Goodbye high street clothes shopping. Hello Amazon.

LOL - get it now.
ah well just tested positive with Covid - so need to look after myself and OH and keep stress free- so will leave you to it for some time.

Paracetamol alternated with Ibuprofen- rest, keep isolating- and keep away from anything unpleasant.

Sorry to hear that Biba - do you know where /from whom you got it!

Some analysts have predicted for some time that the city centre as a shopping destination has had its day
“City centres as an entertainment centre are becoming the normal. Trading retailers are moving to out of town retail parks and online which in the overall plan of things makes perfect sense. Parking is easy, access for deliveries and customer pick-ups are easy and costs are generally lower.

“COVID-19 did not cause this transition, it simply helped to speed it along.

“Time to leave the high street for bars, coffee shops, restaurants and night time entertainment. Large shopping malls and out of town retail estates that are not weighed down by pedestrian and cyclist issues and do not create traffic gridlock to anger the environmental supporters will be the normal of the future.”

Wishing you a speedy recovery biba70

Amazon apart (which I find useful for personal items such as particular dressings, vitamins, little things for my grandchildren.), I think a big problem with high street clothes is companies like M&S, Debenhams etc did not listen to their main shoppers and bought out tired items again and again, for example no cotton or wool, no sleeves, wrong sizing, mini skirts (fine for the size 8 figure).:they tried to appeal to younger people who get their clothes elsewhere. I miss the high street too and I fear for our future.

I was bilingual within 6 months. For me, learning the language of your host country is absolutely essential, at any age, to show respect.
I'm having a bit of a struggle with Welsh, to be truthful.

I may learn Italian in the New Year.

I hope you feel better soon, biba

Ps it was a genuine question - my DD worked in Switzerland a while ago now.

You have been so unfortunate to pick up Covid because I believe you are fairly isolated having seen a photo of your house once. Get well soon.

I have to admit I have been shopping online since long before I developed my Amazon habit (which started when I had my first Kindle and downloaded my reading matter)
Most quality clothes labels have a website and the selection stocked in shops seemed to be becoming more and more limited.
I would not buy clothes from Amazon but lockdown 1 meant it had to be my first port of call for many domestic products. I have also grocery shopped on line for over 10 years as a lifesaving convenience as full time work often left me too knackered to face a Friday night in Sainsburys!
So lets not blame Anazon for everything certainly not the demise of the High Street that started with out of town shopping malls offering covered access to the shops, easy and usually free parking , coffee shops and restaurants.
Everything evolves and sadly the High Street's only defence would have been to become a destination shopping experience in itself. There are still.places like that- market town squares with independent and artisan shops and cafes but Covid has dealt their death knell - not exclusively Amazon - it just happened to have had the infrastructure ready in the right place at the right time.
What happens next? Those who can adapt will survive but we cannot turn the clock back to "Peter and Jane" going shopping with Mother who carried her shopping in a dinky wicker basket.

Some analysts have predicted for some time that the city centre as a shopping destination has had its day

It is constantly changing, of course. At one time small individual shops were the norm, along with markets which supplied food and essential goods. Those who were more entrepreneurial flourished eg Mr Marks and Mr Spencer who together opened stores "Admission Free", as well as market stalls; consequently came the demise of the local drapers' shops.
Sainsburys, Tesco (Mr Cohen started with one stall), Woolworths, British Home Stores, Debenhams etc etc all dominated the High Street.
Gradually smaller retailers were forced out.

Then came the large shopping malls where large stores relocated leaving High Streets with gaps to fill - banks, building societies, charity shops, coffee shops and niche retailers began to take over.

Now we are not really allowed to shop because we risk spreading COVID so only those who can adapt will survive, possibly niche retailers better than the large department stores and chains.

That is the key - adapting to changing circumstances over the years. Those who cannot for whatever reason will close.

We are not supposed to shop, in most areas the shops are closed except for essential goods so we shop online for our needs.
A reset will be needed post-Covid.

X post MawBe

Yes, I am on Team Amazon as well. They have been a real boon this year and they give a good service as well.
I have heard they are not paying taxes as they should but presumably they are taking advantage of various loopholes, so shouldn't the governments involved be closing these loopholes?

Well, I'm not in anyone's Team
?

I hope you and your husband both get well soon biba. x

I'm not on anyone's team either-

No teams are the cause of most of our problems at the moment.

I think you're right, Galaxy-

In the US, corporations dictate- The government supports them- Which is how we arrived at this insular mindset, of not caring to understanding the negative impact Amazon has had on the world- Only seeing the convenience, because it's convenient ..

I can understand why people use Amazon, especially at the moment, but I have lots of reservations about it.

It’s all too easy to over consume, when you can get just about anything at the click of a mouse. I wonder if avid users of Amazon pause to think of the wider picture, and some of the negative impacts which you have alluded to rosecarmel?

I like to think that as we age we are more thoughtful and wiser about our actions and the wider consequences.

Galaxy

No teams are the cause of most of our problems at the moment.

Should I join Team Amazon then?

I do chat to them sometimes!
I even joined their Prime Team by mistake.

No I mean being all on one team or all on the other. With no nuance. That's what's part of our problems at the moment, no nuance all baddies and goodies. I use Amazon it was the concept of being team anything that I was talking about. Still not sure if I have made myself clearer

I see Galaxy

I'm obviously having problems with clarity of speech at the moment, understanding others and making myself understood.
Lockdown syndrome.

I think it was me rather than you

Not entirely.
I am going to be more careful what I post as I am being misunderstood.
It's my New Year's resolution, but it won't be in operation until until Friday.

See - two untils
I'm sure I only typed one