine by me. I had a good nosey round the store, they still have a really good selection in this store, from games, DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, t-shirts, posters and mp3 players including assessories. I found a display of all the Bond DVDs but alas no Craig's Casino Royale. I asked a member of staff who was very helpful. He checked on the computer and explained that they were completely sold out as this had been the most popular Bond film. He said they were getting a delivery the following week and to try again then. I did however make a cheeky wee purchase of the 1967 Casino Royale with David Niven and Peter Sellers for myself. I went in the following week as suggested but I still couldn't find Casino Royale. Oh no!!! What to do?! Well I spoke to a member of staff who checked the computer and said it was in but hadn't been put on display yet. I was making an early visit, so fair enough. He was very pleasant and we made good Bond chat and he went through to the back and got me my Casino Royale DVD. I was very pleased with the service and it made it encouraging to go back. Online is convenient but you just don't get the personal touch and the banter. I hope an administer can be found and the famous HMV brand will continue to trade on our High Streets.

Like Mono (the restaurant space in which Monorail is located), I stop at Monorail every visit to…read moreGlasgow. They have a great selection of music and I can't imagine not buying something (or a few things) when I visit. Mono does such a good job at curating a selection of music that is diverse and meaningful. You know the people there are really music lovers themselves and care about offering a community space where people can share musical interests. There is a big selection of rock/indie, but other genres (while smaller) have solid selections. There's a little bit of second hand, which is also full of choice titles. Long live Mono; looking forward to my next visit.

This is my favorite restaurant in Glasgow. I love the staff, the ambiance, the FOOD!! Also being…read moreable to browse the records. If I lived in Glasgow, I would go here weekly.

Fantastic little shop which offers more vinyl than you shake a tattered stylus at. Well, in this…read moreday in age anyway. Mixed Up Records is everything an independent record shop should be, with welcoming and knowledgeable staff who are more than happy to make suggestions and help you find what you are looking for. While other similar shops have lost the plot completely - CD racks sporting old and embarrassing covers as opposed to interesting and rare and chaotic set-ups which hardly lend themselves to a quick browse - Mixed Up looks the part too. Well ordered and clean, it is also peppered with recent gig posters which emphasise its popularity with music fans of today in the city. What's more, they continue to offer cash for your vinyl, CDs and DVDs they believe to be worth buying. My only concern is the fact that I very rarely see it make a sale. While it benefits to some extent from its inconspicuous location, the lack of passing trade means this place could be at risk in the future. Hopefully not, as too many of Glasgow's record shops have bitten the dust in recent years.

Record hunting in Glasgow is not an easy task. With the expense of a city store and the general…read morelack of music shops selling vinyl's, this hidden gem is worth looking for. Having owner a record player no longer than around 3 weeks, i have made various trips and have not been let down. With a great range of vinyl's on display and a friendly staff who will help you find something in particular if you ask, what's not to love? I have gathered their Fleetwood Mac; Stevie Nicks; Janis Joplin and ABBA records and bought them at very reasonable prices and they have been in almost mind condition every time. This store will be the reason i go bankrupt. Always having to hold myself back from taking a detour down Otago Lane.

Like doom, death or black metal? Nope? How about some noise, drone or pshyc music? That don't float…read moreyou boat either you say? How about some punk / reggae / dub or cool soundtracks, cause they have that too! It fair to say this new pop-up record store, nestled away in the basement of one of the West End's favourite coffee haunts, Offshore, will not be everyone's cup of tea (see what I did there), but if you have any sense of curiosity I would highly recommend giving this place a whirl. The two chaps that run this place mainly sell new and used vinyl, all of which is in near perfect condition. As mentioned already they don't really cater for the masses and their music is "niche" to say the least. However, if you are a fan of metal in any shape or form this place is for you! On first visit, I was totally overwhelmed with the amount of bizarre stuff they have. These guys are proper music geeks and I kinda felt a little bit intimidated tackling the huge record collection. However, the owners are incredibly friendly and I got chatting to them about their amazing stash of records, got some good tips and came away with two great purchases. Glasgow needs more amazing underground record stores like this, run by incredibly passionate people. Their prices where very reasonable for some of the rare oddities I spotted, so clearly they are more interested in providing good value rather than ripping punters off. As its only a pop up shop, they won't be sticking around for much longer, so go and show your support while you can :)

Rub a dub has a very good selection of Records, a vast amount of Electronic equipment too!! . I…read moremust say that he staff are extremely helpful and knowledgable when it comes to helping the customer choose the product. They also have their new website up and running which has a Fantastic range of D.J. Gear etc... All in all it's a fantastic place to shop!

