Whither the High Street / Malls?

[wetkingcanute]

On Friday morning our old kettle gave up the ghost.
Too busy working I went on line to Amazon. Found a great selection of kettles.
Clicked on the one I wanted.
Saturday morning it arrived. Exactly what I wanted.

So, apart from the Supermarkets, I suppose we're going to be left with Coffee shops, Hairdressers; Nail places; Betting shops and Estate Agents.

[perrykneeham]

Maybe that's just progress. I have a pet theory that, as offices and retail space in the CBD is converted to residential use, there will come a new local retail requirement to serve the residents (who will mainly comprise fighting age frauds, of course). And retired corporate expat spinsters, natch.

[mids]

I don't like shopping so online is a good thing for me although clothes shopping, the worst kind, is probably best done in person.

[voice]

I use Amazon as a last resort, always look elsewhere on line first.

[moggyonspeed]

"So, apart from the Supermarkets, I suppose we're going to be left with Coffee shops, Hairdressers; Nail places; Betting shops and Estate Agents."

You've pretty much summed up Didcot Broadway there, apart from all the charity shops; you forgot those.

[mids]

Didn'tcot Broadway, more like.

[perrykneeham]

Diddycot Broadway, more like.

[mids]

Diddlecot Broadway, more like.

[moggyonspeed]

All true. Whoever named Didcot Broadway as such was having a bit of a larf, as it only has shops on the one side (houses and green space on the other) and isn't particularly wide.

[mids]

Anyway, you've got consumerist hell, Bicester village right on your doorstep.

[mids]

Aug 13, 2023 18:41:53 GMT voice said:

I use Amazon as a last resort, always look elsewhere on line first.

Not "specialist" enough for you?

[moggyonspeed]

Aug 14, 2023 9:32:05 GMT mids said:

Anyway, you've got consumerist hell, Bicester village right on your doorstep.

Well, it's a good 20 miles away but, yes, it brings out the very worst in British consumerist society; overpriced tat that Joe Public seems to think is some kind of a bargain.

Fool. Money. Nuff said.

[flatandy]

I have been to Bicester Village once in my life. It was once too often.

[wetkingcanute]

And people who know it's pronounced Bister don't go there.

[mids]

Ficester village, more like.

[flatandy]

Also, interesting that the kids still want to be fairly urban because of what it offers. High Streets will survive, I think, but with a change in what they offer. As noted in the outset, it's more restaurants and coffee and bars, plus shops where service is necessary or where it's important to try before you buy, or immediacy is important. So, yes, hairdressers and nail places. Also, say, bike shops that service bikes, some expensive clothes shops, fresh produce shops, something like Apple's shops where they do maintenance on your iphone. I imagine there'll still be a handful of shops selling stuff for genuine "I need it today" convenience but far fewer, but something like DiY shops will survive for that reason. The death of cheap clothing, electrical gadget sales, and particularly department stores is imminent. And malls - it's really hard to see why they exist these days.

[mids]

Department stores are/were great but nothing lasts forever and they've only been around for 150 years or so. The posh ones are/were the best. You can buy a lion in Harrods.