A quick walk down the High Steet or around the local Mall will show you that the shops are definitely not empty yet all the shops' takings are well down on this time last year. Is it because the rush is going to start later and hopefully people will spend in the end? Have customers deliberately reduced their budgets this year knowing that higher prices and lower wage rises are goint to take their toll on family life for a long time to come?
The traditional shops have got to realise that the real reason is that the world of shopping has changed.
The clever brands saw this coming a long time ago and cemented their presence in the online shopping world a long time ago knowing that this would be the prefered method of buying in the future. The ones who left it too late are the ones bemoaning this "new" trend that is putting them out of business.
I personally have been doing the majority of my gift and gadget shopping via the Internet for at least 10 years.
It is extremely simple to compare products and prices in the comfort of your own sofa after work with a cup of tea or glass of wine to hand. Forget the weather or the timetable, open your laptop at ten O'Clock at night and leisurely browse on and off for as many hours as you like whilst idly watching a film. There is no queuing at the till or carrying cumbersome bags.
Yes, give me online shopping any day.
The only drawback can be the delivery. It can be tricky to make sure you are in or ask a neigbour to take a parcel in for you, but for the growing number of people working from home or working part time this is not a problem. I am lucky in that I have a partner who works from home.
When I retire I will seriously consider setting up a parcel delvery point and charging customers a small fee to receive a parcel for them and keep it until they finish work..oooh a gap in the market.
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