IT was no flight of fancy for Pat Davidson when, after 25 years working with British Airways, she decided on a career change.

A self-confessed shopaholic, she swapped her old job as a station manager in charge of more than 200 ground staff to open a store focusing on Scottish gifts at Edinburgh Airport and then a second branch a few years later in Glasgow's West End.

"The shop at Edinburgh Airport focuses on Scottish gifts and we were going to a lot of trade shows and seeing really nice products but they weren't Scottish and we felt frustrated that we couldn't buy all these gorgeous things," she explains.

"I'm from the West End of Glasgow and always felt there was a wee bit of a gap in the market for something that was more reasonably priced.

"I think the West End was always known for being quite boutique and had the prices to match. We're trying to bring a more affordable gift shop to the area."

With the help of shop manager Ashley Tierney, who looks after the merchandising while Pat concentrates on the buying, the Kelvinbridge store has become a treasure trove of must-have buys.

Pat says she doesn't like to describe it as an eclectic mix but that is exactly what the store is is with gift ideas for every occasion for men, women, babies and weddings.

"We have a real variety of products and because of where we are, we are trying to appeal to everyone from students to working mums and all ages in between," says Pat, who still lives locally with husband Graeme and their 18-year-old son Andrew, who is part of the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy and has just returned from the Under 20 Rugby World Championships in Italy.

She adds: "Gifts for me are particularly popular with candles and toiletries."

Maybe it is a nod to the local student populations but anything related to drinks sell particularly well, from gin and tonic flavoured lip balm to bath salts.

Quirky signs with messages such as: "I'm in the garden drinking prosecco" are great sellers.

"Probably our biggest ranges are accessories and jewellery," says Pat. "We have a lot of costume jewellery, handbags and scarves. People come in for a gift and end up buying something for themselves. They find us a wee bit addictive."

Yoshi satchels and totes are currently flying out the door with in colours tan and duck egg blue. While the large range of candles includes fragrances from Stoneglow and Canadian brand Roots using pure essential oils.

The store's gift-wrapping service makes the shopping experience even easier. Local shoppers make the most of it when the Christmas store opens every year downstairs from September to January.

"I think what makes us different is our staff," says Pat, who is an expert in customer service after her years with BA.

"When customers come in and haven't got a clue what they want they get one to one service. We get such lovely feedback on social media.

"A guest house across the road bought some of our coasters with letters on them to spell out Mr & Mrs and put them on the bed for a couple getting married who had booked the bridal suite.

"They were delighted to be able to find things that were a wee bit different and quirky but not too expensive."

If you are wondering where the shop's name comes from, it isn't a Harry Potter style sweetie but a reminder of a favourite table in the Edinburgh branch with a wrought iron tree that looked just like liquorice.

Liquorice Tree, 431 Great Western Road, Glasgow. Visit www.liquoricetree.com