To think this is why the high street is failing?

[MiamiWindMachine]

I’m off on holiday in a couple of days, so thought I’d go up to the big shopping centre for a couple of last minute things.

In the massive H&M, all the tills bar one had been converted to self-service. The ones on the floor I was on were ALL closed. I went down to the lower floor and there was a huge queue, because no one could work out the machines. There was a step to remove security tags, and people couldn’t work out whether this was only for those plastic tags or if there was some flag on the barcodes for lower value items. Someone else was trying to process a return via these tills. When a member of staff eventually appeared, she confirmed returns could only be processed at a manned till. The customer pointed out that there were no manned tills. The staff member had no idea who to ask about it, then disappeared to find someone, so the queue was getting even longer.

I was on the way out about 15 minutes before closing time and went past M&S. I thought “I wonder if the Bureau de Change is still open” and went to check. The woman saw me approach and had a pained look on her face, saying “Arrgghh, I’ve just cashed uuuppp!” I was a bit taken aback, but said “Oh well, never mind. What time do you close, for future reference?” She then reluctantly admitted that she was supposed to be open until 8, but said “But I do start cashing up at around 7.30”. I was about to ask why when she started saying, “It’s fine; I’ll do it, I’ll do it”, like she was doing me a massive favour. I tried to pay on Revolut and she said “We can’t take those cards!”, as if it was somehow obvious. I asked about Apple Pay and she said, “No, it has to be a proper bank card or credit card”. I therefore went to pay with my credit card and she said, “You do know we have to charge a fee for these, don’t you?” I said I didn’t have a choice given she’d rejected two other payment methods.

I then went down to foods to grab a ready meal and some wine. I went to a manned till as I had alcohol and the girl said, “Oh, could you go to the self-service? It’s just that I’m closing this one”. I asked about the alcohol and she said, “I can approve that from here; it’s just that it’s easier for me”.

I feel like we’re constantly told in the media “Use it or lose it” re: the high street; how sad it would be if we lost the personal touch. From what I could see yesterday, one store has done everything possible to eliminate personal interaction, while in the other, the staff are more bothered about their convenience than the customers’. Is it any wonder that people would rather click a couple of buttons to get something delivered?

Yanbu. Can't park on my local town as it's pay by app only. Today Barclays was open but you couldn't do anything as the machines were down and couldn't give money out and the one counter was closed. Lady told me to do it on my app in my phone told her I didn't have the app .

I agree OP..I refuse to go to the high street to pay parking and to receive shit service! Not worth the effort to me.

A lot of shops have moved out of town centres and onto retail parks, we have a fairly new retail park with lots of clothes shops and it's always busy at weekends and queues for carpark which has 5 hours free parking, I often stroll down there in the week to nose round the shops, return any unwanted online shopping and get a few nice bits from M&S food hall but it's not like the normal high street.

You should write to the shops and tell them about your experience.

When you say "landlords and shareholders" do you actually realise you're mostly meaning pension funds for the vast majority of workers, don't you?

Most workers' pension funds will have investments in commercial retail property, big shopping chains, etc.

A crash in property values or closures of high street chain stores will reduce your future pensions.

I’ve also recently had to give up on the high street - I went looking for 2-3 basic/common items. After going to 5 shops I only had 2 one the items I needed.

Gave up went home and ordered online.

You are assuming that everybody has had the same experiences growing up that you have. What you think of ordinary and run of the mill will be quite out of the ordinary for someone else.

We often get similar cases of people not being aware of how others live in other areas of life as well. This often comes up when salaries are mentioned.

On one hand you will have posters saying "I literally know nobody who earns as much as £40k per year". Then, in contrast, you will equally have posters saying that they know nobody who earns less than £80k.

Your experience of life is not necessarily the same experience of life that other people have had.

I'd rather use self service checkouts and hope to keep the shop open rather than insisting on them employing more staff which makes the store no longer viable and them closing it down!

It's 2024, we have to move with the times. The old High Street and personal service is never coming back. Apps, self service checkouts, online shopping, online banking, etc., is all the future and people need to get with the agenda whilst they're young enough to be able to cope with change. Things will get more automated and if capable people today in middle age don't get with it, they'll really struggle in years to come when they're older and less able to cope with change.

Oh and the opening hours.

