Glasgow is a shopaholic's paradise. The best city in the UK after London provides endless opportunities for retail therapy. Merchant City is the home of the Italian Centre Glasgow's most upmarket shopping area.

This is the home of Armani and Versace, as well as some other upmarket shops, cafés and restaurants. There's also a branch of Cruise on Ingram St. Not far away is Innhouse on Wilson St, which has lots of contemporary designer homeware by names like Alessi. Hutcheson's Hall on Ingram St (see above) is a good place for original crafts by Scottish designers. The art galleries on King St like Glasgow Print Studio (see sights above) are all good places in which to seek out new and original artworks.

Also on King St, in Kings Court, is ESD, which sells funky ladies clothing and retro designs. And of course there's 

On Buchanan St the possiblities are endless. You can not only find all the usual high street stores, but designer names and some specialist stores. At the top of Buchanan St, just minutes from Queen St station, is the city's newest shopping centre Buchanan Galleries

Along Buchanan St itself you'll find plenty of good clothes and shoe shops like Press and Bastyan, Diesel, Hobbs and Office.

Trendies will also want to check out Urban Outfitters which is full of '70s items and retro gear. There's also a Fraser's department store and a large branch of Graham Tiso, the outdoor shop, which has 5 floors of boots, waterproofs and anything else you'll need for exploring the hills. If you've set your heart on a kilt make for Hector Russell, kiltmakers who also do kilts for hire. Booklovers won't find any of these shops however as they'll be blissfully browsing in the large branch of Borders

Also on Buchanan St is the extremely stylish Princes Square Clothes and shoe shops include Karen Millen, French Connection, Calvin Klein, Pied a Terre and Phase Eight for women and Ted Baker, Hugo and Lacoste for men. For unusual gifts there's Illuminati and for cosmetics and perfumes there's Space NK Apothecary and Penhaligons

Off Buchanan St is the Argyll Arcade a specialist shopping centre with over 30 jewellery shops. For more standard high street chains there is the St Enoch shopping centre at the very bottom of Buchanan St, and there's also Argyle St which again has high street stores. On Howard St is the famous and enormous menswear store Slaters which has become something of a Glasgow institution. If you like designer clothing but don't want to pay full price, go to Designer Exchange, off 17 Royal Exchange Sq near Rogano. It has loads of nearly new designer clothes, samples and accessories. Tue-Sat. There are also branches of T K Maxx on Sauchiehall St and in the St Enoch Centre, which are great places for seeking out designer goods at very low prices.

The West End is a great place for browsing as it's full of quirky, off beat shops. There are several good jewellery shops. Bethsy Gray is a jewellery designer with a shop/workshop in Starry Starry Night on Dowanside Rd. She specializes is working with silver.

Orro on Bank St is a sleek contemporary jewellers'. You can also find jewellery, as well as antiques, pottery, 'Glasgow Style' artefacts etc in De Courcey's Arcade in Cresswell La, which has a brilliant selection of goods from different traders.

If you're a booklover there are plenty of good second hand bookshops to explore. Bookpoint, on Hyndland Rd has lots of books on Scotland and Glasgow, while Voltaire and Rousseau on Otago St is an old established antiquarian bookstore. For academic books there's a branch of John Smith and Son on University Av. Also worth trying is the Oxfam bookshop on Byres Rd.

There are several great delis around here full of treats to help you put together a delicious picnic if the weather's good. North Star Provisions on Queen Margaret Dr has Portuguese specialities, while Ian Mellis, on Great Western Rd is a wonderful cheese shop full of unusual varieties of cheese ranging from strong blues, to creamy bries. Then there's Peckham's on Byres Rd, and Heart Buchanan, also on Byres Rd. For fresh fruit and veg try Roots and Fruits on Byres Rd. For fresh Scottish produce bought straight from the farmer you can also try the Farmers' Market held every other weekend (usually Sat) in Mansfield Park on the corner of Hyndland Rd and Dumbarton Rd. 10:00-15:00.