GLASGOW'S Style Mile will be transformed from next week as more than 200 shops opt to keep their doors open until 7pm.
From Monday the city's biggest retailers will begin to stay open later on weeknights in an attempt to boost business.
Retail chiefs say this is the first step in their campaign to try and keep shoppers on the streets until 9pm to compete with other European cities.
Retailers to sign up include Buchanan Galleries, St Enoch Centre, John Lewis, Princes Square and Hamleys, as well as some independent stores.
Alongside House Of Fraser and Debenhams, which already open until 7pm, this brings the number of shops opening later in the Style Mile of Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Stret and Argyle Street to more than 200.
As reported in the Evening Times in May, retail chiefs hope the drive will upgrade and transform Glasgow's shopping industry and target falling sales.
It is being led by Glasgow's City Centre Retail Association and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.
The move came after surveys found people want longer time to spend shopping in the city centre.
A similar campaign in Newcastle saw an increase of 17% in average consumer spend from 5-8pm, with an estimated £247million generated between 2010 and 2013.
Paul Mitchell, chairman of the City Centre Retail Association, said he hoped stores would open until 9pm by next summer.
He said: "This initiative recognises the importance of late trading to the city's retailers and presents a significant opportunity to boost Glasgow's retail economy.
"It is the first step towards our ambition of stores opening until 9pm by next summer, so aligning Glasgow with other European shopping hubs such as Paris, Milan and Barcelona. it will also help us capitalise on the volume of people expected in the city for the Commonwealth Games."
Glasgow is the second biggest retail destination in the UK after London, with more than 1500 shops, 38,000 employees and it is worth £2.4billion a year, according to research.
Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council and chairman of the City Marketing Bureau, said the Style Mile was one of the country's "most dynamic" shopping areas.
He added: "However, no city can afford to stand still, and city centre retail faces significant competition from out-of-town shopping malls, rapid growth in online shopping and changes to consumer behaviour."
Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber Of Commerce, said: "There is undoubtedly an increasing demand for longer opening hours with changes in people's lifestyle.
"We need to ensure our city centre keeps ahead of its rivals by continuing to offer the best possible shopping and leisure experience."
The shops that will open late are:
Buchanan Galleries
Accessorize
Art
Austin Reed
BANK
Bare Minerals
Beautiful brows
Blue Inc
Boca 10
Boots
Boux Avenue
Build-a-Bear Workshop
Caffe Nero
Carphone Warehouse
Carwash Company
Claire's Accessories
Clinton Cards
Costa Coffee
Cosy Camper
Crocs
Cupcakery bakehouse
East
Eat
Ecco
EE
Ernest Jones
Food Gallery
Fragrance House
Fragrance Shop
Fred Perry
Fuel
Goldsmiths
H Samuel
H&M (Main)
H&M Divided
Holland & Barrett
Hollister
Hotter
Jacques Vert
Jessops
John Lewis
Jones Bootmaker
Joy
La Senza
Lakeland
Lego
Levi Strauss & Co
Lipsy
Magnolia
Mango
Manhattan Nails
MenKind
Millies Cookies
Miss Bubbilicious
Miss Selfridge
Moda in Pelle
Moss
Mr Pretzel
Ness
Next
O2
Oasis
Pandora
Perfume Shop
Phase Eight
Phones 4 u
Quiksilver
Quiz
Retail Academy
River Island
Rivive mobiles
Sainsburys
Sblended
Scribbler
Sky
Starbucks
Sunglass Hut
Supercuts
Swarovski
Swatch
The Entertainer
The Name Shop
Thomas Sabo
Thomson
Thornton's
Topman
Trade secret
Vanilla Vine
Vision Express
Vom Fass
Wallis
Warehouse
Whisky Shop
Yankee Scotland
Princes Square
Arran Aromatics
Dower & Hall
COS
Space NK
The Pen Shop
Le Creuset
Castle Galleries
Lacoste
Vivienne Westwood
French Connection
Illuminati
Manhattan Nails
Sassoon
Kurt Geiger
Belstaff
Crabtree & Evelyn
Argento
Ollie & Nic
Ted Baker
Whistles
Links of London
Jo Malone
Kiehl's
Reiss
Kimble's
Dwell
St Enoch Centre
Arran Aromatics
Aulds the Baker
Barratts
BHS
Blue Inc.
Body Shop
Boots
Boots Optician
Burtons
Cardland
Claires Accessories
Clinton Cards
Colors
Core
Costa Coffee
Debenhams
Disney Store
Dorothy Perkins
Drewdle
Ecco Shoes
Edinburgh Woollen Mill
Folli Follie
Fossil
Game
Garage Shoes
Greggs
H. Samuel
H&M
Hamleys
Henleys Sweets
Hotel Chocolat
Jackson the Tailor
JD Sports
Junior Station
Kimble's
Love Accessories
M & Co
Mama's & Papa's
Millies Cookies
Miss Diva
Modelzone
Moriconi
Nandos
Ness
O'Briens
Officers Club
Optical Express
Ortak
Papyrus
Perfume Shop
Pulp
Pure
Quiz
Rebel Rebel
Regis
Swatch
Tesco
Thomas Cook
Thomson
Thornton's
Tie Rack
Trespass
Truth
Utopia
Vision Express
Warren James
Wraps 4 U
Xile
Other locations
Apple
Ladbrokes
McDonalds
Rox
Schuh
Superdry
Wallis
Evans Cycles
Fat Face
Forever 21
Gap
House of Fraser
Marks & Spencer
Paperchase
TK Maxx (Argyle St)
TK Maxx (Sauchiehall St)
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