Are other towns like mine !

I do know what you mean, Fleurpepper, but at the same time, I think they are going to have to. I can't remember the last time I went shopping. I might pop into a shop on my way to something else, but it's usually to buy something edible or to browse things like antiques (which I don't buy) and other things where the items are individual and can't be bought online. 99% of what I buy is online.

I realise that that's just me, and that other people do like shopping, but as the cost of living gets higher, people will have less and less to spend, so anything but essentials will become luxuries.

As Kim has said upthread, people like being able to go out and meet people, even if it's just for a quick 'hello', and as we move away from shopping we will still have that need - it's very human. These days, people don't even go to the bank very often, as many have closed, so we (or town planners/councillors) will have to be more imaginative when thinking of how to bring people together.

Book shops and knitting shops often combine with cafes, so that people can knit and natter, or relax with a book and a cup of coffee - maybe more outlets could do something similar. Internet cafes have had their day, but something along those lines could be good too (gaming outlets?). My knitting group meets in a pub, but we all drink coffee. We meet at 11.00, so the pub is open, but there are few customers, and we're usually gone fore the lunchtime trade gets in. Our coffees won't make them a fortune, but if ten people each buy a coffee at £2.50, it will pay the barmaid's wages whilst she does the opening up she'd be doing anyway.

Thanks. But I can't imagine town centres will survive without us shopping there, and not just very specialised things like knitting or books (which so many buy on line now anyhow).

Our own behaviour will decide the future. If we want town centres, we have to give them value by using them for more than coffee or lunch.

I don’t know if the town where I’ve moved to is behind or ahead of the curve but independent cafes and restaurants are closing at a rate of knots. Six have shut in just a few months and more are teetering on the edge. The town also has a higher than average rate of empty shops. Shopping used to be so good here, lots of people would come for a day visit and to browse the department stores and independent shops.

Part of the problem is the council’s long-running campaign against cars, which began 30+ years ago. They’ve made it so difficult to park that even with a Blue Badge (my mum has one) it can be impossible to access shops.

On the other hand, the two retail parks with free parking always seem busy, although one of them only has a Costa cafe. I think there’d be a business opportunity to set up an independent cafe there as I’m sure it would be popular - I’d use it!

I've noticed that our local cafes have been doing so much better since Waitrose stopped giving shoppers a free coffee every day.

The thing is people only shop in person if they find it pleasurable. There is absolutely no way I am going to go shopping in order to save the future M & S for example.

Exactly. I think the 'use it or lose it' threat is a bit pointless, as people who don't use it have already found an alternative that suits them better.

Times are changing, and fewer people want shops. If councils get to grips with that - whatever they think we should want - and come up with alternatives, there is a chance that the high street can be saved, just not in the form we have now.

I know that bookshops and knitting are specialist, but they were just examples. Anyone with a similar specialism could do the same. I also suggested gaming, or bowling - I'm not at the forefront of trending pastimes, but there will be others. Escape rooms, language labs, art classes might work. Restaurants could open their kitchens for cookery classes (I know some do this already).

For all my town has several pubs, restaurants and cafes, there is little to do that doesn't involve alcohol (although obviously it's optional), that appeals to all ages and is open in the evening when the cafes close. I don't know the answer, but what I'm saying is that it's an opportunity waiting to be taken up. Just bemoaning the fact that 'things ain't what they used to be' isn't going to help. Doing nothing will result in more nail bars, beauty salons and tattoo parlours, as they can't do business online.

SueDonim That’s a big part of the problem in many places. I recently queried the 30% increase in price per hour of the car park I use and was told it was because if the war in Ukraine!

Shinamae

Oh and barbers, they seem to pop up every few weeks,there must be at least 11 barbers in my town ?.. how they sustain regular clientele I have no idea…

i think some of them deal in other business.

That's a bit of a stretch, Molly .

People are always moaning about parking here. I suspect they do everywhere, really. It's not really expensive though - nothing like the cost of a city centre carpark - but people are prepared to drive to another town 'nearby' (about 15 miles away) because they have free parking. Or so they say, anyway - it seems like false economy to me. It can be difficult to get a space at all, at peak times, though.

Again, I blame the town councillors (ours are pretty hopeless, IMO - really stuck in the past and very resistant to change) - if they reinstated shuttle buses to ferry people from all the peripheral estates they keep building, they could free up the car parks at a stroke, and save them for people who need them because of mobility problems, or who want to load large items into the boot. As it is, the residents of the estates are too far out to walk into town, so they all bring cars and clog up the car parks - what else are they going to do? I don't drive, and live in the town centre, so am not grinding an axe here - I just walk into town, but it's only five minutes away.

The little cafe we use on a regular basis about twice a week was packed this morning and they were having to turn away customers. They were almost fully booked for lunches and this cafe is in an area that is not particularly well off.

Oh well, that makes a change from the Covid excuse, Mollygo.

BlueBelle

So many of our closed High street shops are now turning into cafes, coffee shops, restaurants… in this time of ‘poverty’ what’s the point can we all afford to eat out so much I could understand more charity shops or bargain basement type shops but eating establishments how many can we all afford to go to ?

