Cyril Haearn wrote:Bonefishblues wrote:That used to be the way. They were successful. Times changed and eventually nobody shopped in them. They closed, to open again clustered together in 'destinations'. These have prospered.
Times changed, how? Surely people had to eat back then, just as much
I would not care whether my local store was an a or a l or a coop
The biggest reasons are economic, though somewhat based upon false economies.
The village butcher, green grocer, etc. had trouble competing on the basis of price, and were disadvantaged when, for the sake of efficiency, someone could drive 5 miles and do all of their shopping in one location, and drive home again.
In reality, walking from one shop to another and home again might only be a few minutes slower altogether, but when you add to that the price difference of some goods, especially items that can purchased in bulk from a 'superstore', and it looks like driving 5 miles is better for efficiency.
If you add in the cost of petrol and the time to drive and park, it makes less difference.
But then if you can also drop off the dry cleaning, visit the office supply shop and the building goods superstore, drop off a package to post, and have a cafe lunch all in the same location... ?
Oh! you just reinvented the town centre.... with extra parking
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom