Shopping on the High Street

rustyboy21

berbastrike wrote: »

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.

There is a vast difference in comparing an online retailer, who may work by themselves , who send goods out and a shop , who has maybe 20-30 staff, business rates,electric,insurance,heating, VAT etc to pay.

Goods can be sent by courrier for a few quid now, compare that to how much it costs , for you to be able to pick the same item up in the shop.

They are not all making mega bucks you know !

I know of a couple of internet traders in my field of expertise, who are not VAT registered, although if the VAT man went through their bucks, they should be paying it. One gets all his goods delivered in from Poland and does not get charged VAT on them. He then gets a carrier to pick up from the docks and deliver direct to the consumer, he charges them VAT, but doesn't pay it ( has a fake VAT no on his website)
I have notified HMRC, but they don't seem to want to know. How many others are doing this? It is not just Starbucks !

rustyboy21

What amazes me is that the UK, seems to be getting hit more by the online shopping craze than any other country in the world.

It is very unusual for internet shopping to be a major part of retail sales in countries like France, Span, Germany etc Even the USA isn't as bad.

Does that mean we have a very unexiting high st, or is it that we have a very lazy populace?

oxfordrocks

I don't think it's the shops on the High St. so much as the state of our town/city centres.

Oxford city centre is awash with litter has few public toilets and the seating they have for people to use are poorly designed.

I personally use the out-of-town shopping centres.

Very rarely go into city centre anymore.

Town and city councils seem to actively discourage people shopping on the High Street.

J4k

To Give you an Example as to why I haven't used the high street/town centers since the advent of online shopping.

I have a friend who supports high street shops town centers etc, and was berating me for not doing so. So I took him on an adventure in retail.

I have a net-book that needs a new screen and can get one online for £30 delivered, and it's a ten minuet Job to replace the old one.

There are three independent PC repair shops on my high-street and a PC world in town. None of the three indies wanted to just supply me a screen. Though they could repair my net book for me for: £65, £90, and £120. Now they're trader's so could get the screen cheaper than £30, Charge me £40 and still be quids in.

PC World Didn't want to know.

Result: Amazon got me my new screen for £30

Still with me!

Back in November I was shopping for a new MTB, and had decided on the one I wanted, scoured the internet for the best deal, and found a 2012 model at Half price. Now there's a LBS that offers to price match, had the same model/year in stock, so of I went to see if they could.

Guess what?

No they could not price match that model, they could however Price match a much lower spec model. I didn't give up and asked if they could meet me half way, on the original model, But nope, "The Bikes are priced to sell"

Fair enough I said

Wiggle supplied me my new MTB and very happy I am.

Will I miss the High streets and town center when they are gone?

Not one bit, they can return it to Green space for me.

madget_2

oxfordrocks wrote: »

I don't think it's the shops on the High St. so much as the state of our town/city centres.

Oxford city centre is awash with litter has few public toilets and the seating they have for people to use are poorly designed.

I personally use the out-of-town shopping centres.

Very rarely go into city centre anymore.

Town and city councils seem to actively discourage people shopping on the High Street.

Whilst I tend not to like or use out-of-town shopping centres (I find them overcrowded, impersonal and usually over-heated), I do agree with much of what oxfordrocks wrote in this post.

Town and city councils are discouraging parking and the use of cars, whilst public transport prices have rocketed. And then there's the fact that many high streets are filled with identikit chains. It's often hardly worth visiting them.

Much of my shopping is done online these days. However, there are certain shops which do retain my loyalty. These tend to have particularly welcoming, helpful and friendly staff who often go out of their way to make my shopping experience a good one and will give honest advice when I am trying to find exactly the right product. So I prefer to buy from them whenever possible, even (and I know this isn't very MSE) if it sometimes costs more to do so.

miss_scrooge

I hate shopping but rather have the stress of going round shops then stress of waiting for parcels then them not turning up I only shop online now if I have an amazon certificate.Shopping in high street is quicker.

chuckley

staff dont know anything but how the till works.

they've been trained to tell u theres nothing in the stockroom when u ask for another size.

They are stumped when you ask them for xyx that was featured in a mag/or their website.

their answer to most questions is 'try online'.

When I worked in retail I was shocked at the lack of knowledge of the staff. They should know the product stories/range names/popular pieces e.t.c.

some stores *cough* River island cant find anything without a code number. describe it and they'll give you the blank stare... No number = I cant help you.

But to be honest, staff aren't trained in retail. No sir they are NOT!

That's why I shop online.

jjj1980

I still really enjoy shopping in the city centre, even with a 3 year old in town.

However, I do get put off by all the chuggars, people doing surveys, signing up for catalogues, selling Big issues etc. Also, either being approached as soon as I walk in a shop and being asked if I need help or being followed around and anything I even pause to glance at being described to me in every way possible. I just want to be left to bumble around on my own, more times than not I have no intention of buying that day anyway, am just "windows shopping". I must be the most annoying person to go shopping with as unless I'm far from home or need the item same day, I will look everywhere possible one day then buy the item the day after.

I like to browse the Internet but only tend to buy online if what I want is not available anywhere else.

madget_2

chuckley wrote: »

staff dont know anything but how the till works.

they've been trained to tell u theres nothing in the stockroom when u ask for another size.

They are stumped when you ask them for xyx that was featured in a mag/or their website.

their answer to most questions is 'try online'.

When I worked in retail I was shocked at the lack of knowledge of the staff. They should know the product stories/range names/popular pieces e.t.c.

some stores *cough* River island cant find anything without a code number. describe it and they'll give you the blank stare... No number = I cant help you.

But to be honest, staff aren't trained in retail. No sir they are NOT!

That's why I shop online.

Some still are, thankfully, but this appears to be becoming more and more rare, unfortunately.

You're right that so many don't seem to have much of a clue about what they are selling and it often hardly seems worth bothering to ask anymore.

I also certainly agree with jjj1980 about the chuggers. There are particular streets which I try to avoid like the plague, simply because you must run the gauntlet of rude and persistent chuggers. Very off-putting.

samutiana

rustyboy21 wrote: »

What amazes me is that the UK, seems to be getting hit more by the online shopping craze than any other country in the world.

It is very unusual for internet shopping to be a major part of retail sales in countries like France, Span, Germany etc Even the USA isn't as bad.

Does that mean we have a very unexiting high st, or is it that we have a very lazy populace?

I think it's actually because - despite all the problems - we have excellent, quick, cost-effective postal services. 99% of the UK could order online for delivery next day (occasionally for free), sometimes including Saturdays. Having lived in France and Spain, there's no way that could happen. Courier and postal coverage isn't wide enough, quick enough, or cheap enough yet for online ordering to be as hassle-free as it is here. Ditto returns.