Shopping is dead. Long live shopping.

Has our high street had its day? Are we really becoming a nation of Internet shoppers? Christmas shopping is surely becoming easier. So many purchases can now be made online and delivered at your convenience often to your place of work.

http://www.whichbetter.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/online_shopping.jpg


Now there is no need to trawl around the shopping centre car park looking for a space. No need to hustle and bustle through the crowded shopping mall and then queuing for hours to buy that must have item.

I remember when I first discovered the convenience of internet shopping. We had been to the local shopping centre and had looked at a number of items. Whilst in the shops I was looking up the same items on my phone and found without exception I could find each and everyone cheaper and all from the same Internet based company located somewhere in South America.

We decided not to buy but made a list of the items we wanted. That evening I bought the entire list sitting in front of my computer and two days later it was all delivered and at a cheaper cost than if we had purchased on the high street.

Of course internet shopping is not just for Christmas. My nonagenarian Grandma finds it difficult to get to the supermarket so she gets online and completes her weekly food shop with a click of her mouse. This allows her to maintain some independence.

This year my Christmas shopping has been a mix of internet and actual shopping. The high street still seems busy but the queues aren't as big as the ones I used to remember. I think for shops to survive in the current shopping climate they must have an online presence and be able to offer fast delivery times.

Comments

  1. Anonymous17 December 2012 at 10:39

    Yeah that's true Ed, and boy aren't we glad that the internet retailers are not only pulling shoppers away from the high street, forcing independent shops to close (especially book shops) - but they also don't pay corporation tax and the constant van deliveries mean more congestion and pollution on the roads... god bless online retailing! I guess it also means people don't have to go outside, but thats ok because we can just give our kids vitamin D supplements to stave off the rickets while they sit inside and watch the new DVDs that have been delivered through the door. I reckon picking a book up off a shelf in a shop, paying for it and popping it straight in your bag is probably the fastest delivery time you can get?

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