Shopping on the High Street

Caitlin_Bree

Did the High Street just give up? No competition in price, sales assistants with no information, no stock, and no people skills.
..Going out reminds me of why I hate going out.

pulliptears

I think the high street is just becoming a large viewing area tbh where you can go, inspect what you want to buy then come home and buy it cheaper.

I'll probably be lambasted for it but I personally prefer online shopping to the high street and its probably through people like myself that it's died. I almost exclusively shop online, from clothing to food. I prefer it. I don't enjoy walking round stores and as you have said you tend to find sales assistants that don't know the product.
Online I can find the best price, reviews and a wealth of information that isn't available to me in store.

I can trudge round the shops for hours having paid extortionate parking fees or I can spend some time with my family. For me personally I'd rather do that though I do have sympathy with those who prefer physical shops.

aileth

pulliptears wrote: »

I think the high street is just becoming a large viewing area tbh where you can go, inspect what you want to buy then come home and buy it cheaper.

I'll probably be lambasted for it but I personally prefer online shopping to the high street and its probably through people like myself that it's died. I almost exclusively shop online, from clothing to food. I prefer it. I don't enjoy walking round stores and as you have said you tend to find sales assistants that don't know the product.
Online I can find the best price, reviews and a wealth of information that isn't available to me in store.

I can trudge round the shops for hours having paid extortionate parking fees or I can spend some time with my family. For me personally I'd rather do that though I do have sympathy with those who prefer physical shops.

I totally agree. For Christmas or birthdays I just do click and collect John Lewis. I can do everyone's Christmas presents in about 30 mins rather than countless hours trudging through most likely bad weather to find they don't have what I want.

When I discovered online supermarket shopping, I haven't now done a 'proper' shop in an actual supermarket (Except emergency bits and pieces). Why would I want to push a trolley around for an hour plus trawling through aisles that they've most likely moved around since your last visit when I can sit at my PC with a cuppa, look at all the offers in one area, and be able to go back and amend the night before it arrives (Rather than driving home and remembering something I forgot, and having to go out again...).

To get people back, they need to make it an experience. For example, one I won't forget is going into Lush on a quiet afternoon and being taken through all the products, trying things out, shop assistant beaming wtih knowledge and so enthusiastic. I spent double what I wanted to.

pulliptears

aileth wrote: »

I totally agree. For Christmas or birthdays I just do click and collect John Lewis. I can do everyone's Christmas presents in about 30 mins rather than countless hours trudging through most likely bad weather to find they don't have what I want.

When I discovered online supermarket shopping, I haven't now done a 'proper' shop in an actual supermarket (Except emergency bits and pieces). Why would I want to push a trolley around for an hour plus trawling through aisles that they've most likely moved around since your last visit when I can sit at my PC with a cuppa, look at all the offers in one area, and be able to go back and amend the night before it arrives (Rather than driving home and remembering something I forgot, and having to go out again...).

To get people back, they need to make it an experience. For example, one I won't forget is going into Lush on a quiet afternoon and being taken through all the products, trying things out, shop assistant beaming wtih knowledge and so enthusiastic. I spent double what I wanted to.

I did my weekly grocery shop this morning, on the sofa with a cuppa and a slice of toast. I also dont go into Supermarkets to do a 'proper' shop.

My local council have just ramped up the charges yet again for Pay and Display. Realistically I could pay £5 to park on my local shopping center whereas I'd probably pay less in delivery charges online.

I do enjoy a wander around the local charity shops occasionally, but thats probably the limit of my high street buying these days

shannalicious

As some who works in a clothing store on the high street I agree that so many companies have given up on their stores. I find it utterly depressing that the internet will be the death of the high street
I rarely order stuff online as I find it so impersonal and it takes the excitement of shopping for me. I love going shopping, just to see/feel the products, try on clothes, smell perfumes, pick out the best tomatoes...little things like that.

