On 23/06/2018 06:38, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 22/06/18 22:16, alan_m wrote:


Only thiunjgs I buy in town are medicines from Boots,

How can they survive with so many high street stores in the same town
and often situated next to a "cut price drug store" selling
non-prescription items much cheaper? In my town one time there were two
Boots chemists and a Boots Optician within a couple of minutes walking
distance. I believe that the Optician side of the business merged/took
over another business which also created duplicate high street stores -
not a good idea in these times.

I recently had a letter from Boots for a free eye test and £50 glasses.
When checking on the web the £50 offer was limited to a couple of frames
that wouldn't really suit me and ALL the other glasses styles listed
were very high priced. If the web prices are indicative of what is in
the stores it's a service I will not use.

food from waitrose

Waitrose are finding out that some of their sales are going to Aldi/Lidl.

and the local butchers

If you still have one then keep using it. If you still have a local
butcher they must be doing something right as most have closed unable to
compete with supermarkets.

and the other day some jeans from M & S, *after
trying them on*

I don't think I've been into a M&S for the past 10 years. I always use a
physical store to buy trousers because, like you, I like to try them on.
Some of the retailers that supply clothes on-line have very high
overhead costs because of high returns. People will often order the same
thing in different sizes to try on at home and return the items that
don't fit.

IMO, M&S is one of those retailers which are close to failure. Too many
shops in high streets where their neighbours are just pound and charity
shops. No real reason to pay town centre parking charges just to go to
their store. In my town the M&S is a near niegbour to the still boarded
up BHS.


Building materials and tools are on the industrial estates.

Toolstatan and Screwfix are next door to one another less than 5 minutes
drive from my house. B&Q and Homebase are closer and the former may be
used for a distress purchase of, say, a bag of sand to save driving 20
minutes to get it cheaper. I will want to always inspect wood before
purchase as there is so much c**p quality out there.


I never buy electronics from stores - always online.

In general yes. I did buy a laptop from PC World - only because I had a
voucher as part of a long service at work award. It was either voucher
for PC World or a voucher for other "high street" retailers I don't
normally use because their prices are high to start with.

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