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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
David McLean

Six lost Glasgow shops we'd love to see make a comeback

Glasgow's shopping scene is constantly evolving and as sad as it may be, even familiar names that have been around for generations eventually disappear.

In recent decades we've had to wave farewell to a whole host of legendary businesses, some of which were on the go when our grandparents were in short trousers.

But as online shopping becomes increasingly popular, the rate at which our most loved stores are vanishing is also on the rise.

READ MORE: The lost Glasgow shops that will make you yearn for a return to the 00s

We take a look at half a dozen lost Glasgow shops we'd love to see make a comeback to the city's retail scene.

Watt Brothers

A jewel of Sauchiehall Street, Watt Brothers department store was a true Glasgow institution. Its shock closure in the run up to Christmas three years ago was keenly felt throughout the city. We wait to see what will happen next with the red sandstone landmark.

Lewis's

This legendary Argyle Street department store closed back in the 1990s but is still talked about in hushed tones. For generations, Glasgow adored Lewis's and especially at Christmas when the lost shopping palace truly came to life.

McCormack's

Glasgow's musical heritage is second to none, which is why the closure of the city's best-loved music supplies store was particularly hard to take. The go-to place for guitar lovers and other musicians, McCormack's Bath Street store was opened by the Rolling Stones in the early 1960s and survived until 2011.

John Smith's

As the oldest bookshop in the English-speaking world, there were understandably a lot of upset Glaswegians when John Smith's on St Vincent Street closed its doors for the final time in 2000. The business does continue to trade as an academic bookseller through Glasgow University, but it's not quite the same.

Boots

Sure, Glasgow still has plenty of Boots stores throughout the city centre, but there's one in particular that's missing from the fray and we still haven't quite recovered from its loss. In the days before mobile phones, the Boots store at the corner of Argyle Street and Union Street was a prime meeting spot. Would-be lovers would agree to meet there, though many would find themselves left 'jilted' and disappointed, resulting in the locale being referred to as 'dissy corner'.

City Bakeries

The much-loved bakery institution that was City Bakeries boasted more than 60 outlets in the Glasgow area and beyond back in the day. Their shops were absolutely everywhere and it was a sad day when the name began to vanish from the city in the early 1990s. Older generations recall a time of being served cream teas and buns by immaculately dressed waitresses in aprons - truly something we no longer see today.

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