My old school friend text me to say that he was up for Christmas from Manchester. He asked if was I…read morestill kicking about Blantyre and I sure am so he suggested heading to Asda Blantyre Cafe. When he came to my bit he had fortunately changed his mind and said 'Howsabout EK instead?' Yay, you betcha! I love the East Kilbride Shopping Centre or it's more the Centre West bit that I like best nowadays. It's actually split into several shopping malls, Prince's Mall and The Plaza were the first then they linked up The Plaza to the Olympia with the ice rink and cinema. I loved that part when I was younger. Then they covered up Prince's Square to become a mall then recently added on to The Plaza, Centre West. If you enter from the bus station it is a bit grim but keep heading through and it does get better. I normally park at Centre West but my friend likes parking at the Olympia. We still don't know how you can park in the underneath car park. Hmm?!! Anyhoo it was lovely to grace this entrance, it was completely mobbed, lovely to see the ice rink still as busy as ever. *Flashback* First time I was ever on an ice rink with my mum. Did witness someone fall and have their hand slashed though. I remember the paramedics and blood on the ice. Fortunately it didn't put me too much off ice skating. We mostly window shopped as we didn't see much we fancied in the sales. We decided to stop for a wee coffee at Costa in The Plaza. There's plenty of food courts and coffee shops about in all the malls. I love the food court in Centre West best. The one at the ice rink not so much nowadays, if you saw it you would understand why. It's great to come here especially when it's raining as everything's all under one roof and it's call Toys R er maybe not. Did most of my Christmas shopping here as there's a great variety of shops. There's still empty lets in the various malls but there's still plenty of shops to make you drop.

East Kilbride shopping centre elicits a mixed opinion from me. If you'd shopped here 5 years ago,…read moreit was a plethora of shops and you were able to get absolutely everything you were looking for. Today, it's a bit pathetic and every second lot seems to be lying empty. There's everything here you'd expect in a shopping centre; Topshop, a huge Debenhams, Waterstones and a selection of others. There's also a couple of cafés, a McDonald's and a decent sized food court. There's also a huge ice rink and upstairs there's an Odeon cinema and a library. It has a lot in it, it's just a bit depressing to walk through and see most of the lots lying empty.

Stopped by today and found the most beautiful embroidered blue velvet coat for way less than it's…read moreworth! Loved shopping here and next time I'm in Glasgow, I'll make sure to stop by again! The owner was at the shop and she was just lovely and so kind!

I've been here a few times to have a look around and make considerations of purchases, only to…read morerealise I'm not cool enough to get away with dressing up like Sgt. Pepper or something. I did however pick up a mac one time to help me realise my dream of dressing up like Columbo for a Halloween party. I went so far as to start smoking cigars that year. It was a good one. The mac has served me well since to also dress up as a streaker. A cracking shop with alot of charm. Full of mystery and wonder.

The BEST Morrisons I've ever been to. It's enormous, yet because it's a Mozzas it doesn't feel all…read moreclinical and warehousey like a massive Tesco or Asda (and Sainsbury's these days) does. I can't give it five stars because it is just a Morrisons, however if you need to do a weekly shop and you value good deals, good choice and excellent fresh meat, this is the place to go. There's also a restaurant... but I'm not sure I could ever bring myself to trying that!

Morrisons is a chain of supermarkets prevalent throughout the UK…read more The store at Lindsayfield in East Kilbride was originally a Safeway store but when Morrisons bought Safeway out, it was rebranded. I find this to be a particularly nice branch of Morrisons. It has a petrol station which I have used several times and been impressed with. I find Morrisons petrol prices to be very competitive. The store has a large car park at the front and cash machines at the main entrance. Morrisons stores are laid out like old fashioned markets which is something I personally like and when you enter you will find fresh fruit and veg on display, some of which is on a mock barrell to give the feeling of these markets. The store has an excellent selection of groceries on offer and there are Butchers, Fishmongers and Pie departments, as well as the bakery. Morrisons has a fairly decent non-food section offering homewares, kitchenware, CDs, DVDs and games. Lastly this Morrisons has a great cafe which I have used several times and rate highly. I like the fact you order your hot food at Morrisons and they then cook it for you - there's nothing on offer here that has been sitting on a hotplate for too long drying out! This is an excellent supermarket in East Kilbride.

Really poor mens selection of mens winter coats all weird sizes and odd names. Staff very…read moresuspicious of everyone and rude to be frank it's all rather off-putting.

