Are High Street Shops Doomed

[Shadowcaster]

Anyone got any thoughts on this, for myself and Mrs Shadowcaster we seem to get everything online and only venture into Tesco's to get the odd bit of shopping and collect prescriptions. We get all our books from Amazon, clothes from the internet, food from Tesco's online/delivered. I honestly can't remember the last time I went to a store in out local city, we do use our local shop for odds and ends and the post office. I'm sure there's others who are like us.

Cheers
Rich

[Sinkrate]

I'm sure there's others who are like us.

Yeah, me! I live about ½ mile from the city centre but I haven’t been there for over ten years. I seem to remember the last time I went there, I had to pay a small fortune to park, walk across town to get to the shop, only to find they hadn’t got what I wanted anyway.

I do most of my shopping in China now as the prices are sensible and they know how to treat customers. I only use UK for groceries and DIY materials.

[Sprocket]

Anyone got any thoughts on this, for myself and Mrs Shadowcaster we seem to get everything online and only venture into Tesco's to get the odd bit of shopping and collect prescriptions. We get all our books from Amazon, clothes from the internet, food from Tesco's online/delivered. I honestly can't remember the last time I went to a store in out local city, we do use our local shop for odds and ends and the post office. I'm sure there's others who are like us.

Cheers
Rich

Yes, I think high street shops are doomed and the writing is on the wall..maybe a long wall yet, but it is coming.
There is nothing sinister about it, it is plain old progression.

Basically the same as you, but we buy all our groceries at the local Asda/Sainsbury supermarkets. For anything else we shop online. Loads cheaper than on the high street.

I for one also don't buy into this "Support your local shops" sentiment that some are preaching.
Why pay over the odds for something you know are available on-line for at least half the price, if not more ? Especially as a pensioner.

Jan

[Canuck1955]

I hope not. Amazon and the rest are OK for things like books which you know what you are getting. But for clothes, shoes and the like, how can you tell what they feel and fit like? Amazon is great and they do reimburse no questions asked with faulty goods but it takes so darned long.
A recent example, I needed a new joystick to replace my 11 year old X-52. The nearest computer shop to me which maybe stocks this sort of thing is 40 miles away (as it turns out they were out of stock). So it would seem a no brainer to Amazon (or similar). I chose the stick I wanted and ordered it. 10 days later it arrived. It was immediately evident this must have been opened as the usual clear plastic seal over the box flap on new items had been cut. Was this a returned item? Anyhow, I unpack it and find the rubber feet attached to the base of the stick. Further cementing my suspicion that it was maybe a returned item. I carry on and install it. Immediately it is evident that this is a faulty joystick/hotas, it was impossible to calibrate it correctly, the axis was off and the throttle wavered in the graphic.
Immediately dashed off an e-mail and filled out the review on line and returned the item through the mail. Return and refund took 2 weeks. No apology from Amazon whatsoever.
So the whole process took 3 weeks.
Had I been able to buy from a shop I would have been almost 100% confident this was a new unused item and any return for the fault would have been solved that same day.

[Tonydb]

You are probably right, a slow decline to oblivion. But that raises a lot of questions. How much will local taxes (the rates in UK) increase to make up the shortfall. and how will national gdp be affected by us buying from sources that pay none or little tax on their profits in our home countries. It is surely a case to be careful what you wish for.

[ozzy72]

I do still use local shops for certain specialist items, for example my butcher, fishmonger and green grocer. Why you ask? Well I love to do posh cooking and I need quality produce, and sometimes I need things you'll never get in a supermarket.