Author Topic: Is This The End Of Retail?  (Read 64734 times)

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #50 on: 12 June, 2018, 05:41:08 pm »
Abingdon continues along the conversion to charity shop/ coffee chain - cafe - restaurant - pizza joint (now PHut, Doms, PapaJ, Ask & PE), despite the council making all car parks free for the first two hours. Most smaller independents are going/gone (including a bike shop) - apparently in the face of the high business rates.  A main unit of the refurbed precinct didn't fill for ages, in the end becoming a superdrug (moving from <100metres away), which is directly next door to a Boots, across the way from yet another pharmacy. 
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Torslanda

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #51 on: 12 June, 2018, 05:43:15 pm »

Knowledgeable salespeople were an endangered species well before internet shopping became mainstream.  Why employ a knowledgeable salesperson when a bullshitting oik can shift more stock for a lower wage?


Are you listening Cement Block Shit Hole Inc.? (and others passim...)
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

ian

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #52 on: 12 June, 2018, 07:48:13 pm »
Online reviews, good god, that's the black hole of stupid.

Ultimately we want to buys lots of things. We want them as cheap as possible. We feign concern when we find out the people who make them in Faroffland are poorly treated and we all shake our heads when we learn that the people who sell them earn a minimum wage. Then we buy some more. Quality and service cost money and that gets in the way of more stuff, which is ultimately what most people seem to want.

Jaded

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #53 on: 12 June, 2018, 10:39:36 pm »
You forgot:

Then we whinge like stuck pigs when we realise that actually we've lost choice, jobs, and life is actually more expensive. But it is too late.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #54 on: 13 June, 2018, 09:15:13 am »
Now we have Network Rail selling off railway arches, so those small shops/repair units that occupied them are being forced out by large rent increases

ian

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #55 on: 13 June, 2018, 09:59:12 am »
I suppose we want to be paid and rewarded well, have secure jobs and good conditions, while at the same time buying things at a price that provides for none of those things.

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #56 on: 13 June, 2018, 10:03:40 am »
I suppose we want to be paid and rewarded well, have secure jobs and good conditions, while at the same time buying things at a price that provides for none of those things.

Ian, I hear what you say. But I would like to add something to that. I have lived in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark. They are different societies to ours.
As an anecdote, in Switzerland I bought a washing machine. The person managing my flat was horrified that I planned to fit it myself. No - a workman would come round and fit it. Everyone has their job to do. Again in Switzerland working n the railways is a very highly respected job.

So I agree with you - the UK is becoming a very unequal society. We have people aspiring to owning Mercedes cars, SUVs, taking long haul holidays, etc. etc. But on the other hand expecting those who work on the tills/cleaning the streets (whatever) to work for a pittance.



Jaded

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #57 on: 13 June, 2018, 10:22:43 am »
<snipped for brevity>
...

Towns are in an unequal battle with out of town locations that provide free parking. There should be charges per out of town space. We like free parking...

This is about employment, about recognising that well over 20% of people do not have access to a car, about community and being a social human rather than a selfish one.

that's an interesting stat J. Do you have any breakdown e.g. how many of those are in massive highrise flats, how many urban-vs-rural etc?

[In this discussion I always think of friends who have lost their driving licences due to medical conditions - I assume that way less than 20% are in a similar situation, but we should still try to consider them.]

No breakdown.

You will probably find that no car ownership has a greater effect in isolated rural areas, and this tend to be where asset rich (property), cash poor, older people live.

Recent reports (which may or may not be media hype) indicate that young people are far less likely to take up driving as part of their way of life. However, of course, they are quite likely to be in a household with access to a car.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #58 on: 13 June, 2018, 05:30:05 pm »
You will probably find that no car ownership has a greater effect in isolated rural areas, and this tend to be where asset rich (property), cash poor, older people live.
Also, larger distances and almost zero public transport.

ian

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #59 on: 13 June, 2018, 06:23:50 pm »
But again, why is there no public transport? Because everyone was persuaded to drive.

Which left behind everyone who couldn't – the poor, the old etc. And now everyone says 'but we have to drive! there's no public transport!'

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #60 on: 13 June, 2018, 07:32:16 pm »


Ian, I hear what you say. But I would like to add something to that. I have lived in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark. They are different societies to ours.
As an anecdote, in Switzerland I bought a washing machine. The person managing my flat was horrified that I planned to fit it myself. No - a workman would come round and fit it. Everyone has their job to do. Again in Switzerland working n the railways is a very highly respected job.

So I agree with you - the UK is becoming a very unequal society. We have people aspiring to owning Mercedes cars, SUVs, taking long haul holidays, etc. etc. But on the other hand expecting those who work on the tills/cleaning the streets (whatever) to work for a pittance.



I'm always interested in experiences of working abroad. I like to see how the Hofstede's cultural dimensions work out. I'm happy enough to accept that different societies have different attitudes. Different classes have their own norms as well. The UK does well for not matching action to words.

https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/denmark,the-netherlands,switzerland,the-uk/

ElyDave

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #61 on: 13 June, 2018, 10:24:32 pm »
I suppose we want to be paid and rewarded well, have secure jobs and good conditions, while at the same time buying things at a price that provides for none of those things.
I disagree, I make a point of shopping on our market, more expensive than supermarket, but as far as I am concerned supporting local producers is worth it.

Someone is going to come along and make a statement about how not everyone can afford to do that, I agree.  I'm well paid, and as a result have more choice than others.I exercise that choice in not being driven by lowest price.

