It was late one Thursday evening and I had missed the late night shopping due to a rehearsal I was at. I needed to kill some time and also was still in thinking mode about some Christmas present ideas. I stopped outside Waterstones and though 'ach I'll hiv a wee nosey' so I came across some audio books and a staff member pointed me in the direction to more. I explained I was looking for something my dad and she suggested a couple for me. Well he absolutely loves them. Yay! I just want to thank the kind girl who helped me out. I was struggling for ideas and just didn't know where to begin as there's just sooo many titles. I also asked on the off chance to see if they had the Yo! Sushi cookbook at a cheaper price rather than purchasing it from Yo! Sushi themselves. Unfortunately they didn't have it in stock but the Sauchiehall Street branch did but it was about 9.30ish and it wasn't on my route to the restaurant I was heading to. It was the same price too so was best just to nip round the corner and get it out the restaurant. The staff were very helpful and took their time to help me even though it was near to closing time. Athough not as well stocked as Sauchiehall Street it catered my unexpected needs. read more

This branch of Waterstones pales in comparison to the Sauchiehall Street one which is alot bigger, and better. This Argyle Street store has a decent selection of books all the same, which goes beyond best sellers to include academic books and stationary. I don't think it necessarily deserves the bad rep it appears to be getting on Yelp, but it does come second best to the Sauchiehal Street branch. read more

Waterstones - Bookstores Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

This Waterstones isn't as good as the gigantic one at the other end of town but it's still fairly decent. I can't really remember the layout that well, it reminded me of the Newcastle one with the central staircase. There is a Café W on the first floor which looked quite good but it was very busy, this is also the case for the Edinburgh Waterstones. I have never managed to get a seat in a Waterstones cafe. The staff are all really friendly and polite, especially the young ones on the top floor who are always joking around. I noticed a little reading nook on the top floor which had 4 armchairs back to back. This is good if you are waiting for someone to make a decision about which book to buy. Another thing this place benefits from is that it is right next door to Central Station, so if you are going for a train, you can pop in here quickly and buy a book to read on the train. read more

You have to hand it to Waterstones (and also book publishers); in the era of the e-book/Amazon they have managed to re-invent the book shop experience. I used to love book shops when I was a child and teenager then as I became a young adult I began to favour the music/record shop instead, but it wasn't down to just me being more into music than books it was down to the whole shopping experience. I found music shops exciting and book shops then a bit dull and staid. When the 1st e-books & mighty Amazon/online book shops came on the scene the poor high street book shops had to either re-invent themselves or suffer like the many record shops sadly did with the increase of mp3's/online music. Waterstones were one of the big players in the book shop scene and thankfully they chose to up their game. This particular shop has been very successfully re-invented & I wouldn't have even known had I not decided to pop in one day just out of interest (and admittedly to kill some time before my bus!) I remember it being a bit boring a few years ago when I came in but now it's so much better. It's split over 3 levels and the ground floor now has a really great gift and stationary section. I found some super cute washi tape and wrapping paper that was ideal for some home wall designs I had in mind. Also they had many other lovely greetings cards and gifts of all sorts including Scottish themed bits & bobs for the tourists and your family members or friends who live outside of Scotland. The book displays themselves make you want to engage with the books and touch them; something that I think is SO important when shopping. I hate shops where I feel as though I am browsing a museum with products that have a invisible 'Do not touch' sign in front of them. Bah. Hell no. I'm a tactile person (hello!) when it comes to shopping so I like to FEEL everything and books feel (and smell!) really good. The covers, the embossed/raised fonts, the flick of the pages, the shiny and matte coverings...I know the old saying is 'You shouldn't judge a book by its cover' but damn! A great book cover can make or break a book in my opinion! Another touch I like here is that the staff members have their own tags they can use to put on books they particularly like with a mini review. I know Borders used to do this & I always really liked it. The staff here (and all the other Waterstones too) are also really lovely & friendly. Whenever I've had any questions they've always been super helpful and informative & they've never acted as though I am a nuisance or asking a ridiculous question. They also have a cafe here serving Matthew Algie coffee and they're open most nights until 7pm making this a perfect wee place to stop off after work for a wee swatch at some books, a coffee and wee read too before you head home. They also have book signings and a monthly book group too. You can also order books online if they maybe don't have them in stock and earn some points if you sign up to their card at the same time. If you chose to pick the books up yourself from a store it's free so no p&p to pay. Nice one! Nice work Waterstones, you've made book shopping a truly fun experience again. read more

Briony and Graeme's recent reviews inspired me to venture back into Waterstones when it came to picking my dad's birthday present. From the onset, I just knew it had to be a book about Glasgow! My dad really does love his hometown and its accompanying history (a little like myself!) so I was delighted when I discovered that this branch of Waterstones had devoted a very large section to all things Scottish. There's some very interesting books so I did enjoy my browse and the store was tidy and easy to work my way around. There's lots of high quality Scottish books, rather than novelty books that you'll find in cheaper book stores. I finally picked 'The Little Book of Glasgow' by Geoff Holder which shares facts and quirks about Glasgow. It also included places you may not have thought to visit, including lists of both Glasgow's most and least famous museums. I just knew my dad would love it! It was nice to see such an extensive range of Scottish literature and books about Scotland. I also couldn't help eyeing up the quirky stationary bits and bobs which I'll definitely be back for! read more

