Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, and the third largest in the United Kingdom with a population of about 580,000 in the city proper and over 1.8 million if taking into account the surrounding towns of the Clydeside conurbation. Located at the west end of Scotland's Central Belt, Glasgow's historical importance as Scotland's main industrial centre has been challenged in recent decades by decline and change.

The city centre, on the north bank of the River Clyde, is based on a grid system of streets, similar to that of American cities like New York. The heart of the city is George Square, site of the elaborate Victorian Glasgow City Chambers, headquarters of Glasgow City Council and many of Glasgow's public statues.

In order to deal with its decline as an industrial powerhouse, the city reinvented itself as a centre for commerce, tourism, and culture, subsequently being awarded the European titles of City of Culture in 1990, City of Architecture and Design in 1999 and, most recently, the Capital of Sport in 2003. Glasgow is also set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

One of the major draws for tourists to the city is the prospect of shopping. Widely considered to offer the best shopping experience in Scotland and second only to London, it makes for a great destination for a shopping break.

The epicentre of Glasgow shopping is the so-called "Golden Z", made up of the largely pedestrianised thoroughfares of Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street. Virtually all of the big name retailers are represented here, with some of the stores being second only to their London counterparts in terms of size and range. The main shopping centres are Buchanan Galleries and the St. Enoch Centre, claimed to be the largest glass-enclosed structure in Europe, along with the up-market Princes Square Mall and the Italian Centre specialising in designer clothing, jewellery and audio equipment.

It is a veritable shopping experience that has made retail giants Selfridges and Harvey Nichols sit up and take notice, with both planning to open up stores in the city in the near future. In addition, the Council is putting pressure on more traditional shopping centres like the Barras in the East End, where you can get similar-looking clothes for a more sensible price, meaning the city can offer an excellent shopping experience, regardless of your budget.