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Post by Phantom of London on Nov 19, 2021 18:10:52 GMT
Shopping is going to be like the doctor surgery, in that they will do both in-person or telephone, you don't have to go to the doctor surgery for everything, the pandemic proved that. Same with shopping online and in person will co-exist. I hate shopping and particularly hate department stores, I was in a famous department store in Herald Square, New York and I had a list of things I needed, the shop assistant said "you need to go up to the 8th floor for coats and down to the 2nd floor for jeans, then back the mezzanine level for boxer shorts" and all what I wanted to do was scream. However I still like to shop sometimes, as long as it is not for too long. Don't behind having a look around Lidl especially the middle (mystery) aisle.
Near me is Bluewater shopping centre, where there are many empty units now, however there is a new shop and it is the first in the country called Amazon 4 star, all merchandise sold is rated 4 star and above by Amazon customers. If successful this will be rolled out and Oxford Street would be a likely location.
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Post by hairspray57 on Nov 19, 2021 18:28:49 GMT
Shopping is going to be like the doctor surgery, in that they will do both in-person or telephone, you don't have to go to the doctor surgery for everything, the pandemic proved that. Same with shopping online and in person will co-exist. I hate shopping and particularly hate department stores, I was in a famous department store in Herald Square, New York and I had a list of things I needed, the shop assistant said "you need to go up to the 8th floor for coats and down to the 2nd floor for jeans, then back the mezzanine level for boxer shorts" and all what I wanted to do was scream. However I still like to shop sometimes, as long as it is not for too long. Don't behind having a look around Lidl especially the middle (mystery) aisle. Near me is Bluewater shopping centre, where there are many empty units now, however there is a new shop and it is the first in the country called Amazon 4 star, all merchandise sold is rated 4 star and above by Amazon customers. If successful this will be rolled out and Oxford Street would be a likely location. Except with the Doctors you don’t have a choice as the doctor decides how you will be seen. And the telephone is no substitute in many cases to in person appointments. Shopping is increasingly becoming the same particularly in less urban areas where towns are losing most of their best known shops. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2021 18:50:24 GMT
Near me is Bluewater shopping centre, where there are many empty units now, however there is a new shop and it is the first in the country called Amazon 4 star, all merchandise sold is rated 4 star and above by Amazon customers. If successful this will be rolled out and Oxford Street would be a likely location. I'd have more faith in that idea were it not for the fact that Amazon falsifies ratings to push its own products and doesn't care too much about the truthfulness of ratings of other products. Except with the Doctors you don’t have a choice as the doctor decides how you will be seen. And the telephone is no substitute in many cases to in person appointments. Shopping is increasingly becoming the same particularly in less urban areas where towns are losing most of their best known shops. If a doctor thinks that seeing you in person is necessary they'll arrange it. The point is that many ailments don't require seeing the patient in person.
And as for shopping, the high street shops that are closing are closing because not enough people want to use them. Why should people be forced to shop in a way they don't want to? (There's certainly a case for breaking up market dominators such as Amazon, but telling people they have to use high street shops when they don't want to — or in some cases can't — is ridiculous.)
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Post by marob on Nov 19, 2021 18:56:05 GMT
I hate clothes shopping, but could quite happily wander round Foyles or Fopp or Waterstones for hours. Since HMV closed on Oxford Street I’ve no reason to go there.
I do want to see the Marble Arch Mound though. It looks gloriously rubbish.
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Post by hairspray57 on Nov 19, 2021 19:24:25 GMT
Near me is Bluewater shopping centre, where there are many empty units now, however there is a new shop and it is the first in the country called Amazon 4 star, all merchandise sold is rated 4 star and above by Amazon customers. If successful this will be rolled out and Oxford Street would be a likely location. I'd have more faith in that idea were it not for the fact that Amazon falsifies ratings to push its own products and doesn't care too much about the truthfulness of ratings of other products. Except with the Doctors you don’t have a choice as the doctor decides how you will be seen. And the telephone is no substitute in many cases to in person appointments. Shopping is increasingly becoming the same particularly in less urban areas where towns are losing most of their best known shops. If a doctor thinks that seeing you in person is necessary they'll arrange it. The point is that many ailments don't require seeing the patient in person.