We don't drink coffees or eat meals out. We order most purchases online. Hairdresser, barber, vet are all I can think we need in town.

Hair and vet services will come to homes, that's an option.

Many old structures are renovated for flats, condos, multi family living places - that's a good modern approach, I think.

???I just had a lift into (big) town and driving through my street I see I had missed three eating places out So now we are up to 18 ?? hilarious

We had real trouble booking Sunday lunch as everywhere was fully booked. We had no cooker for a week and wanted some vegetables. We ended up at a Toby Carvery about 15 miles away!

The seaside resort I was born and brought up in is full of cafes and restaurants. Two large supermarkets and very little else.

Twenty years ago, you could easily spend an afternoon in our town, which I regularly did with my children.
We had a lovely independent department store, all the usuals Laura Ashley, Athena, Monsoon,Mothercare, Body Shop, to name but a few, plus some independents
Now the only shop I ever go into is Marks and Spencer’s.
Most of the shops are just gone, the department store is closed and boarded up, we have many coffee shops, loads of barbers, pop up shops come and go, and an enormous Primark.
I don’t think it will ever come back, it’s gone too far now.
Yet we are surrounded by small towns which seem to thrive, my husband thinks they only survive if there is something unique to attract people, well we certainly don’t have that here I’m sorry to say.

We rarely go into town (Glasgow) except to make travel connections but in the suburbs it is full of restaurants and coffee shops packed to capacity. Seemingly the cost of living crisis hasn't reached here...yet!

my town has so many coffee shops I wonder how they all survive.. costa, starbucks, nero's also tea shops. six charity shops, one supermarket the others moved out of town.
M and S due for closure.

at least 12 modern Barbers and several hairdressers all thriving.

Ours is thriving, loads of independent shops, an indoor market, White Suff, Joules, Phase Eight, Waitrose, Lidl, Aldi and loads of coffee shops and restaurants.
In fact shops do not stay empty for long The White Company and Jigsaw have just moved in.
Unfortunately, M&S moved in about 10 years ago, but we’re in the wrong place and only lasted a couple of years.

Not all cafés survive. A couple opened about 6 months ago and have folded before I had even tried them.
They get a rates holiday for 6 months and try to make a go of it but it must be very hard.
The Italian restaurant has just celebrated 10yrs.
It's a family business and their opening hours have shrunk so they are just open Thursday to Sunday evenings. Slightly less busy maybe as I managed to book a table for my DS's last night staying with me.
You can bring your own wine too which saves money.
I think that the good places will survive. I hope so anyway.

I live outside a small market city with one main shopping street, and there are some branded clothes shops left (Whitestuff, Hobbs, M+S etc), a postoffice and a few banks and a several pound shops and charity shops. There is however a wonderful choice of coffee/ cake/icecream and cafes for lunch- most with outside pavement space. There are also lots of barbers shops, some also selling coffee! I guess the rates are so high (and the premises vintage and small) only small businesses can fit and survive. Independent clothes shops have all but vanished. The cafes always seem to be busy especially on market and sunny days! There are, as in every high street now, several empty spaces- sometimes used for 'pop up' shops.

The car park here is free and consequent footfall is good. We also have good clean toilets, a central library and several benches for people to pass the time of day. It is no wonder that this little town is thriving

Town centres have to change because shopping habits have changed. I've always been amazed by the number of people on here who shop on line. I love going into the town centre, often
just for a daily walk and a coffee, I buy very little there but the
walk is pleasant.
Here in France there is more effort to make town centres
'people friendly' rather than cars. The main squares are being
re-done with flat fountains to combat the summer heat, there is more vegetation and the pavements are wider and car free,
it is attracting far more people for leisure with many bars
and cafes, altogether a much nicer atmosphere.

Having molibity issues and not going out much (except via car or door to door taxi) Im rather out of touch with the kinds of shops which are in our local area. A short time ago I was having a conversation with my nephew and I mentioned paying "two pound for a coffee from Starbucks". He laughed and said I must be joking. Its nearer five pounds now.

When I see the news of how the cost of living increase is going to hit all these little hospitality venues I often aske well do we really need so many pubs, coffee bars and so on? They certainly seem over priced. Time will tell if people want to go on spending £5 on a watery coffee when I can make something just a good at home.

Our local council is promoting warm hubs where people can sit during the day to save on energy bills.
The Food Bank already offers this plus instant coffee and a Gregg's sausage roll.
Every little helps.

I live in a small market town. Would never enter my head to go for a coffee in one of the numerous coffee shops, I just go home and have one there.

As others have said, charity shops, hairdressers, nail bars, barbers.

We are lucky to have two independent butchers, a market twice a week, (and it really winds me up, we have a ‘Market Place’, but incomers call it the ‘Market Square’. Aagh!

A very expensive green grocers, much as I would like to support it, the prices are too dear.

A very good family bakers, also not cheap, but I like their bread at over £2.50 a loaf, so I buy it.

A boutique that does well, but mainly Italian ‘one size fits all’, so not really my bag, plus I rarely buy new clothes. Plus a good shoe shop.

A new bed/furniture store about to open, hope it does well.

Other shops of course, I certainly buy my food locally and try not to shop online if possible.