High St stores closing - who's next? Wallis, Jane Norman and BHS I predict

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So far I've read about Morgan, Whittards, Zavvi, Whittards, Adams and Woolies of course.

I have to say I didn't shop in any of them (part from Woolies) that often. Will they be missed give the deluge of big supermarkets (Tesco et al) & now selling most of what the above sold anyway?And internet shopping perhaps has also hit some of these companies also.

How much will your local high st change in 2009 do you think? Mine will be quite empty now that Woolies has gone. I suspect the premises will be hard to let now that a Tesco is across the road from it.

What are your views of an ideal high st - for me it would be more independant shops, existing chain stores offering decent goods and a friendly service (!) and of course value for money.

CarGirl- the Monopolies and Mergers Commission has been replced by the Competition Commission, which recently did a sector inquiry into the grocery (i.e. supermarket) sector.

Under current legislation, it's not illegal to 'dominate' a sector/ market, unless you also 'abuse' that position. Evidence is that Tesco nd the other big supers are continually cutting prices to customers- seems to be difficult to find examples of consumer harm. (On the other hand, there's been a lot of attention on whether the supers are abusing their position in relation to their suppliers).

So the regulators have limited powers unless one supermarket actually buys another, when the merger control powers kick in (e.g. Morrisons had to sell a lot of stores when they bought Safeway).

Jane Norman - their bags were mighty popular at DD's school although being rapidly replaced by Jack Wills' so perhaps JN could go...!!!

Our local town high street has Superdrug opp Boots and Rymans opp WHS. I guess one of those in each could give. But I agree with Soupy that there needs to be somewhere to buy proper statinery - for me that includes large sheets of card and pens/pencils that are not supermarkte convenient

Pendulum, that's what irritates me, they're not looking at the bigger picture grrrrrr