The Forge Market

I first visited the Forge Market within my first week of being in Scotland as it’s located pretty close by and I liked the idea of seeing Scotland’s largest indoor market! I liked the place right away as the building is pretty cool and not what I expected from a ‘market’, so I was excited to get inside and see what the place had to offer. I entered through the main door to be greeted by a large fruit stall which sells so many delicious and rare kinds of fruit which I just had to buy right away (this place has since become my weekly fruit shop, the Chinese apples are the BOMB). I was off to a good start and eager to check out the rest of the market. Unfortunately, the market never got any better than that first fruit stall. As you walk down the ‘streets’ inside (which I was told that they happen to be named after different aspects of the ‘Only Fools and Horses’ TV show) you start to question whether you’ve already been this way as everything looks exactly the same and many of the stalls sell the same things.
Some of the more common ones are rug/​carpet stalls, electronics repair stalls, purse/​wallet stalls, furniture stalls, candy/​sweets stalls, domestic appliance stalls and of course, the never ending amount of knock off designer clothes stalls. When you get to the middle of the market, there’s like a mini carnival for kids with a few different rides for them to try (keeps them amused during boring shopping trips!). On another side of the market there is small arcade for adults with some slot machines. Each corner, and pretty much round the edge of the whole market, has different food places with a variety of options, chips, pizzas, curries and most other takeaway meals. The market also has an up and downstairs sit-​in café which is probably the most ideal place to get food here. I also noticed some jewellery stores inside, and even a butchers, but overall I found the market to be very limited and repetitive. You can also lose track of time in here as it’s deceivingly big inside (I think I was in there for an hour ½!) I noticed that the place does get surprisingly busy and that most of the shoppers here are the elderly and I think that sums the place up, it has a lot of stalls aimed at that age range and it’s topped off by the bingo hall right outside the entrance! The market opens Thursday’s to Sunday’s, I’d recommend going before the weekend as like I said, it can get very busy then. The market is in a very good location, right across from the Forge Shopping Centre, and is very easily accessible. In the end, I’m glad that I went here as I love the fruit stall and use it regularly but I really wouldn’t come here for anything else other than if I had some time to kill.

Great place to find a bargain, lots of interesting family run businesses, all very friendly and helpful.

Tat everywhere around but great things once you find the good stalls and items that interest you. Pretty soon you know what places to skim past.
Chavs are like dogs, it is best not to look them in the eye.

When I revisited the Forge Market after ten years with my boyfriend, we both exclaimed in unison «this hasn’t changed a bit!» Which is very exciting, since I love the type of tatt it has to offer.
Full of every unit imaginable; from suspect looking Playboy designer jewellerly to alterations units, Scotland’s largest indoor market has it all! There’s old fashioned cake stalls, terrifyingly large soft toys, gifts that would look at home in a tombola (they have probably been raffle prizes at some point) and places to sit and get a cheap brew and chips — it’s a great day out for the family. With kids rides and an ample supply of shops suitable for children, there’s something cheap and cheerful for everyone. With friendly, approachable wholesalers and a clean, organised environment, there’s nothing of the jumble sale effect in here. The Forge is a market which takes pride in its good reputation.
Open on the weekends, it’s worth jumping on the 40 from town and journeying 15 minutes down the road to. You’ll probably come home with a rug, a kids’ motorbike (even if you don’t have a kid!!!), a life sized Cola Bottle bank and some penny chews.

The Forge Market is a lovely little corner of Glasgow that doesn’t seem to have changed for as long as I can remember. It’s still bustling with grannies and piled high with shameless designer knockoffs like «Channel» handbags and «Calvin Classics» boxer shorts.
Every corner you turn, there are greasy grub vendors and the waft of chips and curry sauce from the surrounding scoffers. The whole place has a kind of carnival day out feel to it, with its market vibe and kids’ amusement rides in the centre.
Each «street» (quaintly signposted, including Del Boy Way) is filled with stalls and shops, selling the weird and wonderful, from toys and tat, to piercings and portraits.
The Forge Market is a little time warp of a place, untouched and unspoiled by the modern day, and I very much hope it stays that way.

The Forge Market is Scotland’s largest indoor market. Near Parkhead, it is found in quite a busy area.
As you walk in the door you are immediately greeted by a lovely fruit and veg stall, and a stall selling sweets and biscuits. Each lane in the market has its own name, such as Carnaby Road or Del Boy Way, funnily enough.
Despite being such a big market, some of the stalls are quite repetitive –there are 3 or 4 rug stalls for instance. One of the good stalls sells branded cleaning and personal care products for £1 each. There is also a variety of cafes and food stands, which all smell pretty good.
You can get t-​shirts printed, haircuts and homewares in here. It’s good for a wee wander, and will probably stock most things you could imagine needing.

The Forge Market is open Thursday-​Sunday. Hundreds of Market Stalls all under one roof, just across the road from The Forge Shopping Centre. Suprising variety of stalls from clothes, foods, gifts, music, toys and everything for the home. Recently visited and was very pleased with the bargains I got. Can be very busy on Sat & Sun. There is plenty of parking at te rear of the building.