Bookshops are my happy places. I will quite happily loose hours in them and I'm still jealous of that guy who managed to get a bookshop lock in a couple of years back in London. This has to be one of my favourites. It's in a bit of a weird bit of Glasgow, surrounded by fast food places, pound shops and not really fitting in with the rest of its surroundings. But step through the door and I'm in nirvana. The ground floor is spilt between the chart of current best sellers, an e-book and accessory bit, an amazing stationery bit and a touristy Scottish section. I tend to head straight to the stationery, decide I need to add to the hoard and have complicated arguments with myself about how many notebooks is too many to have stashed away. Then on my way to the stairs I pass through the Scottish section and want to be all 'humph I'm a local' but can't help but find several books that look really interesting and end up all patriotic and humming Highland Cathedral or Scotland the Brave - I can't be trusted to hum Flower of Scotland. I have a very unfortunate habit of starting to sing just at the 'extra' bit after King Edward's Army. The upper floors are much bigger than the ground. The first floor contains fiction, the children's section, poetry and the coffee shop. This is the floor where I loose hours, I tend to start at the front window to the left of the stairs and work my way round clockwise. I like the end of shelf displays grouping books together, the buy one get one half price tables always make me feel like I'm saving a fortune and I'm a complete sucker for a staff recommendation. My only criticism of this branch is that the children's department just doesn't feel right. The selection is great, there is plenty to choose from but the layout isn't as good as other branches. I just wonder if they wouldn't have been better putting the children's section up where the science fiction is so they could have made it more welcoming and enclosed. Once I've given myself a weightlifting work out adding book after book to my haul I'm in need of refreshment and the coffee shop here is actually worth the visit even if you aren't a bookworm. The staff are friendly, the coffee is good and although there isn't a massive selection of cakes and bakes I normally find something that persuades me to start the diet tomorrow. I'll then let my coffee get cold looking through what I've picked up so far. The second floor is non fiction and has loads of seating if you don't fancy spending the money in the coffee shop but still want to read the first chapters of all the books you're considering buying. The natural light in the second floor is lovely and on a sunny afternoon it really is the perfect place to escape to. That said my absolute favourite thing about this book shop is the staff. Every time I visit I am blown away by their genuine love of books. Most times I'm paying the cashier will comment on my purchase having read one of the books, looking forward to it, or having enjoyed some of the authors other work. If I need recommendations, suggestions or help they bend over backwards. I know I was only in there yesterday but I already want to go back. read more

First, a disclaimer: I worked here from 1995-9 when I was at uni. I only know of 1 person who still works there from that time, and much has changed from then. If you feel that this clouds my review please ignore! Because of this I probably wouldn't have reviewed here, but looking as most of the reviews here are from a few years ago I don't think this place could be getting the recognition it deserves. Previously the ignored little brother of the Sauchiehall Street shop, this shop was given a significant revamp in 2012 and it shows: everything looks neat and tidy, the previously shut 2 floor has been re-opened, and the ground floor has been changed to focus on ebooks, Scottish books (probably to keep the tourists happy - if you want something Scottish check here first) and new releases. It now looks like a shop which listens to its staff, rather than the more corporate head office led shop it used to be. Certain sections stand out: the childrens section is brilliant, the art department is strong, as is the general non-fiction area in the second floor. The staff are excellent; friendly and knowledgeable and happy to help. There is now a coffee shop on the first floor - I'm not a coffee drinker, so I can't vouch for it's quality. As city centre mainstream bookshops go it's as good as you can get I think. It still has some of the failings of a big shop (unimaginitive sales, the same buy one get one half price deals) but if you want to actually buy a new book from a shop rather than a website then it's a great option. Have a look for their author events as well, which have started to pick up again. read more

I have to admit to being a bit intimidated by bookshops. I know that this is ridiculous. However, sometimes I don't know what 'category' my desired book falls under, particularly when it's a present for someone else. So I don't know where to start. Resisting the temptation to walk straight back out and just buy it online (because all I have to do for that is to type the title into the search box), today I kinda bounced about looking a bit lost until I finally asked someone, thrusting the suggested gift list at him. The chap was friendly and helpful, pointing out where the books might be. Keeping things simple, I headed to the nearest place that he pointed to, and found the book right away. Job done. I'm glad I bought the book from a local store rather than online - it seems like the right thing to do somehow, and if I fancied a browse to find an interesting book, this would be a great place to do it. They have good displays, and I liked the look of some of the offers. It's possible that if I had more time, I could come out of here with armfuls of books. I made a little resolution to come in here more often. And then a bigger resolution to read more books. read more