And as for shopping, the high street shops that are closing are closing because not enough people want to use them. Why should people be forced to shop in a way they don't want to? (There's certainly a case for breaking up market dominators such as Amazon, but telling people they have to use high street shops when they don't want to — or in some cases can't — is ridiculous.)
Doctors have unofficial targets which means things that they should see before finding treatment are being diagnosed over the phone with no image of the issue being seen. And as discussed elsewhere on here GP’s are offering all day phone call slots here if you miss it you have to wait days to be given another one. Only a few are offering phone calls like an appointment with a time being given for when they aim to phone. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2021 22:59:07 GMT
Interesting that those candy store are thought of as something to do money laundering, never thought of that one but tend to agree, I would have thought not much profit on humbugs! well known businesses for that laundering for dirty money have been money exchanges, tanning salons and nail booths are/were used for that purpose. Have I missed any? Where are work in Marylebone is the upper limit upper class society this is where Harley Street and Lords cricket ground is and is your very old money, all those Georgian property cost a fair whack, this upper class society stretches down to Oxford Street/Bond Street, with Buckingham Palace bang in the middle, then stretches down to Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and Chelsea, which is very much your new money. I went into one of these stores the other day and they were selling Tim Tams for £8.99. I nearly fell over. |
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Post by Jon on Nov 19, 2021 23:34:45 GMT
And as for shopping, the high street shops that are closing are closing because not enough people want to use them. Why should people be forced to shop in a way they don't want to? (There's certainly a case for breaking up market dominators such as Amazon, but telling people they have to use high street shops when they don't want to — or in some cases can't — is ridiculous.) You've hit the nail on the head, a shop that is failing can't be saved by taxing the online retailers, you're just prolonging the inevitable. |
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Post by Jon on Nov 19, 2021 23:35:58 GMT
I hate clothes shopping, but could quite happily wander round Foyles or Fopp or Waterstones for hours. Since HMV closed on Oxford Street I’ve no reason to go there. I do want to see the Marble Arch Mound though. It looks gloriously rubbish.It is gloriously rubbish. Talk about an epic fail by the council! |
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Post by Dawnstar on Nov 20, 2021 10:30:41 GMT
Interesting that those candy store are thought of as something to do money laundering, never thought of that one but tend to agree, I would have thought not much profit on humbugs! I wouldn't have thought of that either but it seems they're up to a variety of dodgy practices: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59351635 |
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Post by alece10 on Nov 20, 2021 10:46:54 GMT
In the past I always went to Oxford Street to shop. Mainly the Marble Arch end as I always thought that the nearer you got to Tottenham Court Road the tackier the shops were.
However since 2011 when Westfield Stratford opened I no longer have the need to go to Oxford Street. Westfield is on my doorstep so a 1 stop on the underground or a short bus ride and then a taxi ride home with my shopping, and they have all the shops that Oxford Street has.
Must say I never really liked Oxford Street as it was always too crowded for me and quite tiring on the legs.
Since the pandemic I have bought more online but if I am making a big purchase like home or electrical goods then I always go to the shop as I want to see and try before I buy and if its a good shop then you can get someone to answer all the questions you have
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Nov 20, 2021 11:30:50 GMT
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Post by alece10 on Nov 20, 2021 12:11:04 GMT
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Post by Phantom of London on Nov 20, 2021 14:16:25 GMT
In the past I always went to Oxford Street to shop. Mainly the Marble Arch end as I always thought that the nearer you got to Tottenham Court Road the tackier the shops were. However since 2011 when Westfield Stratford opened I no longer have the need to go to Oxford Street. Westfield is on my doorstep so a 1 stop on the underground or a short bus ride and then a taxi ride home with my shopping, and they have all the shops that Oxford Street has. Must say I never really liked Oxford Street as it was always too crowded for me and quite tiring on the legs. Since the pandemic I have bought more online but if I am making a big purchase like home or electrical goods then I always go to the shop as I want to see and try before I buy and if its a good shop then you can get someone to answer all the questions you have Westfield we’re going to build a similar shopping centre in Croydon, but then John Lewis said no, then that was that. Are there many empty units in Stratford? I sometimes drive up to Bluewater, park conveniently next to the entrance of Marks and Spencers get my stuff, pop into a Caffè Nero for my cappuccino which is hardly next to Marks then in my car on my way home. There is Oxford Street and Oxford Street the posh end and the poor end. The posh end is in the upper class belt I mentioned earlier. I pop into Marks sometimes as it is near where I work, handy when going out to do a Planned General Inspection!! |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2021 14:37:33 GMT
Are there many empty units in Stratford? Not too many, mostly just the old Arcadia group ones (Topshop etc) |
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Post by alece10 on Nov 20, 2021 15:20:11 GMT
Are there many empty units in Stratford? Not too many, mostly just the old Arcadia group ones (Topshop etc) I was going to say quite a few, but maybe that's because they were clumped together so it was more obvious. A friend who lives near Westfield at Shepherd's Bush said its similar there. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2021 17:05:08 GMT
Not too many, mostly just the old Arcadia group ones (Topshop etc) I was going to say quite a few, but maybe that's because they were clumped together so it was more obvious. A friend who lives near Westfield at Shepherd's Bush said its similar there. I was thinking more for a centre of its size it isn't a huge amount. But they are pretty good at thinking outside the box - some of the empty units have been a vaccination centre for months now! |
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Post by Jon on Nov 20, 2021 17:19:06 GMT
I only go to Westfield occasionally, it can be insanely busy on the weekend which is not fun.
