It's not been a good week for the British High Street. First Jessops, then HMV, and then Blockbusters ... all closing down.
Over the years retailers come and go, of course, and businesses are particularly prone to going under when the nation is going through the kind of economical dip we seem to be in at the moment.
However, one wonders if the demise of these three chains is not also a sign of a bigger, longer-term phenomenon.
All of them, in one way or another, have arguably fallen not just because of the current recession, but because of changes in the way we shop.
The question is: Where is this all heading? Will High Streets, as we know them, become a thing of the past at some point? Will Amazon take over the world? And, moreover, do we care and, if so, is there anything we can do about it? Principles, and the desire to see local shops continuing to stay open, quickly give way to pragmatism where prices are concerned.
As I read of the expected closure of the Blockbusters chain it got me thinking about Britain's industrial revolution. That was a time of massive economical and, more significantly, cultural change. How did people cope back then? Perhaps I ought to look for a decent history book on that period for some answers.
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