GO Outdoors at Clydebank, near Glasgow, has ben treated to a refurbishment. I was invited to take a look around and spend a gift voucher.
GO Outdoors in Clydebank
The store is located in Clydebank Retail Park, Livingstone Street, G81 2XA, and has a reasonably large car park with free parking. I arrived on a dreich weather day so it felt immediately uplifting to get inside and enjoy the bright and fresh look of the revamped store.
The retail outlet is large – it extends to almost 9500metres squared – and it took a while for me to fully explore. The spacious layout leads you from general men’s outdoor clothing, through female outdoor clothing and also clothing for kids. As I went, I made note of different garments that I planned to try on later.
What will you find to buy?
The clothing ranges include recognisable big name brands such as Rab, Berghaus, Odlo and Brasher, as well as budget friendly companies, such as Peter Storm, Craghoppers and Hi-Gear. I spotted another brand, OEX, which I confess is new to me and appears to give a wide range of products at cheaper prices, too.
I moved from clothing to footwear and accessories, such as a big wall of different socks for both hiking and running, and then I wandered into the camping area. The store has many tents of different sizes erected for viewing. It was great to be able to see the tents fully formed so I could either walk or peer inside.
The tents are just the start of an extensive camping section in the GO Outdoors store. From wild camping adventures to full-scale family campsite camping and also campervanning, I browsed many racks and shelves of almost every item you could ever want, plus products I had never even thought of.
I liked the sleeping bag display in particular, because all of the bags were out and available to look at and feel.
In amongst the camping section are new fishing and equestrian areas. I am not an angler, not a horsewoman, but I know that these pursuits are popular. The concessions include Fishing Republic Lite and Naylors.
The outlet also has a selection of walking rucksacks and kit, running gear, “lifestyle” clothing, some ski/snowboard kit, climbing gear and products for watersports.
In addition, the revamped store has a large area of bicycles and cycling kit and accessories. There did not appear be as many women’s cycling clothes as male, which is a poor over-sight in my opinion.
I came across a similar issue when I then decided to try on some clothes.
What did I choose to buy at GO Outdoors, Clydebank?
Top of my wish list was a pair of waterproof over-trousers. I checked out the male and female collections and noted that the men’s range included more Gore-Tex options. In fact, I didn’t see any Gore-Tex waterproof trousers for women. I debated whether to buy a small size men’s pair in Gore-Tex or go for women’s trousers, but in a not-tried-and-tested waterproof fabric, 2.5-layer Pertex® Revolve fabric with a fluorocarbon-free DWR treatment.
In the end, it was the fit of the Rab Women’s Downpour Eco Waterproof Pants (£90) that suited better. I am yet to test them in the rain so I can’t comment on performance.
I do want to ask GO Outdoors why men need Gore-Tex protection but women apparently do not?! (Editor: The reply is that Gore-Tex is an option for women’s over-trousers on their website.)
I was keen to buy a mid-layer top, too. After trying on various different brands of mid-layer and baselayers, including Peter Storm, OEX, Odlo and Rab, I went for the pricier Rab Nexus Pull-On Fleece. With the GO Outdoors discount – you need a £5 annual membership card to pay the discounted price – the top was £58.50 (RRP £65).
It was the fit, colour and technical features that swayed me to spend more than the cheaper brands but, also, I liked the idea of a £65 top for £58.
After this, I made up the rest of the voucher with with bits and pieces, including running and walking socks, a collapsible bowl for my campervan and a couple of small gifts for friends. There were so many possibilities of items to buy that I ended up a bit overwhelmed.
My thoughts on GO Outdoors
You could easily find all the outdoors products you need in this one shop, although it is limited by the choice of brands. I spotted a few other popular brands, such as Mountain Equipment and Osprey, but the options are much less than in some other outdoors retailers.
There were much fewer high performance technical products for sale, so I would not be likely to shop at GO Outdoors if i was looking for clothes and kit suitable for winter hiking or mountaineering. However, this is not GO Outdoors market, as far as I can tell. I would say it’s a shop that will suit people, especially families, who are keen to get into the outdoors or who are already outdoorsy but working to tight budget and most likely to be fair-weather walkers, runners and campers etc.
There is a more extensive website that has a greater range of brands.
I also liked the range of sizes for men, women and children, as well as so many brightly coloured products. It’s great having so much space in the store and being able to see products on display.
The camping section – aimed at families and in summer-time – is impressive. It is good to see so many different activities covered as well, although the range of items is limited in some areas, such as climbing or cycling.
Store Manager Christopher Pine revealed he is proud of the newly refurbished GO Outdoors. He said: “We have had a brilliant couple of years at GO, as more and more people are reaping the benefits of the outdoors for their physical and mental well-being, and this expansion is the outcome of that success.
“We’re looking forward to offering more customers our unbeatable range of outdoor clothing, footwear and equipment, whilst also supporting local communities and offering jobs in West Dunbartonshire.”
To find the latest store information, including opening times, see the Clydebank store’s website.
More about GO Outdoors
GO Outdoors was founded in Sheffield in 1998. Now with more than 75 stores and 250 outdoor brands across nine different activities, GO Outdoors has grown to become one of the UK’s biggest outdoor retail chains.
The GO Outdoors Member’s card unlocks discounted prices across departments and can be purchased online or in-store, priced at £5 for a year.
