This Next is a lot bigger than it first looked. I only came in here because I saw the sign for…read moreCosta Coffee at the entrance. I walked through the store to get to the café and I could see that it was a lot more modern than my local Next. It is so big too, that there is a Costa upstairs on a sort of mezzanine balcony level. The only other Next stores I know of that have a Costa inside is the one under construction at Straiton in Edinburgh and the one at the Trafford Centre. The clothing seems a bit nicer than what I'm used to. In Edinburgh, everything is too samey but in Glasgow, all the clothes in each shop will be different. Anyway, back to this store. It opened a little while ago to replace the old BHS (I think. I'm don't know much about the history of Braehead) and I just cannot imagine frumpy old BHS having a store in this swish location. I know I said that Braehead wasn't my favourite shopping environment (it's either the small shops, the neds or the signage above the upper mall shops) but with this fab store, they could turn their reputation around in my books.

Wow! how good is Ortak?…read more I love this shop, the range of traditional and contemporary defies belief in such a small outlet. Avoiding the usual trappings of mass marketed jewellery as is readily available in many places, Ortak offers something a little bit different. But wait! there's more! Ortak also offer a wide and impressive range of ornamental and curiosity gifts ideal for many a mantle piece, or shelf, in any home. Ortak's range of silverware is particularly attractive. Whilst you may pay slightly more for some items in Ortak, you a re paying for something that, although still largely mass produced, is a little bit different than is available from the majority of jewellery retailers.

This isn't just Marks & Spencers, this is slow baked, cheddar cheese, super-glam, super sized,…read moreheavenly Marks & Spencers... I love Marks & Sparks and this one is my favourite! It's huge and has so many goodies packed inside, womens clothing, mens clothing, homeware - which always has stunning cushions and throws - bed linen, bathroom items and not forgetting their delcious food court! When it comes to food Marks & Spencers can do no wrong, everything here is mouthwateringly delcious and you know it's never just a loaf of bread you're getting here, it's a Marks and Spencers wholegrain, baby soft, melt in mouth loaf of bread. When I'm on my shopping trip in Braehead I always have to head in for a dose of Percy Pigs, Percy Piglets or Fizzy Pig Tails... mmm, so good! It's also really handy as they have a Bureau de Change here so you can get your holiday money, they also have a pretty competitive rate which is ace!

Have I mentioned that I love Marks and Spencers? I have? Well then let me just mention it again; I…read morelove the heavenly department store that is M&S. If I had to pick a favourite M&S in Glasgow, the store at the Braehead shopping centre would win hands down? Why? Well, quite frankly, it's huge. And can you really have too much of a good thing?! As well as having a very decently sized supermarket, this store has extensive clothes, shoes, underwear and childrens wear sections. It has an excellent accessories section, which for a large part of the year features more hats, scarves and gloves than you have ever seen. (And even better, most of them have that delightful green circle on them that stands for M&S's 'outstanding value' collection). But the jewel on the top of this fabulous department store crown is the homewear section. Almost as good as dedicated M&S homewear shops - this department is big enough to get lost in. In fact, I have had to be rescued a couple of times - but probably just because my boyfriend isn't as interested in matching crockery than I am....

This place is like a little evil of necessary-ness…read more There are a couple things that we can only get here. I used to hate coming in here after watching hordes of small children flip the pages of these plastic catalogue while also depositing the contents of their nasal passages upon everything they touched. Booger covered sales literature was placed throughout the room and your likelihood of hitting one of those snot mines was 100%. But Argos stepped up and create a lovely app that lets you order and pay for the thing you want before you even hit the door. Difficult to do since they are all automated. So, no need to don the HazMat suit and put on the blue booties. Get online or pick up the app and leave the infested catalogues to Sneezy, Angry and Dopey over there.

Good old Argos, it's fantastic, good quality products at very competitive prices. They'll even…read moredeliver your goods to your door if you can't fit them in your car. Unlike other delivery stores they don't charge an arm and a leg, they pick a time that's convenient for you and they come on time unike some places that say they'll be there at some point 9 - 9. I mean good grief, how long is a piece of string? I particularly like Argos for electronics, their laptops are good prices as are cameras and they always have the top of the range brands. I recently got myself a very classy Rotary watch from here that came with a three year guarantee and you can't go wrong with a good quality Swiss watch. Argos stockss everything and the staff in this branch are so helpful so you'll never be dissapointed with a visit here!

Forget visiting the home decor floor in the Next in the Buchanan Galleries, or even pouring through…read morethe catalogs. Instead, make a trip out to the Braehead Retail Park and get yourself acquainted with the dedicated Next homeware store out there. Inside, it looks like a furniture store - with rooms set out like a posh version of Ikea. As well as furniture, curtains, linens and towels, they also sell pictures, mirrors and home wear items such as candles and crockery. The whole store is beautifully laid out, and I guarantee you that you will want to buy pretty much everything (if only your bank balance and the boot of your car would stretch to it). They have a really extensive bed linen section - with a great selection of duvet covers and sheets. Plus, because this place is practically an outlet store - some bits and pieces can be picked up really cheaply here. Definitely worth a visit if you're doing up your home or are just a fan of a bit of interior design. This store is also surrounded by a couple of other great homeware stores - so it's worth making a trip out of it.

If you want to find quality clothing for your kids you could do a lot worse than head to Gap Kids…read morein Braehead Shopping Centre. Braehead is located just off the M8 motorway to the west of Glasgow. It is a large covered shopping mall with extensive car parking. The Gap Kids here stocks both kidswear and the BabyGap brand which caters for youngsters up to the age of 5. BabyGap has some absolutely precious clothing and is a favourite haunt of mine for gifts for new parents. Gap Kids caters for children aged 4 up to 13 and is particularly good for casual clothing such as jeans. They stock jeans in three fittings, regular, slim and husky, to deal with the fact not all children are the same shape! They also do really good quality hoody tops in fleece for winter which invariably have the Gap logo on them. The store also has underwear and socks available and occasionally you will find a few items of footwear. The staff in Gap Kids at Braehead go out of their way to ensure you have a brilliant shopping experience here and are a credit to the company!

My favourite clothes shop for kids. Is always busy . Sells beautiful childrens clothes although…read morethey are quite expensive. Always wash and dry well though so last. The shop is very spacious in inself and it is easy to manouvre a pram or buggy around. Staff are very helpful and will always check stock for me if needbe.

Located in the unit where hmv used to be in Braehead this store is rather handy due to it being…read morelocated near the bus stops and entrance to Braehead. But as you would expect from any poundland this place sells the usual drinks, snacks, stationary, dvds & CDs along with the other items that you can find. Though this store is rather handy to use if your thinking of going to the cinema as it does help save a fair bit of cash compared to the cinema prices