THE long history of our main town shops is indeed very wondrous.

Old photographs and tales of large well-known stores once beginning with a barrow on the streets or opening up a small store within the high street and then becoming household names up and down the country.

Many of them have now since closed and others remain so desperately on the fault-line.

Stores that are holding on tight have been wise enough to also sell and deliver online yet they are still in strong competition with the likes of ‘Amazon’ and so will also fail.

The only way (hope), forward for them is to shut up shop and go entirely online.

The high rise with rents or leaseholds, plus the government’s plan to raise business tax, not to mention the forever growing inconvenience or costs with town parking/fees and multiple fines with parking restrictions – it can all only lead to one thing.

‘Town Shopping is a Thing of the Past!’ Our government and local government has slowly killed it all off.

The future tomorrow is on-line shopping and talking to a machine if you have a problem.

Town centres, as we know them today, will change: empty shops demolished and new homes built.

No need for coffee shops or cafes as nobody will be around to visit them.

Same goes for charity shops who will need to occupy one main centre out of town.

Betting shops too will go as that will also turn to only online or via ‘Smart TV’.

Pubs also, already in decline with cheap supermarket deals and the smoking ban, will also close with more modern eating and drinking venues for special occasions elsewhere outside the shopping centres to more favourable locations.

Local stores like ‘Premier’ and garage shops will still survive but mostly outside the town.

Town centres as we know it will just become places of interest for local communities but as for shopping, their days are soon to be numbered.

CHRISTINE PETERS
Wellington Road, Bournemouth