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Post by Phantom of London on Nov 20, 2021 17:22:21 GMT
Also other new business like I mentioned with Amazon 4 star in Bluewater, there is also a Peleton store there now, but also many empty smaller units. Also businesses are using empty store as a bargaining chip to drive down rents, that is also not a good thing.
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Post by alece10 on Nov 20, 2021 17:38:06 GMT
I was going to say quite a few, but maybe that's because they were clumped together so it was more obvious. A friend who lives near Westfield at Shepherd's Bush said its similar there. I was thinking more for a centre of its size it isn't a huge amount. But they are pretty good at thinking outside the box - some of the empty units have been a vaccination centre for months now! Thats true and I also saw this week one unit is now a plasma centre. |
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Post by alece10 on Nov 20, 2021 17:39:07 GMT
I only go to Westfield occasionally, it can be insanely busy on the weekend which is not fun. Horrific at weekends and also in the afternoons when the school kids come there. I like to go during the week when they open and leave by lunchtime. |
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Post by lynette on Nov 20, 2021 20:39:43 GMT
In Tokyo they have a shopping centre area that makes Oxford St look like a clapped out apocalyptic movie scene. They have massive buildings with lots of shops inside, some departmental size and then basements with loads of restaurants. It is glitzy and fabulous. They could go for this kind of thing in Oxford St with different but all upmarket shops within one site. And easy to access food outlets with escalators going down to basement level.
Btw did you see the police raided a load of those ‘sweet’ shops and confiscated fake goods, some downright dangerous. They need to see who is sending this stuff in and how it gets as far as the street.
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Post by jaqs on Nov 20, 2021 22:15:38 GMT
I loved when Oxford street was dead last year, looking at the lights with all the shops shut and not many people about was brilliant.
I don’t think I’ve been back since it reopened.
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Post by theatreian on Nov 20, 2021 22:32:22 GMT
The whole high street thing everywhere is going to need to be looked at. It is sad the way it has gone and there are still some thriving high streets with lots of independent shops and cafes but the model needs to adapt and change in line with the way society has changed. I worked in retail most of my life and it is sad seeing all these empty units. It is going to take some imagination to come up with viable solutions, especially in cities which are the most badly hit.
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Post by Phantom of London on Nov 20, 2021 22:41:56 GMT
In Tokyo they have a shopping centre area that makes Oxford St look like a clapped out apocalyptic movie scene. They have massive buildings with lots of shops inside, some departmental size and then basements with loads of restaurants. It is glitzy and fabulous. They could go for this kind of thing in Oxford St with different but all upmarket shops within one site. And easy to access food outlets with escalators going down to basement level. Btw did you see the police raided a load of those ‘sweet’ shops and confiscated fake goods, some downright dangerous. They need to see who is sending this stuff in and how it gets as far as the street. I think that is they intend to do with House of Fraser, they’ve no option really - no department store is ever going to take it over. They going to spend £100m redeveloping it, to pretty much what you described. |
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Post by lynette on Nov 20, 2021 23:48:15 GMT
They need to get the inside /outside thing right with escalators and wide foyers and clarity as to what shops are inside. Let’s hope they do.
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