I have loved this shop since it opened back in November last year. Gutted I missed out on the…read moreopening day when the first 1000 customers received a £10 gift card. Was at stuck at work and I couldn't really use this as excuse for time off or could I've?! Hmm?! I did most of my Christmas shopping here, great prices for various well known labels. This store is much bigger than the Sauchiehall Street branch as it's on 3 levels so much more choice. There also used to be a branch in the St Enoch's Centre before the renovation. I was disappointed when it closed but I'm ok now since this Argyle Street branch has opened it's doors. Phew! It's still tidyish compared to the other store but then it's still new, it did get a bit messy at Christmas. Yes it's a store you have to spend time in to find what you looking for so with time on our hands my boyfriend and I headed on in. My best friend's just had a baby boy and I wanted to get something a bit different but useful. It was my man who suggested TK Maxx, so I thought why not. I liked his ploy of let's go straight into the lift at the door so you don't look at any ladies clothing. Hmm?! We headed to the 1st floor where there's crockery and bedding etc but at the back they have shoes, baby/children clothing and toys. We searched for sometime for that something when spookily we both picked up the same item and turned to each other. We'd found what we'd been looking for. It was a storgae box filled with a 13 piece set of clothing and accessories wrapped up as a beautiful gift with blue ribbons 'n' all. My friend absolutely loved it, so I'm absolutely delighted we popped in, good decision by my man. Thanks sweetie!

The guy and I are once again shopping for furniture. This time, we're hoping to purchase two rooms…read moreworth in one go. So, after hearing an advert on the radio about Sterling Furniture, we decided to stop by on our way back in to Glasgow. This place is huge. To be fair, it's more than just a furniture shop, as it has a cafe, a fabric area, a home goods area with kitchen things, bathroom things, etc. and also a huge Christmas area, which I did my best to keep away from. First things first, because they're all about when you walk in, sofas! We are looking for two couches. Possibly a 4 seater and a three seater or maybe just a three seater and a two seater. We haven't really decided just yet, but we have the room for both, we just need to find something that we absolutely love. Unfortunately, we didn't find anything we loved, but a few possible contenders as 'other options'. We did, however, find a bedroom set that we absolutely fell in love with. An all hard wood sleigh bed, with matching side tables and two large chest of drawers. Goodness, it's gorgeous and grand and very adult looking. We basically closed the book on looking for anything further. I love how you're able to sit on beds, and open drawers (I am very picky about drawers, they MUST have dovetail joints, otherwise, it won't be purchased). Everything in this showroom is of high quality and meets our particular standards. The prices match the quality, and they're not the cheapest here at Sterling, but knowing that we'll be loving this set for many many years to come helps the blow of the cost. Another good thing about Stirling, right now they're having a massive sale and 0% interest free financing options, which is great! We left on cloud nine, knowing that we made the right decision about the pieces we want to purchase- only thing we needed to do was to go home and measure to make sure everything will fit. Huzzah, it will! The staff here are super helpful, always asking if everything is ok or if we had any questions. I really liked that they were helpful but not in an overbearing way. We still have our spare bedroom to furnish (swap out what we have for new stuff), so I'm sure we'll be back soon enough!

From the owner: As we've grown we've become more than just furniture. We have everything you need for your house,…read morehome and even garden. From home interiors and linens, to cookware, bathroom accessories and lighting, our extensive range of homewares is difficult to rival. At Sterling it's easier and more affordable than you think to give your home a fresh new look. You can also now re-energise with a refreshing coffee or lovely lunch in our cafés or a relaxing meal in our Butterfly Inn restaurant at Tillicoultry.

A gorgeous little shop in Duke Street, Shoes in the City has been at its current address since…read more2004. It's a small boutique selling gorgeous shoes, mainly from across Europe. The prices are fantastic, and the selection of boots they have in just now for the winter season is very good. Although most of the shoes are quite classic in style, the bags and accessories are a little more kitsch. I particularly love their wee red leather purse with hearts on it. Any men in here would probably be frightened away by the freaky cooing and screeching of girls looking at the shoes. Men have Yorkies, women have shoes.

Shoe in the City have quite a large selection of quite tasteful and quite simply not tasteful in…read morethe slightest shoes, bags and accessories. They have everything from childrens shoes to adults, from military boots to high heel pretty things, to ugly sandals. The prices are fair, at around £25-40 average. I guess they reach all different sorts f markets that way, old, to young, very clever business. And the shop is nicely decorated, they really have aimed for the chique feel, which is great if they fully pulled it off. Its not that bad, some of the shoes and bits don't seem to go with the whole feel and aim of the place.

Glasgow is littered with places like Rutherglen's the Bargain Store. You know the kind, jack of all…read moretrades, master of none. Sure, you can get a bargain in here but generally for "bargain" you should read cheap. Stocking everything and anything, the Bargain Store is the place you buy your kid a Mickey Mouse toy to appease them for five minutes, before they're left horrified as Mickey's eyes and legs fall off. In saying that, you can always uncover something handy in here, be it Christmas lights, bluetack or a disco ball. It's not good quality stuff, but by rule of thumb, if you can't find it anywhere else, chances are it'll be hidden away in a bargain store.

