The death of the High Street
It is often the case
(0) that
the principal street of an English town or city is called the High Street, and in the past it
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have been there that people used to meet, do business and go shopping. However, over the last few decades, Britain,
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other developed countries, has seen “giant” supermarkets and major new shopping centres springing
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on the outskirts of urban areas or in locations which are
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reached by car and which have ample parking. The appearance of these new temples of retailing is
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the result and the cause of the phenomenon
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as the “death of the High Street”, a consequence of the fact that town or city centres had become ever
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inconvenient both for the retailers themselves and for
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customers. Once offered an alternative, shoppers and motorists were quick to flock to more modern and better-designed suburban shopping facilities,
taking their business with them and so inevitably accelerating the closure of many of the smaller and most traditional shops,
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as butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers. These
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then replaced by the ubiquitous “charity shops”, small retail outlets run
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non-profit organisations selling second-hand items given free by their supporters. These shops occupy
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were formerly prime locations in the High Street, but may only pay a minimal rent, and are staffed by volunteers to maximise the income
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the sale of old clothes, shoes, books or ornaments which fill their shelves. In the poorest regions of Britain
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is not uncommon to find three, four or more charity shops in a small
High Street, a situation which is convenient for those who cannot afford to buy new, and for those who benefit
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the various services provided by the charities, but depressing for residents who remember the lively and prosperous High Streets of the past.
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