This is the second Waterstones in Glasgow's city centre. I say it's the second one because it's slightly smaller than the branch on Sauchiehall Street. However, I still think it's well worth a visit. On the ground floor they have recent best sellers, stationary, and Scottish themed books and gifts. The first floor has fiction, children's and young adult fiction, and cookery books, as well as a few more gifts. At the moment they seem to be stocking a lot of boardgames too. The second floor also has Cafe W, which is the perfect spot to stop with a cup of tea and a good book. The second floor is non-fiction and reference. It might be the smaller of the two city centre branches, but it's welcoming and perfectly laid out. The upper floors are accessed by a wide and beautiful staircase and most of the store gets plenty of natural light. So maybe it's small, but it's perfectly formed. read more

After reading Graeme H's review raving about how great this bookshop is (and listening to him tell me about it - he's my husband), I was keen to check it out. We were in town on Saturday and had some time to kill so visited here. I'm not normally a Waterstones fan as I find them a bit boring and they tend to be very similar from store to store. This one on Argyle Street seems to have been re-vamped a little and seems a lot more nicely presented than I remember from my last visit. They have a huge Scottish section on the ground floor which is an absolute goldmine for when I need to buy presents for Australian relatives. There is also a really nice area of stationery which is one of my favourite things to buy, and I saw a lot of notebooks and notepads that I've mentally wish-listed for future purchases. I also really liked the area on the ground floor which is a "best of" preview of the areas upstairs, very helpful if you're in a hurry to get a present as you might be able to find something good down here. The staff were friendly and helpful when we were checking out (Graeme got a copy of the new Tintin release in Scots which was worth the trip alone) and he even treated me to a bookmark. The only reason I'm not visiting Waterstones a 5 star review is that it's a big chain bookstore. I suppose it's still better to buy from Waterstones than from Amazon though? read more

Driech, driech, driech! If stepping into a bookstore is my dorktastic version of a sun-lover stepping onto a beach; this particular branch of Waterstones is like having a bucket of ice-cold water thrown in your face while standing on the edge of a pebble beach in the north of Scotland while wearing a bikini on a -3 degree, windy day. They never seem to have anything I'm looking for, even though I don't have particularly niche tastes. My most recent encounter was returning a book I'd bought as a gift, which it turned out the recipient already owned. The cashier was the most dour-faced individual I have ever laid eyes on, and he proceeded to mumble and complain about the (sunny!) weather as he processed my refund. If I'd been in for a purchase I reckon he'd have talked me out of it. He then turned the conversation to the terrible state of the job market and how the publishing industry is going downhill. In a nutshell: If there was ever a reason to shop for books online, this Waterstone's is it. read more

I always tend to go to the Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street... as it is smaller I always assumed that the Argyle Street branch had less to offer. However this branch of Waterstones is bigger than it appears from the outside, with a brilliant selection of books, cards, gifts, and toys. There is also a nice cafe area selling sandwiches, salads, smoothies... from Martha's. Lots of nice cakes and sweet treats on offer too! We took our 3 year old and 1 year old in for a browse at the weekend, and had a lovely lunch in the cafe, followed by a play with the little ones in the children's area. Both Waterstones stores are a great haven for those of us with little ones to entertain during a trip in to Glasgow, as they have such a great selection of kids books, and a little play area with table and chairs, and drawing materials for the little ones to get creative with. Waterstones Argyle Street - bigger and better than it looks from the outside! read more

This is the smaller of the two city centre branches but is still a very big store with three floors to explore. I can easily spend an hour browsing in here. The ground floor is where you'll find new releases and fiction plus a really good range of gifts, Scottish souvenirs and stationary. There's a cafe on the second floor and plenty of seats dotted around. The selection of books is great and though it's more expensive than Amazon at least you know the employees are treated better and the company actually pays tax. You can find some good offers like their Buy One Get One Half Price deal and some new releases for half price too. They host regular events like readings, signings, children's events and they've just started a teen book group. Keep an eye on their Facebook page and posters in the shop to find out what's coming up. read more

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I love this Waterstones. Not as busy as their Sauchiehall street branch, but it still has a lot of stock to offer. I love their cooking book selection, and I've got many good drama books in here too. I just wish they would sell their Mole skin pads cheaper, as they cost a fortune. I still buy them. But cheaper, would be nice. Be prepared to walk stairs in here:) read more

If you live in the United States, DO NOT BUY BOOKS FROM WATERSTONES! I bought the signed limited edition Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King and Waterstones basically gift-wrapped this heavy, delicate book in cardboard with no internal cushioning whatsoever. This has to be the most unintelligent and irresponsible shipping of a collectible book that I have ever seen. OF COURSE, the book arrived with damage and customer support still hasn't even responded to my messages. I have talked with other US collectors that also received ridiculously packaged copies of this expensive book that were damaged in shipping and some of them have called and spoken to customer support, only to be given an apology. Basically, 'sorry and thank you for the money,' with no attempt to rectify the situation whatsoever because the book is sold out. Waterstones packages books for shipping with the intelligence of a slow 6th grader and displays the customer service of a DMV employee that's one day from retirement. read more