12 independent Glasgow shops to support this Christmas

With Christmas just weeks away now, there are so many quirky and interesting shops across the city to add to your festive list of places to visit and, above all, support.

The Good Spirits Co.

Address and website: 21 Clarence Drive / 23 Bath Street (spirits) / 105 West Nile Street (wine & beer) / thegoodspiritsco.com.

Shop info: The specialist drinks retailer offers an exhaustive list of beverages from almost every corner of the globe. The team also won Glasgow’s Favourite Business at this year’s Glasgow Business Awards following a public vote.

Speciality: Hard-to-find bottles, public tastings, wine and whisky.

Prices: Wines cost from around £8 up to £350, beers up to £29.60, gin up to £85, rum up to £175, with whisky prices starting from £20 up to an eye-watering £7,995.

Best for: Definitely for wine. With over 700 offerings, any Christmas bash would be sorted come party season.

Locavore

Address and website: 349 Victoria Road (Govanhill) / 449 Dumbarton Road (Partick) / 134 Renfrew Street (Garnethill) / glasgowlocavore.org.

Shop info: Making a name for itself since 2011, Locavore is an ethical and eco-friendly alternative to the big supermarket chains.

Speciality: The social enterprise specialises in local organic groceries. The food comes from their own land, local growers and ethical producers. They grow on three sites, totalling around three acres, all within 10 miles of Glasgow City Centre. In-store, they also have refill points and a café at Govanhill.

Prices: Veg boxes start from £7 and fruit ones start from £4.

Best for: Definitely for their refill points. Locavore offers over 200 refillable products from across dried fruits, flour, grains and pulses, herbs and spices, milk, nuts, oils, sauces and vinegars, pasta and other non-food essentials i.e. laundry detergent and household cleaners. Stocks may vary.

Aperçu

Address and website: 617 Pollokshaws Road (Strathbungo) / apercu.store.

Shop info: A specialist house plant store that emphasises how to nurture. This shop is ideal if you found yourself becoming a fan of house plants over lockdown.

Speciality: Well-known and popular favourites mixed in with rare and unusual varieties for those who want to expand their home jungles.

Prices: Aperçu’s plants start from as little as £4 for Asplenium nidus going up to £210 for a Philodendron.

Best for: Although they also offer homeware, flowers, plant accessories and vessels, definitely get yourself along to here if you love leafy, green plants.

Slater Menswear

Address and website: 165 Howard Street (City Centre) / slaters.co.uk.

Shop info: Founded in 1904 as a small tailor shop, Slaters burst onto the retail scene in 1973 and is a firm favourite for smart wear. It also holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest menswear store in the world. With weddings and festive nights out back on the cards from this year, Slaters is the go-to place to get yourself smartened up.

Speciality: Top-quality suits and first-class, one-to-one customer service.

Prices: A two-piece suit starts from £49 going up to £325 for a three-piece. Shirts come in at around £12 going up to £59.

Best for: Suits, shirts and a free alteration service for all customers.

The Root of Magic

Address and website: 110 Hope Street (City Centre) / therootofmagic.com.

Shop info: This family-run magical shop in the City Centre is just a one-minute walk from Glasgow Central Station. If the Harry Potter films get you in the festive spirit every year, this is the place to be.

Speciality: Potions cocktail classes and children’s potion classes.

Prices: Potions cocktail classes start from £30 and the children’s ones start from £15. Book online.

Best for: Official Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter merchandise as well as Hoxton Street Monster Supplies products.

SneakersER

Address and website: 73-77 Trongate / sneakerser.com.

Shop info: SneakersER was formed in 2015 by two long-term friends from Glasgow with strong backgrounds in all things sneakers/trainers.

Speciality: Cleaning, restoration and customisation of old and worn trainers that you just can’t seem to throw out.

Prices: Prices depend on the condition of your sneakers. Visit the website to provide information and upload images of your footwear for a quote. The shop also sells sneakers care products starting from £6.

Best for: Definitely for their in-store Sneaker Laundry service which also has a retail section and café.

Dear Green Coffee Roasters

Address and website: 13-27 East Campbell Street (near Trongate) / deargreencoffee.com.

Shop info: Taking its name from its home city of Glasgow, known as ‘The Dear Green Place’, the roastery and showroom can be found in the creatively buzzing East End. The business also took away the ‘Green Champion’ accolade at this year’s Glasgow Business Awards.

Speciality: Roasting ethically sourced, speciality grade coffee and supplying freshly roasted beans for both businesses and homes.

Prices: A whole bean 250g bag of coffee starts from £8.20 up to £12.90.

Best for: Aside from their coffee, they also teach classes for beginners and baristas and also hold coffee tastings.

Glickman’s Confectionery

Address and website: 157 London Road (Trongate) / glickmans.co.uk.

Shop info: Glasgow’s oldest sweet shop was born in 1903 and still serves as the place to go for both locals and tourists who are feeling nostalgic.

Speciality: Handmade sweets created using traditional copper pots with the same recipes dating back to the early 1900s.

Prices: Boiled sweets are around £1.30 for 100g and gift bags are available for £4.

Best for: Childhood favourites, including macaroon cake, candy balls, lucky tatties, soor plooms and much more.

Mr Ben Retro Clothing

Address and website: 101 King Street (City Centre) / mrbenretroclothing.com.

Shop info: Founded in Glasgow in the 1990s, Mr Ben is one of the go-to shops for vintage gear, not just in the city, but in Scotland. The shop has also been named among British Vogue’s ‘Where To Shop Outside London’ list.

Speciality: Designer/vintage and retro brands.

Prices: With such a wide variety of stock and vintage brands on offer, it’s a case of heading down to this vast emporium and having a rummage.

Best for: Men’s and women’s vintage and retro clothing, accessories and jewellery.

Young’s Interesting Books

Address and website: 18 Skirving Street (Shawlands) / Facebook.

Shop info: With no shortage of independent book shops across the city, this one is a hidden gem of a place with an emphasis on quality over quantity.

Speciality: Classic literature, cult favourites, vintage science fiction and pulp crime.

Prices: Books are priced from a couple of pounds up to the hundreds. The most expensive tend to be children’s illustrated books or antiquarian local history.

Best for: Limited edition books, great customer service and knowledgeable staff.

Glasgow Furniture Collective

Address and website: 4 Rogart Street (Bridgeton) / glasgowfurniturecollective.co.uk.

Shop info: The East End-based shop brings worn homewares back to life and sells upcycled furniture. A perfect independent business to support this Christmas if you or someone you know is sprucing up their home for the festive season.

Speciality: Upholstery and wood finishing.

Prices: Because the business offers custom upholstery as well as creating one-off, original pieces, get in touch with them via their website or visit the store to get a feel for their costs.

Best for: The eco-friendly company provides upholstery and upcycling classes and one-to-one tutoring, so book online or buy a gift voucher for someone you know who would love to get their sleeves rolled up and get creative.

Braw Wee Emporium

Address and website: Park Lane House, 47 Broad Street / braw-wee-emporium.com

Shop info: This independent gift and music shop was founded in 2014 by sisters Jennifer McGlone and Erin Molloy as an outlet at the Barras market.

Speciality: Quirky gifts from Scottish designers, artists and producers. Braw Wee also runs craft workshops, from lampshade making to giant quilt creating.

Prices: Cards range from £3, with stationery from £1.50 and mugs from £11. Craft workshops are from £35.

Best for: Greeting cards with a difference and mugs that’ll brighten up any Monday morning. We love this Lewis Capaldi Glasgow’s Miles Better one.