What a great place for cut-price books! I was in there yesterday and found several bargains…read more Everything is laid out neatly and there are stacks of books around £2, some only slightly more. Plenty of fiction but also a very good range of Scottish books literature, autobiography, travel, you name it! Many other categories too. In addition to the books, there's an astonishing variety of inexpensive fashionable handbags and attractive low-priced stationery. Good service too and the men behind the tills yesterday were very cheerful and friendly. I'll definitely go back there the next time I'm in the area.

This wonderful branch of Waterstones is filled with gorgeous big bookcases full of every kind of…read morebook you could possibly want. I can easily spend hours in here, browsing the shelves, flicking through a few books and then wandering downstairs for a coffee at their little branch of Costa. Waterstones has managed to make this great big book shop into a comfortable and cosy feeling store that welcomes its customers warmly, with staff that are well read and more than able to advise on your purchases. A good old British book store that will be staying put for years to come.

This is not only Glasgow's largest Waterstones, it's Glasgow's largest bookshop. Actually, scratch…read morethat, I can do one better, it's Scotland's largest bookshop. This is a fact that Waterstones quite rightly takes a little pride in. It's split across five levels and includes a Costa Coffee in the basement. Certain indie coffee shop fans may turn their nose up at Costa, and while I sympathise, any coffee shop that's inside a bookshop automatically becomes a good coffee shop. I'm pretty sure that's a universal rule. I feel like in a good bookshop I browse differently to how I would online. If I'm looking for a book online, chances are I already know which book it is and I'm just trying to get the lowest price/nicest edition/fastest delivery time. In a real book shop you have that joy of exploring and of looking at books that you never knew you wanted (or even books that you never knew existed). It's easy to start on the top floor and lose 20 minutes, lose another 30 on the next floor down (that's non-fiction and reference covered), lose at least another hour on the next floor which contains most of the fiction, 20 minutes one floor below that , which is the level you enter on, the stock rotates a lot here and includes toys, gifts and (inhale sharply) stationary. See? You've already lost over two hours and you haven't even looked at the children's section or the young adult section. You've not even seen the books on travel! Or film! Or art! They're to be found across the next two floors alongside that coffee shop. It's a dangerous thing to enter a bookshop and the larger the shop the more dangerous it gets. Tell a friend to come looking for you if they don't hear from you after a day or two.

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.

Justin Bieber hardcover biography for £5? Oh so tempting. Not for myself, mind you. Crosswords,…read moregift-wrapping paper, children's puzzles, notebooks and more - there's seemingly a smattering of all things made from paper here. This bookstore takes its discount adverts in the windows seriously. I counted no less than three stacks/shelves of books and other literature paraphernalia selling at an average of roughly £3. Though there isn't much that piqued my interest other than the latest tome of the Wheel of Time series, you could easily get away with nicking a novel or three for under £10, which seems more than reasonable to me.

You can't really go wrong in this place. It's really a place where one goes when they're looking…read morefor just about anything book, puzzle, stationary or gift related. I've been in this shop a few times before, sometimes just to browse, but sometimes on a mission to find the perfect gift. Recently, Sophie K. and I were wasting time before heading to see a show that the Theatre Royal so we stopped in here for a quick wander. She was looking for a colouring book for calming herself. Sounds crazy, I know, but they do exist, and they're pretty darn cool. I might actually go back for some myself, see what they're all about. The store is a bit haphazard in it's set up, but if you give yourself enough time, you're bound to get through it without running in to piles of merchandise littered about the place or the odd screaming child left unattended by it's parent. One thing to note for all my fellow students out there: they offer a 10% discount when you show your student ID. With classes looming on the horizon, this could be a go to place for supplies, as they have loads of school supplies at the ready. The staff were in a giggling mood when we were there, but hey, it's good to know they enjoy their jobs! Makes for a better shopping atmosphere!

One of the longest lasting shops trading in the city centre, Tam Shepherd's is a well known, well…read morerespected name in these parts. It's a traditional joke/magic/dress up store, so expect to see anything on display, from kid's tricks to massive, elaborate looking wigs and masks. It is a treasure trove packed with a vast array of weird, wacky and wonderful props. The staff are very experienced and are really helpful. It's a small shop where most items are behind the counter which I always thinks looks very Victorian. Or like something out of Harry Potter! It is quite magical (boom boom tsssh!) so that figures. It was queued out the door for Halloween, but on normal business days it usually does steady business. Perfect for performers, magicians and people who just love dressing up in their everyday life. A must if you're doing a Glasgow heritage shopping trail!

Tam Shephard's Trick Shop is a family-run business for over 100 years. This is quite famous in…read moreGlasgow for its Hallowe'en costumes, magic tricks and practical jokes. For me, it is famous as the shop that is fairly empty for 11 months a year, then has a queue snaking violently down the road in the weeks approaching Hallowe'en. The window display showcases a range of masks and wigs, creepily lifelike. Inside, the space is small, and crammed to the rafters with goodies. If you want to see something out of the display case, or try a hat on, the staff are only too happy to accommodate you. In the past I have bought: a pirate hat, a "lit" cigarette, a multi-pack of fake moustaches and a big bling medallion thing. It sells full costumes, wigs and full-head masks too. Everything is priced appropriately, and all of the little things I have bought have been cheap. If you're planning to shop here, I would advise going before October begins, to avoid the mad rush.

Given the choice of other off licences on Great Western Road you may find my choice to review this…read morehumble little shop curious at best, I shall explain. As a student I like my buck to get me the greatest haul of alcohol I can and this shop is very good for fruit juice mixers and multi packs of lager, staple selections within my drinking habits! I'm not kidding you, they have much better juice than Scotmid and cheaper Desparados than The Cave. The shop keeper is always friendly and they are open late.

I totally agree with Adam on this one. I used to live in this area and this wee news agents came up…read moretrumps on quite a few occasions. Most notably, when I was looking for mixers to accompany my boozey splurges in The Cave next door. You can also pick up on your usual newsagent necessities including milk, magazines, chewing gum and tobacco products...what more could you want in life? Service with a smile? Well you'll get that here too.

A handy wee Tesco that is located across the road from a local Co-Op…read more It's a tight squeeze up the back, but it is a fairly well stocked Tesco Express that is ideal for picking up snacks on the move. As mentioned elsewhere, the queue can get pretty long at peak times and it can get a bit rowdy near closing time at the weekends with punters from nearby clubs. I'm glad I don't work 6-10's in here at the weekend.

This is quite a new Tesco and as Tesco Express stores go this is quite good. I particularly like…read morethe coffee machine at the back beside the reduced stock. The coffee is quite cheap and you can get it while you pick up a cheap sandwich as you walk to work. The store is small so you have a limited stock and the goods are more expensive than the daddy Tesco stores but then you are paying for convenience. If you go in the evening you might also be able to grab a random reduced item on the cheap. Though to be honest I have tried and apart from a small tub of potatoes in a curry sauce I have sadly failed.

My (our) favourite shop in the whole of Scotland. We used to live in Partick and were frequent…read morevisitors of this oasis It kept us sane in a bustling city. If you come across this shop, afterwards it will always be your place to go to breathe and take in the calmness and beautiful energy. We miss this place so much and very much look forward to going back to see Joan and Erin in this amazing haven. Love and light. P and M. xxx

This little dream is easy to miss on Queen Margaret Drive. However if you are like me and are…read moreeasily enticed my bright lilac paint and a cute window look then this place is for you. Its very small but is filled to the brim with different goodies! Personally i am an advocate to incense and so their collection of incense sticks; cones; holders; smokes boxes and spirals are my absolute heaven. I recently bought a hand crafted wooden smoke box that hold incense cones. They have around 12 different kinds of incense cone available in store and a little paper bag next to it so you can collect these sweet smelling drops as if you are a kid in a candy store. Today i ventured for Jamaica Spice; Camomile; Rose; Cinnamon and Blueberry. All of which are brightly coloured i mean come on who can say they are not enticed by vibrant coloured good smelling objects! Super cheap too, they have two cones for 15p which is an absolute bargain. They have a lovely selection of pillar candles in the most beautiful colours, i have had my eye on a teal coloured one for quite some time now. There is a large amount of crystals and gems and beautiful stones each with its own meaning. I like the black onyx stone because it's meant to protect you in times of stress (-: Huge range of books; dream catchers; statues; fairies and trinkets that i have yet to browse through but i rarely pass this shop without having a peek inside. If you are like me are worship anything that even resembles Stevie Nicks then this little beauty will be perfect for you. I have been a long time fan of everything magical as it makes the world seem that little bit more positive and so i can safely say that Opal Moon is my own paradise. The staff are very friendly also which is always a bonus!