This B & M Bargains is in Queensway retail park just beside McDonald's. The store used to be Au…read moreNaturale. It has nice wide aisles and it stocks a wide range of items from stand alone fires to deodorants and hair products. They also have toys which are normally priced better than in other shops. They have various arts and canvases, dog beds and washing powder. So you can see the range is vast. They have some furniture including desks and bookcases as well. The shelves are usually well stocked unless it has been a good price and they have sold out. It is a good shop and one that I go to every now and then to see what the special offers are like. It is getting more popular as it becomes better known.

From the owner: Shoppers living in the area of East Kilbride will find a B&M Bargains store nearby, located on…read moreQueensway Retail Park next to the A726. Customers will be happy to find a huge range of products including those from health & beauty, toys & games, pet food & accessories, baby food & accessories, stationery, food & drink, electricals and DIY. Those driving to the store can simply use the A726 which runs next to the retail park. You'll find parking available, but it's advised that you check for any restrictions or time limits before your visit. For those taking public transport, the Hairmyres train station is a 15-minute walk, while the closest bus stop caters to services such as 205, 254, 808, 809 and N6.

This is a pretty big branch of Debenhams that I always seem to get lost in. I'm not sure where all…read morethe lifts, escalators and stairs are but I'm sure they move every time I go in. I also think that there are at least two entrances and exits but there could easily be many more hidden away. Across the floors they have cosmetics and gifts, men and women's fashion and homewear, as well as a cafe, services for weddings, bra fittings and alterations, a travel money centre, a Clarins skin spa and, most importantly to me, a personal shopper service. This is why I go to Debenhams. I'm not good at shopping but they have a free personal shopping service. The personal shoppers aren't on comission, so there's no pressure to buy. You just tell them what you're shopping for (for example a general wardrobe update or a special occasion), and your sizes and colour preferences. They make you a cup of coffee and then wander out into the store to find things for you to try. You try them in your own private changing room and, if you decide you do want to buy something at the end of your session then you skip the queue when you go to pay for it. Sure, the rest is good too (except when you get lost) but this service alone makes Debenhams worth a visit for me.

I'm not much of a department store shopper - I tend to know what I want when I'm shopping, and…read morebrowsing a huge store isn't really my style - all that walking and trying to navigate stress me out more than I'd like to admit. That being said, I actually really enjoyed having a relaxed wander around Debenhams this week. They were having an exclusive shopping night on Monday so the store was a lot quieter than it would normally be (and they were dishing out the complimentary fizz which is always nice). I think this store must have been done up a bit since last time I visited as it was a lot brighter and more slick than I remember. The beauty and perfume areas are particularly lovely. Some areas of the store seemed understocked or had less of a range than I'd expect - in children's toys there wasn't loads for kids under 1, and there was only one shelf of thick winter tights. On the other hand, there was a massive area for Baker by Ted Baker (kids clothing range) and loads of sheer tights. I'm not quite sure for the reasons behind these decisions, but just keep in mind that you might not be able to find everything you want here. Staff were happy and friendly, even while being subjected to hours of Christmas music. We did nearly get overcharged in one transaction but that's because their sale didn't technically start until the next day, and the sales assistant happily fixed it up without any fuss. Tip: With the 5p bag charge it might be worthwhile asking for their largest bag if you're buying a few items, rather than getting multiple smaller bags. Or bring your own!

I've never been a fan of Next clothes, they're just not very me. Some of my friends have gorgeous…read moreoutfits from here but I just find the whole shop very uninspiring and not very inviting. The black and white colour scheme and logo, the bright lights and the clothes all cramped together just don't make me want to browse through here. The whole shop just seems very boring as are most of the items in it, they don't even play any music! But Next must be doing something right as I've witnessed first hand the crazy bargain shoppers queuing outside at six in the morning on sale days to get their hands on some discounted goodies. Next is one of my favourite places to shop for baby clothes for friends and family. Until recently I had no idea how expensive baby clothes could be! Next have a huge range of super cute outfits and they are all quite reasonably priced, I even saw a little shirt and tie for a baby boy last week - very suave.

This is actually located in centre west East Kilbride Shopping Centre. It is easy to get into the…read morestore and is split onto two levels. The ground floor as you enter is home to the woman's clothing section with a variety of casual and work clothes. The prices are varied some to me are a bit expensive for what they are and I think that is why the sale is so popular because the quality is good. There is a children's section to the rear which is well stocked and the clothes are seperated and displayed by age. The upper level of the store accessed by a small lift or stairs stocks mens clothing from shirts to belts to trousers etc. A nice next though to have a look around it is a bright store and the staff are helpful.