In days gone by, Argyle Street was a mass of shoppers, ebbing and flowing from one end of the city centre to another.

Today, the street is rarely crowded and big names have been departing the retail scene the city was once so famed for.

In day two of our Spotlight series on the city centre Style Mile, we look at Argyle Street and Trongate and speak to independent traders about the streets today and what the future holds.

READ MORE:Spotlight: Sauchiehall Street small traders fear for the future as big names exit

From Union Street to Glasgow Cross, Argyle Street and Trongate was once home to the biggest names in retail.

Arnott’s, Lewis’s and Woolworths, are names that are now a part of Glasgow’s retail history and recently Debenhams became the latest to add to the list.

Glasgow Times:

Next has closed a store and Top Shop and Top Man’s collapse led to more empty spaces.

The Glasgow Times counted 18 empty units out of 102 on the streets, a vacancy rate of almost 20%.

The percentage of vacant shop floor space will be much higher as one of those is the old Debenhams, probably the largest empty unit in the city, over several floors.

Also here in these streets is a huge waste of space in the upper levels.

READ MORE: Could Buchanan Galleries plan save Glasgow city centre

All along the street there is boarded up upper windows and valuable city centre space that could be used or converted is lying empty.

The shrinkage in the volume of shoppers is noticeable to one small shop that has been on the street, putting stylish shoes on the feet, and shirts on the backs, of Glaswegians for decades.

Peter McGhee, of Dees clothing shop in Trongate, said: “At one time we had nine people working in here on a Saturday. Now we have two.

Glasgow Times:

“When TJ Hughes moved out there is now nothing at this end of the street to bring lots of people in.

“When Buchanan Galleries opened it took people away for this end of town. When it’s finished the hotel next door should bring people to the area.”

Dozens of names have come and gone in Trongate, but Dees has remained, due largely to a long history catering for a particular market and a reputation that extends far beyond Glasgow.

Apart from Marks and Spencer, it is likely Dees has been on the main street longer than any other.

Peter added: “It is our loyal customers that keep us going. The website is helpful but people still want to come here, they want to come to the shop.”

Right beside Dees is the building site for Candleriggs Square, with plans for a 500 room hotel, bars, restaurants and new retail units.

It will be on a site that was once hoped Selfridges were going to locate to and raise the area’s profile and turn its fortunes around.

Between Selfridges dithering then finally pulling out and the new work starting, the street has suffered.

The environment is noticeably run down, streets can be dirty and the overall feel of the area is neglect.

Michelle Fitzpatrick, who works in the shop and lives within walking distance, said it is a serious problem.

She said: “It is not very attractive. We have customers coming to the shop from as far as England when they are in the city, and that is what they say to us.”

The streets off the main roads have always attracted the independent trader, offering niche products that attracts a loyal following.

Gaz Miller, manager of Social Recluse on King Street, yards from Trongate, said: “About 10 years ago the Style Mile was absolutely kicking.

“But even pre-covid it wasn’t looking so great.

“Sauchiehall Street is finished and Argyle Street is going the same way.

“Around half of our customers last weekend said it was the first time they had been in the city centre for a long time and they couldn’t believe how bad it looks.

“It is looking horrible. It’s depressing to see so many empty units.”

Social Recluse, like others in the area, has a following of customers who seek it out.

Glasgow Times:

Gaz added: “People who come here also go to Monorail, Mr Ben’s and other small independent shops.”

But the decline is obvious. Across the street there are five empty shop units in a row leading up to Trongate.

The shop manager said the plan for Buchanan Galleries was “bonkers” believing it will make life more difficult for traders.

He said many small shops were closed Monday to Wednesday

He added: “We absolutely need a strong retail sector.”

Like the plan for Buchanan Galleries at the other end of the city centre, St Enoch Centre is looking to carry out a massive transformation, moving away from being purely about retail.

It is not immune to empty units and has around 20 lying unused.

The masterplan’s early proposals include a four star hotel, and up to 1700 new homes and converting the Debenhams store into office space.

In a statement on the vision for the site St Enoch Centre said: “We are striving to reimagine St. Enoch Centre as a focal hub within the city and transform it into a place that prioritises people. Given its prime location within the city centre, we recognise the opportunity St. Enoch Centre presents to become Scotland’s foremost mixed-use development, showcasing the best of retail, leisure, entertainment, hotel, commercial and city centre living.

“The scale and ambition of our proposals could take up to 20 years to deliver and are subject to several detailed planning consents.”

There seems to have always been one plan or another to revive Trongate and Argyle Street while Buchanan Street was thriving.

The latest hope is the Merchant City, Candleriggs Square development and the St Enoch transformation.

Both are long term and will hopefully, finally bring some good news for traders and shoppers in the east of the city centre.

They have been waiting long enough for it.