Support our high street shops and save the planet

HollyTrees

I was listening to something on Radio 4 which alarmed me.
We can all reduce our carbon footprint by shopping on the high street because for every item we order online another delivery van gets sent out which basically equals more traffic. 
They said our need for things online has increased a lot in recent years but went into over drive during lockdown, and they are worried the trend will continue. But in the long run its detrimental to our enviroment. 
So for example they said just because you order 10 items online, it doesnt mean those 10 items will be in one van like you would think. The items are stored in different ware houses very often in different parts of the country, which is why they said its not out of the question that 10 vans will be sent out. 
Quite frightening isnt it? Surely the government needs to announce this to the country, because we could all do our bit and shop in the highstreet like we used to. 

sheramber

That's okay if there is a high street but a lot of shops in the high street have closed.so people have to get things online.

adonis

The problem in the high street was same shops different high street with some exceptions,

also the biggy is nowhere to park without paying an arm and a leg and risking the parking cowboys if you go a minute over.

I love the high streets with lots of independent shops, but I am not paying through the nose to park for the privilege of shopping there.

The issue with multiple van deliveries, let the delivery companies sort it out as we don't care.

HollyTrees

sheramber said:

That's okay if there is a high street but a lot of shops in the high street have closed.so people have to get things online.

I know which is a shame, but it really is a case of use them or lose them. 
But I really didnt realise our love of things online is actually polluting the planet. 
The message was we should do our bit by shopping in the high street if we can. 
So if we see a nice bracelet online, just remember another van is sent out to deliver it to your door. Compared to if we physically go out shopping we tend to buy all the things we need in one shopping spree and all in one car. 

Robin9

Buying local doesn't always look like that.
I can order a book from my local bookshop - it will come in one of those 10 vans to the bookshop for me to collect the next day. and I will have driven into town twice

comeandgo

HollyTrees said:

sheramber said:

That's okay if there is a high street but a lot of shops in the high street have closed.so people have to get things online.

I know which is a shame, but it really is a case of use them or lose them. 
But I really didnt realise our love of things online is actually polluting the planet. 
The message was we should do our bit by shopping in the high street if we can. 
So if we see a nice bracelet online, just remember another van is sent out to deliver it to your door. Compared to if we physically go out shopping we tend to buy all the things we need in one shopping spree and all in one car. 

But that van is not making an extra visit because I ordered something, it was coming anyway.  For me to go to a decent sized town to get a bracelet would mean a two hour drive there and same return.  Cost that into it and my bracelet is cheaper on line.  Not everyone has shops within shouting distance.

HollyTrees

Robin9 said:

Buying local doesn't always look like that.
I can order a book from my local bookshop - it will come in one of those 10 vans to the bookshop for me to collect the next day. and I will have driven into town twice

Well yes but I guess those sinarios are more rare. 
They we're just on about people who just go online and order up things after a few clicks because its easier and very often cheaper as you rightly pointed out we didnt use our own car. But what people dont realise loads of vans are sent out from all over the country to feed our online appetites. 

coachman12

HollyTrees said:

Robin9 said:

Buying local doesn't always look like that.
I can order a book from my local bookshop - it will come in one of those 10 vans to the bookshop for me to collect the next day. and I will have driven into town twice

Well yes but I guess those sinarios are more rare. 
They we're just on about people who just go online and order up things after a few clicks because its easier and very often cheaper as you rightly pointed out we didnt use our own car. But what people dont realise loads of vans are sent out from all over the country to feed our online appetites. 

Previous posters have already mentioned the obvious fact that thousands of vans will deliver everything to the High Street shops; and you will make journeys in your car quite often to do shopping in High Streets.
On top of this, buying online is the future------and a good job too IMHO ! And don't forget  that all the vans will be electric in due course. 
The trouble with journalism, whatever the media, is that when it has nothing much to say, it spouts out stories that sound good, bad, frightening, interesting, etc------but every one of us has the ability to wonder whether the story is really valid, if it has been one-sided, if it is of any meaning at all. We must think about articles and news items and make up our own minds when we stop and think about the issues for ourselves. 

Takmon

HollyTrees said:

I was listening to something on Radio 4 which alarmed me.
We can all reduce our carbon footprint by shopping on the high street because for every item we order online another delivery van gets sent out which basically equals more traffic. 
They said our need for things online has increased a lot in recent years but went into over drive during lockdown, and they are worried the trend will continue. But in the long run its detrimental to our enviroment. 
So for example they said just because you order 10 items online, it doesnt mean those 10 items will be in one van like you would think. The items are stored in different ware houses very often in different parts of the country, which is why they said its not out of the question that 10 vans will be sent out. 
Quite frightening isnt it? Surely the government needs to announce this to the country, because we could all do our bit and shop in the highstreet like we used to. 

Isn't this just common sense to know this and i don't think anyone is stupid enough to think that all the items they order online are stored in the same place and all sent out in one van are they?

Plus a lot of the stuff i buy isn't available in shops anywhere near me and the only things i can get what i want is food shopping and clothes and everything else i need to get online.

Pollycat

coachman12 said:

Previous posters have already mentioned the obvious fact that thousands of vans will deliver everything to the High Street shops; and you will make journeys in your car quite often to do shopping in High Streets.
On top of this, buying online is the future------and a good job too IMHO ! And don't forget  that all the vans will be electric in due course. 
The trouble with journalism, whatever the media, is that when it has nothing much to say, it spouts out stories that sound good, bad, frightening, interesting, etc------but every one of us has the ability to wonder whether the story is really valid, if it has been one-sided, if it is of any meaning at all. We must think about articles and news items and make up our own minds when we stop and think about the issues for ourselves. 

Very true.

You shouldn't always believe what you hear or read.

My local high street was poor pre-covid.

Mainly charity shops, betting shops, opticians, cash converter type shops.

Heaven knows what it looks like now (I haven't been for over 4 months).

Lots of shops have closed because of high business rents and rates, so we can't do our bit and shop in the high street like we used to. It's too late.

HollyTrees said:

I know which is a shame, but it really is a case of use them or lose them. 

It's too late.

We've lost them.

JamoLew

looking at it from the other direction:
instead of lets say 100 separate households all making journeys to the shops to buy a widget - we now have 1 vehicle delivering all those 100 widgets to the 100 households.
Is that not a lot of unnecessary journeys saved