The high street

[magickingdom82]

Just been in to my local town, admittedly it's Sunday morning first thing but shops are all open but it was completely dead! I'm sure it will get busier throughout the day but is this how high streets are now? It just really hit me how quiet it was and I'm sure it was never like that I'm the past.

They've certainly changed and, from where I'm sitting, not entirely for the better.

Until recently I was a huge fan of internet shopping, especially as the shops have never been great round here. But of course it just gives them even more excuses to downgrade their out of London / non flagship stores.

I'm also starting to find internet buying totally joyless. I've realised I like real shops where you can feel the clothes and see the colours properly and have conversations or listen to other people having them. I've noticed that when I buy online, I'm more likely to settle for something that isn't quite right simply because I'm sick of trekking to the Hermes drop off. And I'm also tired of having to send for 2 or even 3 sizes of everything. I'm basically paying just to try things on. I'd love to know how much interest retailers are making just by hanging on to our money for those couple of weeks.

So I'm thoroughly disillusioned and starting to make a point of using real shops again wherever I can.

I don't really enjoy shopping that much I'd rather be walking in the Peak District, cycling or yoga. I only ever go into the city for dinner/drinks. I love internet shopping.

Yeah I get that for some people, clothes shopping is mostly a functional thing. I'm like that about food shopping - I just want to get in, find what I want and get out as quickly as possible. And I also realise that some people don't have time to visit real shops, especially when you have small children. It's partly because I no longer have either a young family or elderly parents that I have more time to think about this stuff.

I still think that high streets have a function over and above selling us stuff. And I think we're in danger of losing it.

I only shop online now tbh. Every time I go shopping on the high street I just find it really frustrating that they never seem to have my size in anything. I’m on the chubby side at the mo, so a 14 or 16 and it seems that they never have stock in those sizes for some reason. Also, everything is overpriced polyester. At least online you’ve got time to read what it’s made of and then try on at home.

I have young children too, so that has become a factor for me. It’s not much fun for any of us if I take them clothes shopping for myself. Maybe when they’re a bit older we can all look for clothes together though. Maybe,

I’m worried about our town centres too. I can envisage shop chains dying and closing down one by one. I think it will be a sad day when we have no option but to buy clothes on the internet - online is convenient when something specific is needed, but I still enjoy a good old fashioned browse round the shops, where you can feel fabrics and see the quality close up.

I also agree with a pp about the temptation to keep items ordered online that aren’t quite right - I’ve done this too to avoid the hassle and expense of returning them, and it bugs me.

I love high street shopping. An afternoon pottering around trying things on and stopping for coffee and lunch is my idea of heaven.
Unfortunately I just don't have enough hours in my day to go very often on my own. Three kids and a dog means weekends are pretty much out of the question for leisurely shopping trips. So I internet shop for convenience. It means sticking to certain retailers with whom I'm familiar with the sizing and quality etc which is a shame really as I feel stuck in a rut sometimes.

Call me a slut, but I love both. I really enjoy wandering round the shops, trying things on, being able to touch the fabric, and seeing how things are laid out with other items that could go with them. I am lucky, though, in that my work is really close to the shops, and I can mosey round in my lunch break. I am a big fan of department stores, and can happily spend an hour pottering round John Lewis.

I also like buying online, particularly from places like ASOS where there are so many brands on one site, and delivery/returns are super quick and easy. I often buy from shops like Other Stories which we don’t have here - their returns are less quick and easy though.

I think retail is changing hugely. People are getting inspiration in different ways in terms of what they buy - eg, online influencers - and the mindset has become very NOW, which is facilitated by next day delivery instead of waiting to meet your chum on a Saturday afternoon to look round the shops. I saw a programme round about Christmas (maybe one of the Mary Portas ones?) where a retail expert said that the high street was becoming more like a “showroom” where people went to see things, but still bought online.

If the high street had small independent shops I would visit but my city is pretty uninspiring and I can't be doing with the crowds of weekend shoppers . Not sure what the future is for the high street but it needs to adapt.

We have one small strip of independent shops and I use them as much as I can - not as a point of principle but just because I like them. But they're closing down one by one and being replaced by fast food outlets. I don't think the future looks great for the high street to be honest.

Of course there are advantages to internet shopping but I always ask myself who is benefiting the most. I have a bad feeling it isn't the consumer.

Business rates are so high that so many independent shops have closed down in a neighboring town, it's really disheartening. Empty shops should be given to small businesses so they can set up "pop up shops" on a temporary basis. High street chains are really boring, along with fast food outlets, betting shops etc it's pretty grim in a lot of the UK.

I never thought I'd say it but I love shopping online, I've realized I'm a grumpy thing now and don't want to go shopping and have annoying people in my way, having to queue up to pay, walk around carrying bags and generally put up with other human beings! If I know my size in that particular shop then online shopping is a real joy. Just to add I do love in the country, my nearest big decent city to shop is 35 miles away. Oh and I appear to have fallen in love with eBay too!!!

I love internet shopping because of the convenience, but I enjoy the social aspect of wandering through town.

As I'm short of time, I'll often order online and collect in store as this is often free. It saves me a wasted trip to town, as ordering online means I am guaranteed the item.

I work in Argos and it's pretty dire ATM. Ours is a big extra store and yesterday was so quiet for a Saturday. Even at Christmas the shop wasn't as busy as a few years ago. Shops are shutting all over the place . We rarely even have to queue anymore because shops are so empty . It's getting pretty sad .

I much prefer shopping in the High Street, especially for shoes and clothes, I really can't be doing with all the faffing sending stuff back and the cost of for example having several pairs of shoes to try when you know in all likelihood none of them will be quite right. I just like going into shops, looking at things, chatting with the staff, trying things on there and then. I'm lucky in that I can shop in my lunch break or go to the nearest city once in a while on my day off but I often wander into town for half an hour late on a Saturday afternoon when the rest of the family are watching TV or whatever.