How has your high street changed?

[Regular.Cyclist]

“The full extent of changes to Britain's High Streets after two years of Covid lockdowns and trading restrictions is revealed in analysis by the BBC.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63799670?app=news.uk.story.63799670.page

Seems tattoo and piercing studios have done best around Edinburgh with banks faring badly.

 

[biggs682]

Not really walked around our town centre for a few years but lots of empty shops
And lot's of what i would call boutique barbers shops have opened up mind you they always look busy when we drive through the town centre around 6.15 pm

 

[toffee]

Won't know, if mine had changed or not, I just don't go there.

I suspect that's the source of the problem

 

[sevenfourate]

It hasn't. Lowestoft was always dire. And still is.....

 

[ColinJ]

Won't know, if mine had changed or not, I just don't go there.

I suspect that's the source of the problem

Same here.

I go to my local supermarkets but that is it. Halifax is only 20 km from here - a free 45 minute bus journey or a cheap 20 minute rail journey, but it is probably 20 years since I last went there, except to go to the hospital, or to pass through on the way to somewhere else.

I hate going shopping and don't go to sports, concerts, theatre, cinema etc. There is no reason for me to ever visit a bigger town or city and I don't really intend to.

 

[ianrauk]

And lot's of what i would call boutique barbers shops have opened

Our high street too.
Its now a mix of Barbers, Estate Agents, food/coffee joints, Nail bars and Charity Shops along with a good few empty units
Even our Wetherspoons has closed down.

 

[Jameshow]

Our local high street has died most banks gone, Wilko gone, they even knocked the jobs centre down - so ironic!!

 

[Arrowfoot]

Not sure if it Covid related but the High Street retail mix has been evolving since the rise of major malls and major supermarket chains. Butchers, Grocers, Fruiteers, Fish mongers, etc,

More Saloons, Cafes, Restaurants, Nail shops, Tattoos, Wigs, Convenience stores, Asian groceries etc

Household shopping - groceries, clothing, appliances etc are best done at Malls.

No reason to stop by High Street.

 

[ianrauk]

The amount of charity shops has fallen over the past couple of years. There used to be 12, Now only 9

I'm surprised at how many Barbers/Hairdressers there are (18), my town must be a very hirsute lot

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Lots of restaurants and cafes

 

[markemark]

High streets will thrive if there’s a market for instant demand services. Beauty, cafe, coffee, pharmacy. High end will also support butchers, fish mongers etc. a thriving restaurant community will also survive. Anything people can wait for 2 days will struggle.
Less affluent areas will also do well with groceries and local provisions as these might be areas with a population with less access to transport or where cash is more widely used.

 

[BoldonLad]

Not sure if it Covid related but the High Street retail mix has been evolving since the rise of major malls and major supermarket chains. Butchers, Grocers, Fruiteers, Fish mongers, etc,

More Saloons, Cafes, Restaurants, Nail shops, Tattoos, Wigs, Convenience stores, Asian groceries etc

Household shopping - groceries, clothing, appliances etc are best done at Malls.

No reason to stop by High Street.

I would agree. The changes in the High Street have been happening for the last 15-20 years, Covid simply accelerated them, as it did with the demise of cash and rise in spending on plastic.

 

[Oldhippy]

Luckily I have a high street mostly of independent shops.

 

[Sharky]

The downfall of US shopping malls have been in the news recently

https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...ath-of-the-american-shopping-mall-in-pictures

Shoppers preferring to do online shopping.

Could it happen here?
Our local Bluewater shopping centre seems to be thriving, but I've noticed a few of the shops have been cleverly boarded up. This centre has three major shops. One on each corner, M&S, John Lewis and House of Frazer. Each occupying three vast floors of shopping space. With the rate of major closures, I can foresee similar fate for Bluewater. Will take just one of the big three to collapse and it could be a house of cards, with the smaller shops unable to pay the rents and shoppers relying more and more on online shopping.

 

[markemark]

I also think there’s a distinction between town/city centres and local residential high streets.