Retail is not dead, its changing to be microscopically local at the same time as being massively decentralised amazonian
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #62 on: 15 June, 2018, 09:02:27 pm »
I think it would be good if, as several people have already said, unused shops were turned into housing. I'm not expecting it to happen though.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

ian

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #63 on: 15 June, 2018, 09:28:41 pm »
I suppose we want to be paid and rewarded well, have secure jobs and good conditions, while at the same time buying things at a price that provides for none of those things.
I disagree, I make a point of shopping on our market, more expensive than supermarket, but as far as I am concerned supporting local producers is worth it.

Someone is going to come along and make a statement about how not everyone can afford to do that, I agree.  I'm well paid, and as a result have more choice than others.I exercise that choice in not being driven by lowest price.

Retail is not dead, its changing to be microscopically local at the same time as being massively decentralised amazonian

It was a generalist comment. I also make a point of trying to buy local, reasonable sourced stuff, and am willing to pay for the privilege. I am quite sure I support several craft breweries*. But yes, I have the benefit of being smugly affluent.

But there's a truism in the contradiction. There's ultimately a cost for all that cheapness.

*literally as we have shares in a few, and my wife likes nothing better than crowdfunding things and telling me about it later.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #64 on: 16 June, 2018, 03:01:44 pm »
Has anyone linked to this already? https://theconversation.com/five-ways-bricks-and-mortar-shops-can-survive-the-onslaught-of-e-commerce-98328
It gives five ways in which, in the author's opinion, physical shops can do well by providing things that can't be found online. The author calls these Experiences, Brand advocates, Places you want to stay, Frictionless experience, and Rewards for your time. It's not entirely clear that some of these, most obviously "frictionless experience" cannot be already found shopping online, but it seems to come down to prioritising experience and customer connection over purchase.
Quote
The future of retail is about social interaction. Customers want to be entertained, engaged and emotionally stimulated. Physical stores must enable consumers to have positive experiences. This may be done through creating an element of surprise for customers, perhaps through art, in-store pop-ups or virtual reality. If stores can surprise and entertain their customers, then they are more likely to develop an emotional connection and keep them coming back for more.
Of course online stores try to do this too, by bigging up image and eg including handwritten delivery notes, but they don't have face to face interaction. So that would imply that for the High Street it comes down to staff. Not staff doing easily automated work but creating "experience", so replacing till operators with "floor walkers" and baristas. Might all get a bit chugger-ish, hug the stranger, if they/we aren't careful.  :(

Finally as one of the comments says:
Quote
The answer may be to permit more other non retail businesses to exist in high streets.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #65 on: 21 June, 2018, 09:24:58 pm »
I saw this yesterday - this article puts forward additional views about the impact of gadget costs taking significantly more of peoples' disposable income, leaving less for other discretionary spending (among other points).

https://contrarianedge.com/2017/07/26/not-just-amazons-fault-changing-consumer-habits-killing-old-retail-biz/

Kim

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #66 on: 21 June, 2018, 10:52:49 pm »
I saw this yesterday - this article puts forward additional views about the impact of gadget costs taking significantly more of peoples' disposable income, leaving less for other discretionary spending (among other points).

It's not a new idea.  I recall reading an article some years ago that credited the rise of the PAYG dumbphone (as it was, then) with the sharp decline in teenage smoking around the turn of the century.

It's not so much that pocket computers (let's call them what they are - anyone comparing the role of a modern smartphone to that of a Nokia 3310 is being naive at best) are displacing fashion, as fashion moving from being about clothes to being about pocket computers.

(And of course the technology has absorbed other forms of spending.  People no longer buy music in record shops.  Or walkmans anywhere.)

citoyen

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #67 on: 22 June, 2018, 10:05:46 am »
People no longer buy music in record shops.

Showing your age there. Trendy youths are increasingly ditching digital media in favour of 'vinyls'.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #68 on: 22 June, 2018, 11:37:31 am »
People no longer buy music in record shops.

Showing your age there. Trendy youths are increasingly ditching digital media in favour of 'vinyls'.
Well... trendy hipsterish types in their twenties, maybe. Actual teens, I don't think so. But recently my son's friend's father (so around 50 or I'd say a little older) was enthusing about rediscovering his teenage 'vinyls' (and yes he did call them vinyls) and buying more. 
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

mattc

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #69 on: 24 June, 2018, 05:39:59 pm »
People no longer buy music in record shops.

Showing your age there. Trendy youths are increasingly ditching digital media in favour of 'vinyls'.
... in Sainsburys (or at least in our one).

OT: I did actually spend some money in an actual HMV last week. I thought they'd all shut - hoorah HMV Bath! (It was probably built by the Romans.)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #70 on: 25 June, 2018, 09:50:45 am »
Bath has become nothing more than a retail park with some housing round the edges. Rumour is there's a geothermal spring somewhere and some quite nice buildings too, but nobody's really sure, it's probably just an urban legend.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Torslanda

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #71 on: 25 June, 2018, 10:46:07 am »
Ditto here. Most of M24 is inconveniently situated next to a large Tesco Extra.

But without the ancient buildings and spa. 50p or nearest offer . . .
VELOMANCER

Well that's the more blunt way of putting it but as usual he's dead right.

Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #72 on: 25 June, 2018, 08:32:00 pm »
People no longer buy music in record shops.

Showing your age there. Trendy youths are increasingly ditching digital media in favour of 'vinyls'.
Indeed.
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon available on vinyl in Sainos Sydenham.
How cool is that?

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #73 on: 28 June, 2018, 06:36:35 am »
John Lewis now reporting zero first half earnings, waitrose store closures and massive upheavals.  Thevpartener bonus is down from ten to 5%.

I'd say retail is a bit like a Norwegian blue, sick, pining for the fjords etc
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Jaded

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Re: Is This The End Of Retail?
« Reply #74 on: 28 June, 2018, 08:01:33 am »
Theresa, it’s time to tax Amazon.
It is simpler than it looks.