Back when I was a fresh-faced teen, a trip to Rub a Dub for some obscure techno tunes, followed by…read morean internet-based splurge on the most bangin' UK garage vinyl I could find was quite literally my idea of heaven, and the first step to world domination. Real life got in the way, but it's worked out as a fun and interesting sideline that I'd recommend to any budding muso too talentless to pick up a set of drumsticks. But once you become "that sad c*nt in the corner", trading his last shreds of dignity for a few quid as he rolls out "Sweet Caroline" don't come into Rub a Dub, it will break your heart.

This is one of the many places in the City Centre you can find highlandwear and formalwear, both to…read morebuy and to hire. It's easy to miss though, but definitely worth a look. On top of already competitive prices, they offer good discounts and know what they are talking about - very professional. You can pay 10% up front for a deposit, or pay the price in full. Last time I went I hired a kilt at a very reasonable price, with no hassles whatsoever. They do the popular grey spirit tartan, which is slightly dearer than other tartans, but after wearing it once a few years ago I cant think of another tartan. The fitting took just minutes, and it was the most hassle-free kilt hire experience I have had. They even explained why grey spirit is dearer (its due to some wacky copyright nonsense). When I collected my package, everything was present, well packaged and most importantly, a great fit. Also, I got to keep the fire for the best part of a whole week with flexible pickup and drop off times. They do clearouts in October as well with good discounted kilts to buy after all the hires over the summer when they are busy with weddings. Friendly, professional and knowledgeable staff. One of the better places in town to hire a kilt or other formalwear.

You will find that Gift World on Argyll Street is actually just another pound shop. In my opinion,…read moreyou'd have to dislike someone quite a lot to get them a gift that only cost a pound. Worse still - imagine if you got them a pack of eight door stops for their birthday. That would show them. Regardless of this fact, as far as pound shops go - Gift World isn't bad. True, a lot of their stuff looks and feels like it cost a pound (which, of course, it did) but a lot of it actually looks like you might have spent a fiver on it. Which you would have done, if you'd gone anywhere else to get it. The main thing that pops into my mind after a trip round Gift World, actually, is the fact that it shows you just how much other shops are ripping you off. As Adele said in her review below, you never really know what to expect from Gift World. It's the kind of shop that really requires a bit of a rummage - so don't go in looking for a bargain if you don't want to get your hands dirty. (Metaphorically dirty I hasten to add, in my experience Gift World is generally quite clean).

I never fail to be amazed at the things you can find for a pound these days. One of the best pound…read morestores in Glasgow is Gift World on Argyle Street, that stocks everything from home ware to kids toys, socks and even backscratchers! There is a slightly chaotic feel to this place, in the sense that there is no real order to its contents or what is on offer, so things can change from week to week from tartan to tinsel. The only downside with this small independent business is that they don't accept cards, which is almost unheard of these days, however it is perhaps a blessing as it prevents me from parting with as many pounds.

Cotswold is without a doubt the best outdoor clothing emporium in the West End. I challenge anyone…read moreto find a better-stocked shop for this kind of stuff without going into town or farther out to the likes of Braehead or Clydebank. They're a bit of a younger upstart to the likes of Graham Tiso, and tend to favour the mid- to upper-end of the market with top brand names at premium prices - although they do often have discounted items so it's always worth a look. I find most of their clothing to be out of my price comfort zone (I'm more the Regatta end of the market), so I seldom do any serious shopping here. However I am a huge fan of their thermawear fleecy baffies (that's slippers to non-natives) in the winter, which cover up your ankles quite a way thus preventing draughts up the trouser leg. They don't last more than a season or two as they're more akin to heavy-duty socks really; but they're lightweight, comfy and good value. Sadly on this particular visit they didn't have them in stock; apparently it's still considered to be summer in Scotland - who knew? I shall have to return later. 150th review!

Nothing scabby about this place. This is the shop that you go for your outdoor gear when you decide…read moreit's time to get fit....you know, when you reach the time in life when your waist size and age appear to be rapidly accelerating at breakneck speed. Not quite an old persons shop, but certainly fluttering around the middle age, middle of the road " comfortable" salary earning bracket, Cotswold is a well stocked, well priced outdoor gear store staffed by knowledgeable friendly staff who are more than happy to give you the time of day as you ask them blatantly stupid questions " just how waterproof is this waterproof....can i wear it in the bath...if i fall in the ocean with a book in my pocket will it stay dry???" ,Anyway, just bought a wee set of reins for the child like wonder that is my daughter form here. Good price, good advice..." do not use to tie child up outside shops, do not use as a means of propelling oneself behind said child on a skateboard or roller blade's"....you know, the usual health and safety crap. Well, imminent social service visit inducing comments aside, this is a proper grown up outdoor store. Get your ass here if you need anything from jackets to child carriers....kick bottom...not of child, page 346 section 4 paragraph 9 of the European "Don't do that, it's just stupid" handbook.