My local pharmacy is only open 9-5. When most people are at work.

Guess what ? I get my prescription delivered from somewhere else instead.

Your shitty comment isn't as clever as you think it is.

I could just as easily say how sad that you need to meet random people you don't know in order to interact with people.

I don't need to interact with strangers in shops precisely because I have plenty of family and friends (who I open the door to) for interaction. If others need to go shopping in order to mix with people, that's fine, but not everyone does. No need to try to be shitty to others, which only made you look nasty, sad and lonely anyway.

Out of interest do you not have a smartphone or you just don’t want to use apps? Personally I think parking apps are great. Can pay without queuing at the machine and can extend remotely if you need more time. Are never out of order.

Expanding on tourist destinations, my large sea side town is losing hotels hand over fist due to Air BnBs which are often second homes depleting housing for locals.....

You could put them straight in a bag?

Then biusinesses shouldnt be hypocrites when the system goes down and they should close for the rest of the day instead of taking cash just when it suits

But again I wonder if this is just changing habits. Going to a hotel in the UK wouldn’t really appeal to me as if the weather is bad you’re kind of stuck in your room or forced to go out and find weatherproof activities. I’d only holiday in the Uk if I was renting a cottage. I’m not saying that air bnb aren’t an issue, just that the English seaside hotels might have struggled regardless.

Then the customers would whinge as to why the shops couldn't stay open and sell stuff for cash. They can't win.

I do love working from home. My job is analytical and it can be much easier to do without an office full of people and noise.

Equally I spend a lot of time on calls talking to people. If I've spent all day talking to people about problems at work, I don't want to go to the shops and talk about someone I don't know's day...

I also have a really good circle of real life people around me. I don't need to talk to strangers in shops to feel like I've had social interactions. I have them with my social circle.

No, I hadn't thought about that, and you are right. Everything in the economy is linked and it's a delicate balance.

I'll stand by my statement that individual workers and customers are on the losing side here. Certain individuals at the top are still making a packet and are not at all concerned about self-checkouts and unpaid overtime.

No they are the people on NHS waiting lists waiting for years for hip and knee replacements who cant walk round a pedestrianized town centre

I’ll always use an app if I can. The ability to extend remotely is brilliant.

I'm really pleased you have a lovely social circle. Unfortunately, life doesn't always stay the same and people who used to have a big social circle find themselves as the last woman standing. Then, yes, a little chat in a shop can make their day worthwhile. I can't see why you begrudge them, or maybe your future self, that very small joy.
I don't have a problem with self service, just not 100% self service.

No. I had someone take over my Facebook (luckily friend got it back for me) so I restrict everything now and even if my phone could do it I wouldn't. I just don't park at my local town.

No the high street is failing because the planners etc are still living in this nostalgic world where they think it’s the 80s/90s. The reality is that the younger generations don’t see shopping as an event - we used to go town every Saturday it was a day out- nowadays they can consume from the comfort of their own home and have no intention of browsing the shops. The high street needs to change- the high street could provide housing with smaller , local shops. Bring back greengrocers for example. Or high street names but smaller shops where they just showcase products that you order in store and are then delivered to your house.

Some of us are lonely. I have no siblings and only ever had miscarriages. Life doesn’t always work out the way you expect.

I had a good job, but cared for my parents and husband for many years. In that type of situation, your social circle dwindles. I’ve outlived both family members and friends.

I admit to being socially awkward, so just getting out there isn’t always so easy.

Yes, some people prefer their own company. That’s fine.

You know what’s “shitty”? Using “lonely” as an insult.

And for some people, it doesn't change.

The poster I responded to was laughing about how people who prefer self service are the same people who love working from home and don't open the door. As in, shut ins.

Not all of us who like working from home are "shut ins". Some of us like working from home as it suits us, AND still like social interaction.

Some of us spend all day interacting and then need a bit of quiet, non-social time, but still need to do things like pick up some food.

As per my previous posts, there can be a balance. It's not all person centered or all self service.

And not all us work from home people are totally anti social. In the same way I imagine there's people who love working on an office but also don't want to talk to a shop assistant after 8 hours of socialising. Or people who love their own quiet life at home but also enjoy a chat with someone on a shop.

We are all different and that is what I was pointing out to the PP being rude about more introverted people.