Online stores take so much profit away from the high street stores that staff hours get cut, less stock gets sent in as it's not selling & they simply can't compete with online stores in prices. Won't be long before there's nothing but charity shops and cafes

My favourite part of the job is interacting with customers, I used to love helping people put together a whole outfit right down to accessories. Now, we barely have enough staff to serve at the tills nevermind spend half an hour with a customer.

System

pulliptears wrote: »

I think the high street is just becoming a large viewing area tbh where you can go, inspect what you want to buy then come home and buy it cheaper.

I browse in Currys and then whilst leaving the store I buy what I saw instore on amazon on my smartphone for 10% cheaper.

Some of the high street shops prices are too expensive. I know they have overheads but they also have no shipping costs like online shops.

fozmcfc

Internet shopping still accounts for a very small percentage of the total amount spent by consumers.

The high street is not going to disappear soon.

Supermarket shopping in particular is here to stay. All I seem to do is read complaints about internet supermarket shopping.

1/ Items being replaced by other items, which in some cases don't come close.

2/ Expiry dates to close to delivery date for item to be used.

3/ Money being held on peoples cards in a pre authorised state for a week or more.

4/ Non delivery of shopping when stated.

5/ Items damaged

6/ Overcharging, because offers end between buying and actual delivery date.

and that's just off the top of my head.

Caitlin_Bree

I think that's what the sales assistants in Currys, HMV and PC World were expecting me to do, look at whatever and then buy online. I had cash in my pocket but noone seem particularly interested in selling me anything.
HMV gave me misinformation that put me off a product, PC World told me I didn't want what I was looking for and Currys (another branch) had no stock and no idea when they would be getting more.

I remember a time that I loved shopping.. when it was more than shopping..when it was the only exercise I got.. Now it seems the High Street is dead and I am destined to be fat.

Not that long ago, I could spend all day out, browsing. Now all of our two-way (independent) charity shops have been priced out of the area and every other closing shop seems to spawn a cafe/pub/restaurant.. one even sprouted a WHSmith (I know..HOW?!)
Food shopping's not so much of an issue for me as I tend to keep antisocial hours, but when the shops are going to be packed, ie xmas, I definitely prefer not to be exposed to people.

(Aileth, I was in Lush on 31st Dec about an hour before closing... the sale had started and they were empty. I spent the rest of my shopping time in there.:))

Azari

fozmcfc wrote: »

Internet shopping still accounts for a very small percentage of the total amount spent by consumers.

The high street is not going to disappear soon.

Supermarket shopping in particular is here to stay. All I seem to do is read complaints about internet supermarket shopping.

1/ Items being replaced by other items, which in some cases don't come close.

2/ Expiry dates to close to delivery date for item to be used.

3/ Money being held on peoples cards in a pre authorised state for a week or more.

4/ Non delivery of shopping when stated.

5/ Items damaged

6/ Overcharging, because offers end between buying and actual delivery date.

and that's just off the top of my head.

These are all problems that occur, certainly.

But then there is another list of problems that people have with actually turning up at the supermarket.

Nonetheless, I agree that supermarket shopping is not going to be replaced by the 'net.

But many other types are already going that way.

System

Azari wrote: »

These are all problems that occur, certainly.

But then there is another list of problems that people have with actually turning up at the supermarket.

Nonetheless, I agree that supermarket shopping is not going to be replaced by the 'net.

But many other types are already going that way.

I think most people use the net as its cheaper than the high street. However supermarkets can keep their prices competitive against the Internet which is why companies like tesco don't struggle as much.

tom15387202

Perhaps if every other high street consumer wasn't screaming and shouting their (incorrect) rights and treated shop workers like human beings then the staff would give two :eek: and bother to absorb useful information that can be used to help the customer

I hate going to into shops because the staff are paid and trained to look like they care about you but infact don't - its all very false and distracting.

The stuck up attitude of shoppers is killing the high street, not the internet.