The recession and the high street

[phil06]

Anybody feel a bit depressed about it? My local town never recovered from the last one majority of the shops like BHS have sat empty. Other towns have recovered but I am now seeing more big names leave too and recent administrations like Debenhams will leave further holes. My local town won’t have many clothes shops left only a couple. I have no idea if things will ever recover we may even lose cinemas I think the worst is to come after Covid is over. Even Europe may have issues as they went into lockdown too. Perhaps it’s all part of the governments plan to send us all online and tax if more. But yes for the next generation be very little left.

[Carnation]

I've been wondering what will become of these empty buildings. Some owned by private landlords, but many owned by the Council.
It does seem that the new normal is not to shop on the High Street, but online.

[BlueIris]

It may be worth seeing if any independent local businesses deliver, Phil. We've been getting deliveries from some of our favourite market traders.

[Lencoboy]

The UK High Street has been in terminal decline for years, even predating the GFC in the late 2000s, let alone this current pandemic-fuelled slump.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not in any way attempting to trivialise or downplay the current situation, and I'm just as saddened about it as probably most are right now, but remember one of the High Street's biggest nemeses over the past 20 years or so has been (and still is) the Internet, coupled with the growth of out-of-town retail parks, which has sadly (but hardly surprisingly) caused more traditional town centre shopping to become outmoded in many respects, especially if parking is free at the retail parks, unlike in town centres where that's not usually the case.

And we all know which option the vast majority are likely to opt for?

Of course, only time will tell as to when and how things recover once this pandemic starts to peter out.

[Fishmanpa]

The same thing is happening here on 'Main Streets' across the country. I've personally seen the effects of the pandemic on small business owners in my work. While large corporations and businesses are weathering things Ok and some, like Amazon, profiting, the little guys are getting creamed. It's a very sad reality of the current situation. Hopefully, when we come out of this, we'll see them return as well as new businesses.

Positive thoughts