'˜Let the high street die, we just don't care' say shoppers

Online shopping is the future say many people across the UK. Picture: contributedOnline shopping is the future say many people across the UK. Picture: contributed
Online shopping is the future say many people across the UK. Picture: contributed

Two fifths of people in the UK say they would not care if the high street as we know it disappeared completely – preferring to shop online from the comfort of their own homes.

A report found that just 16 per cent believe that the conventional high street has a future, whilst 31 per cent thought that it would be gone within five years. A fifth of people who would be happy to see it go admitted they rarely set foot on their local high street, while 17 per cent found it “outdated”.

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This comes as a number of brands have recently announced further closures of their bricks and mortar stores, including Marks & Spencer, which this week announced the planned closure of 17 more stores – part of its five-year plan to shut more than 100 branches by 2022.

Retailers suffered their worst Christmas in a decade in 2018, with the British Retail Consortium warning that political and economic uncertainty had prompted shoppers to tighten their belts. However, online retailers fared marginally better, reporting a 5.8 per cent growth in sales in December.

The study found that 31 per cent of people believe that the traditional high street would be gone within five years, 22 per cent thought it would last ten years and 19 per cent gave it a year. Just one in six thought it had a long-term future.

Kevin Edwards, global client strategy director at global marketing network Awin.com, which commissioned the report, said: “The challenge to our high streets is starkly highlighted by these findings. Much has been made of the need for our high streets to create a sense of place and occasion as well as somewhere that people can shop.”

He added: “While online continues to grow apace, it’s in the interests of many multi-channel retailers to want to ensure our high streets thrive as community assets.”

The report, which polled 2,386 people over the age of 18, found that three quarters of people find online shopping “easier”, with half admitting that they were too lazy to get up and visit physical stores.

Almost half also cited the fact that everything is available in one place as the reason they favour online shopping, while next day delivery and free returns also encouraged people to shop online.

Those who said they would care if the high street disappeared citing job losses, a dislike of shopping online and enjoying hitting the high street as reasons that they would like to see bricks and mortar stores retained.

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