10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Dundee

Overgate is Dundee’s busiest indoor shopping centre. The popular mall is anchored by Debenhams department store and is also home to some of the biggest names in UK fashion retail, such as Top Shop, River Island, Primark, H&M and Next.

You’ll also find a selection of national retailers occupying smaller premises, including Flying Tiger, Swarovski, Lush, Office, Ernest Jones and Paperchase. Refuel with a coffee at Starbucks, a sandwich from Subway or a yummy burger from Five Guys.

Assai Records is a specialist music retailer in Dundee that serious music collectors would refer to as a goldmine. Thanks to stores such as this, UK vinyl sales have seen a steady upward trend over the past decade. In fact, despite the popularity of streaming and downloads, vinyl albums are more than managing to hold their own.

Independents such as Assai Records maintain their market share thanks to their know-how. Staff members are passionate about music and keen to promote promising newcomers and rare finds to their loyal customers. They’ll also sell you a turntable and speakers if you like.

Dundee’s gift shops include the delightful Quirky Coo, which opened in 2013. This little place specialises in unusual items: whisky barrel photo frames, Harris tweed hip flasks and even a highland cow draught excluder can all be found on its shelves.

Another gift shop worth the detour is Little Thistle. Located in Overgate shopping mall, it too specialises in quintessentially Scottish items including a neat range of oak and tartan coasters. Over on the High Street, Maisie and Mac’s purple paint job is easy to spot. They stock an extensive range of prints and paintings from local artists as well as jewellery, ceramics and textiles.

J.A. Braithwaite is Dundee’s oldest shop that has supplied the people of Dundee with tea and more since 1868. Today, this venerable store stocks over 100 types of tea and 30 blends of coffee, as well as the pots to brew them in.

It hasn’t always stood on Castle Street, however. When it moved to its current premises in 1932, the wooden counter, drawers, tea chests and mahogany shelf unit came too. Even the door frame was relocated, adding to the place’s historic charm.

8 Yards Ltd is where you can kit yourself out in a Scottish kilt in Dundee. It used to be called The Kilt Hire Co, but as the scope of the business widened, the business was rebranded. The Dundee outlet is the 3^rd branch to open, alongside the original store in Musselburgh and another in Edinburgh. As well as kilt hire, the store stocks an extensive range of homewares, gifts and accessories.

As well as the kilt itself, 8 Yards will sort you out with the whole shebang – sporran, kilt pins, sgian dubh (the small knife that traditionally accompanies the outfit), socks, flashes (tartan garters used to hold up the socks) and ghillie brogues (shoes).

V&A Dundee is a museum that’s known for its focus on art and design, just like its London sister. Once you’ve explored the collections at the museum, take a few minutes to browse what’s for sale in the museum shop.

The works of contemporary Scottish makers sit side by side with examples from the very best British and international designers. Grab yourself a sketch of the V&A Dundee building itself, designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma.

Big Dog Books is a comic book and games store in Dundee that has successfully tapped into the retail explosion supporting “geek chic”. All your favourites are here, from Captain America to the X-Men. This is an Aladdin’s cave for collectors as it also feeds the demand for trading cards, manga and pop culture stuff in general.

If you’re just getting started, knowledgeable staff members will teach you the basics instore, and there’s also a large mail order department to feed your new hobby once you get back home.

Dundee’s Farmer’s Markets ensure there’s a strong connection between the city and its hinterland. Once a month, artisans and farmers from across the Tay region descend on City Square bringing the very best of locally made produce.

A diverse range of food and drink is sold at the many stalls. In a typical market alongside the fruit and veg, you might find wild game from Pitlochry in Perthshire, prime cuts of Highland beef, freshly laid eggs from the Speckled Hen farm and malt barley vodka from the Tayport Distillery.

Dundee’s vintage clothing stores make a shopping trip to the city the ideal opportunity to put together a unique outfit. Pick up a one-off piece to style with your chosen accessories and create a look that you can guarantee no one else will have.

Tilted Duck stocks a wide range of shirts, dresses and jackets at a reasonable price. Each piece is a one-off. It’s also worth travelling a few miles out of town to The Frockery in nearby Forfar for its eclectic selection of pre-loved garments. Back in the city at Patently Vintage, the retro-inspired stock is specially imported from the USA, with many designs heavily influenced by the 1940s and 1950s.

Gallagher Retail Park is where you’ll find Dundee’s most recognisable retailers. Popular shops here include Next, which sells clothing for all the family as well as a wide selection of items for the home, and DW Sports. TK Maxx and Matalan offer the chance to bag a bargain.

Offering short-term free parking, Gallagher Retail Park is conveniently located close to the city centre and easy to find. There’s a pleasant café within the M&S Food Hall, which is great if you need a break from carrying all those bags or are simply looking for a place to relax with friends or family.