APPARENTLY diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

They also happen to be my birth stone, so I was delighted to recently meet Kyron Keogh, Chair of Glasgow’s City Centre Retail Association and founder of ROX.

We met in his Glasgow showroom, nestled in the heart of Argyll Arcade – Scotland’s largest cluster of diamond retailers and jewellers. ROX has stores across the country and its most recently-opened site sits in the new, mixed-use development in Battersea Power Station in London. According to Kyron, it’s a brilliant example of an integrated destination experience with retail, food, drink, wellbeing and residential space all housed in a re-purposed historic location.

Closer to home, the "Thrill Room" in the Argyll Arcade ROX gives a flavour of this modern approach to the changing experience of in-person retail. Created by local design legends Graven, the Thrill Room exudes indulgence with its velvet chairs, chandeliers and Moët & Chandon champagne bar, all ready to seduce its next customer. The ambition was to make jewellery shopping a fun, consultative experience for customers. It works, as Glasgow is their top-performing shop in the UK and the touches of class certainly add a level of prestige to the retailer’s offering.

However, ROX still anticipates a stampede at around 4pm on the Saturday before Christmas, as last-minute “essential” purchases are made by those who have yet to fully realise the new experiences on offer with in-store, in-person shopping.

ROX isn’t alone in that sense, and city centre footfall remains an issue. We’re still only at 87% of pre-Covid levels – a symptom of the impact of continued hybrid working – with weekday footfall also at 83% of pre-Covid levels. Ever-increasing inflation is also playing a role, with 75% of the population already cutting back on disposable income spending, as revealed at last month’s Scottish Tourism Alliance industry conference.

However, an improved customer experience can still be the catalyst for bringing people back to the city centre. This improved offer isn’t exclusive to high-end retailers either. Shoppers will indulge if they are given value. So, it’s not just about free champagne, it’s about the perception of what’s on offer and that is where some of our independent stores excel.

Businesses like Born in Scotland have capitalised on the space left by global corporates, such as Disney, and offer a different customer experience. With sites in both Buchanan Galleries and St Enoch, the business boasts quirky advertising and products, and sits perfectly alongside entertainment and food offerings. This creates a shared experience for customers and is part of the wider pitch of the entire St Enoch Centre, according to Centre Director, Anne Ledgerwood. She wants St Enoch to offer a "slice of life". It is much more about a full day-out experience, as customers come into the city to enjoy the whole product across food, retail and other activities.

The site has welcomed 20 new tenants in the last year, including Danish homewares and lifestyle brand Sostrene Grene. The company has 260 stores around the world and its St Enoch opening – which created 15 new jobs – represents its first new market entry since 2019. The rationale for that decision was a direct result of Glasgow’s reputation for retail.

Whilst our city centre offering needs to retain this diverse approach, the importance of retail must still be celebrated as an integral part of the consumer experience. All retailers have a role to play in creating an offering fit for the future but for Glasgow to fully recover, especially on weekday footfall, our ask to government is to encourage public sector workers back into offices.

Weekend and night-time economy continue to drive Glasgow’s recovery but general city centre footfall is still lagging. There is only so much our retailers can do. We ultimately need people walking through their doors to feel, see and hear the experience that only Glasgow can offer.

Alison McRae is Senior Director at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce