So many shops closing, so much online shopping

Durham was never the fashion capital of the North East, being equidistant between Newcastle and Sunderland. As a child, school uniform and better stuff came from Doggets, while my DGM bought from M&S. Then, in my teenage years there was a Paige’s. Later, BHS New Look and Top Shop, but gone with Philip Greed’s demise. However, the out of Town retail parks seem to do well and my DGSs’s casual clothing seems to be TU, F&F, George and Nutmeg - all supermarket brands.
I agree that shopping habits have changed and lots of (working) parents just add clothing to their trolleys whilst doing the weekly shop.
My Sis-in-Law (the World Class, Olympic Gold Medalist shopper) has now turned to spending her days in a nearby gigantic garden centre - Bridgemere - where she can spend to her heart’s desire! Not for me though.

Exactly the same here. Luckily Cardiff is only a fifteen minute rail journey away so I can go there for clothes. It's other little things that we just can't get in our local city so have no option but to get them online.

kittylester

I don't necessarily think that people only buy cheap clothes on line.

I much prefer to order clothes on line and try them on at home. The postage equates to the petrol and car parking cost so any easy decision for me.

Absolutely - I don't see the relevance of the earlier cheap clothes comment!
{Wanders off to check out the £££ Sahara, £££ Seasalt and £££ Jigsaw websites }

I use to like shopping in the high street but I fell ill and with a lack of mobility found it easier to shop online, and now from what I see of the high street I wouldn't bother even going anywhere near it.
It's intimidating, dirty, and uninteresting oh and full of tacky shops.

Hate shopping, there are never any staff to help and can never find small sizes. Nearly always told “you can order online” so I do! I do live miles from the city though.
We had retail shops but now only have one left and do most of our business online. The recent budget means that we will consider closing that last shop as it will be too expensive to employ staff.

I never go into the city these days. There is still a John Lewis and M&S, but so many shops have closed. I am lucky that I can get nice clothes at our local garden centre, or drive to an out of town store - easy parking, fitting rooms, café- as I like to feel the fabric and try on for size. I hardly ever buy online. I can get socks and tights in Boyes locally and all I need from a Handistore.

Same shops as me Maw we have impeccable taste. 😁

Georgesgran I think the large garden centres have become the department stores of today! A true emporium.

We are fortunate here in Urmston. (Pop. 42,000 I’m hiding in plain sight). No boarded up shops. Coffee shops, and independents - book shop, florist, opticians, 4 ATM machines, two banks plus the ubiquitous nail bars and hair salons. I suppose they proliferate because you can’t get your hair or nails done on line!

We won’t ever get shoe shops or clothes (apart from Tu in Sainsbury’s in the square below) because the Trafford Centre is a 5 minute drive away and they wouldn’t be able to compete. But we do have bathroom and kitchens, two carpet shops, bars, restaurants, a charity shop, Boots, Greggs, Aldi, Thornton’s, Quality Save, Poundland and Iceland so we have a thriving hub and are well serviced with an artisanal market the first Saturday of every month.

I think the small market towns are where shopping is thriving best, particularly in tourist areas. When people are out for the day now, they want a pretty place, a nice lunch, and individual shops.

GrannyGravy13

Cossy the High St. near you is unrecognisable nowadays, as is the High St. in the City

To visit a decent physical shop in our neck of the woods I suppose it’s Chelmsford or Lakeside.

It’s grim, isn’t it! So sad

Barleyfields

I would much rather buy online than endure Chelmsford or Lakeside nowadays. I am, incidentally, sitting in a very comfortable armchair purchased in Chelmsford!

I agree

My last purchases from Amazon were:

Mini racks for my new airfryer. I tried Lakeland in the city but they didn’t have any. Nor did the Co-op who sell airfryers but no accessories.

Lego kits as Christmas presents for my new neighbours’ children. I tried the local Sainbury’s twice but they were sold out both times.

A 2025 diary insert for my mini Filofax. I used to be able to buy these in a local indie shop but it closed during the pandemic and is now a coffee shop.

That concludes my purchases for the last three months.

Before that - a set of four second-hand political autobigraphies from awesome-books who use Amazon to fulfil their orders. They do also fulfil orders directly but their pricing is all the place, often charging double or treble for the same book that they are selling through Amazon. Attempts to discover why that is failed, so I bought via Amazon.

Sanding sheets for my elderly Black and Decker sander. I tried B&Q locally but they didn’t have them. Your sander is too old.

And that concludes my purchases for 2024.

Amazon is back up for when local shops let me down.

Bound to happen.

FGT Free parking too must make a difference?
It’s £3 an hour in Newcastle!

I’ve seen people have business meetings and others having interviews in my local Dobbies on weekdays, when a Hotel would make a charge to hire a suitable room.

Yes huge car park next to Sainsbury’s in the square, two levels. Free for 3 hours.

Think it was due to Covid many clothing stores did away with chsnging areas. The big M & S store in the city near me (40 mile trip there) does have changing areas but they are on 1 floor of a 4 storey building, 3 stores for clothing. Problem is, you gather what you want to try on and if you discover you need a different size or colour you have to dress and then traipse back to find find the other size. No attendants other than the one issuing the ticket for number of items. Same in John Lewis. Ordering online is definitely easier, order two sizes and keep one that fits. Nothing but vape, nail,coffee,phone, charity shops, Turkish barbers and strangely, travel agents in my High Street.

Our shopping mall is so unlovely that they're in the process of knocking it down! They won't build another mall on the same plot because small businesses can't afford the commercial council tax (that's why so many units were closed down in the first place). Even Debenhams has gone (who'da thunk it?). A few chain stores & franchise restaurants are left but mostly it's estate agents, short-lived cafes and charity shops. Very sad to see.

Need online shopping as I cannot get far on my own. Sometimes my son takes me into Town but I never see anything I need. Get home & Amazon usually has all I need. Sainsburys for my weekly shop. So do need online shopping.

I don’t understand how anyone loves clothes shopping online the phaff of getting a few things then find they don’t fit or don’t look as good as they did on the model or the colours arent true or the quality isn’t good and having to send them back and start all over again for me just leaves me cold
I do buy products, I can’t get in town, online, of course I do
but I really miss a few hours at the shops looking through the rails for something you fancy and trying it on and seeing whether it suits you or not maybe stopping for a coffee and cake then going home with your new items There’s no joy in having to stay in for the delivery men then finding it doesn’t look so good on you after all and the disappointment of packing it all up, getting to the drop off shop or PO ( mind you they are disappearing fast ) and having to wait for the next lot to arrive

Oh I never return things. Someone will be able to make use of whatever it is I ordered.

Same here, lots of empty shops taken over by coffee and charity shops.

Clothes wise, I'm sure if you are a size 10 or 12 (or maybe a 14) you can find things "in the shops" but finding larger clothes in a style you like if you are "plus" size is nearly impossible. If you also know what styles are most likely to work and tend to buy (nearly always) natural fabrics then you can make an educated selection online.

Yes it's expensive to order 5 things when you just want one but if you return the rejected ones swiftly they can come in and out on the same credit card bill.

Would I like to go to one shop and try 20 garments on? Yes, if it was possible. Given my preferences in clothes it hasn't been possible for at least 40 years.

For some of us, "online" opens up a much wider choice than the high street ever could.

Here in Brighton we have all the little independent shops in the North and South Laines that still seem to be thriving.. Debenhams has closed down but is being transformed into an Ikea..
There are a few shops that have closed down but on the whole the streets are still thronged with people.. and you have to go past many to get from the Station to the beach so I expect quite a few visitors are using them..

I much prefer to shop in person. I also want to support local shops or in the end the big stores will have everything and then when we have no choice they will put up the costs and we will not be able to do anything but pay their prices. So I buy as much as possible from local market , which gives me choice as I live alone and do not want 6 or 8 whatever but want variety. Then I always go to local chemist and pay cash as much as possible . If we do this then we will sill have choice.

I needed to buy a Phillips Hue lightbulb, price is approx £50.
I checked on line and John Lewis were showing 5 of the lightbulbs in stock at the Brent Cross branch, which is a half hour drive for me. They were a similar price to Amazon. Off I trot to John Lewis, as I really do prefer physical shopping. Use it or lose it I’m constantly told. Needless to say, a wasted trip for me, as JL didn’t have ANY in stock, never mind 5. It took ages to find a shop assistant to help me, and I was told I could order the item online, and that somebody hadn’t updated the stock levels. Not my first negative experience of this type at a shop. It’s almost as if they deliberately discourage physical shoppers, and want to push us all into shopping online.

I tried to check if an item was actually in my not very "local" M&S three weeks ago.
They couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me.
I waited ages - maybe 20 mins in the phone queue.

I did without.