Support my local high street/shopping area, why?

[El Cid 214]

9 hours ago, Anna B said:

What help do you think the elderly get with their shopping? There isn't even a chair to sit on in most shops. As for new elderly being able to cope, I assume you think that's because they will know how to use computers and aps etc.

Unfortunately, as we get older people's capacity to learn and remember diminishes, and things change at such a pace it will always be necessary to learn new systems.  And I believe there's a crisis just around the corner as OAPs start forgetting their pin numbers, passwords and how to use various things.

1

Council do give limited help, be is it their role to get peoples shopping and pay their bills? Maybe it's their relatives responsibility?

But if there is a large enough demand for personalised shopping, the private sector will provide it. There will probably already be an app for it.

Judging by what I see on social media there is already an upsurge in people having cleaners and dog walkers.

[Anna B 1,401]

On 12/29/2018 at 11:11 AM, El Cid said:

Council do give limited help, be is it their role to get peoples shopping and pay their bills? Maybe it's their relatives responsibility?

But if there is a large enough demand for personalised shopping, the private sector will provide it. There will probably already be an app for it.

Judging by what I see on social media there is already an upsurge in people having cleaners and dog walkers.

Yes, and the pensioners have to pay for that sort of help from the council and it's not cheap.

 

I'm talking about simple things that would help pensioners do their own shopping and get them out of the house and socialising.  Getting your pension from the Post Office and visiting local shops, perhaps also going to the Library and calling in at a local cafe used to be quite a big part of a pensioners routine back in the day, along with social groups and clubs. Unfortunately, all in decline.

[ECCOnoob 1,020]

12 minutes ago, Anna B said:

Yes, and the pensioners have to pay for that sort of help from the council and it's not cheap.

 

I'm talking about simple things that would help pensioners do their own shopping and get them out of the house and socialising.  Getting your pension from the Post Office and visiting local shops, perhaps also going to the Library and calling in at a local cafe used to be quite a big part of a pensioners routine back in the day, along with social groups and clubs. Unfortunately, all in decline.

A question on my mind is whether the majority of 'pensioners' still require such things?  

 

The current generation have lived in a very different world  ever-increasing technology.   For the next generation of OAPs they will be extremely settled in the use of smartphones, internet, online shopping and online everything else.   

 

Whilst I fully appreciate that not everyone is so lucky to have full health and full mobility, I think about my own mother who is a pensioner and has been for over 10 years. 

 

Local services mean nothing to her. She drives a car, she comfortably gets the bus into the city centre or meadowhall to go shopping, she uses supermarkets, she is perfectly competent in the use of cash machines and debit cards, she uses telephone banking and has both a smartphone and tablet at home.

 

l could count on the fingers of one hand the times that she has ever need to go to a post office or use the local library service.

 

If we are going to be spending already dwindling monies we need to be very clear as to what modern-day pensioners need and want as support - not just pretend we are harking back to some distant time of local friendly high street shops and community gossip. 

Edited January 1, 2019 by ECCOnoob

[Longcol 597]

8 minutes ago, Anna B said:

Yes, and the pensioners have to pay for that sort of help from the council and it's not cheap.

 

I'm talking about simple things that would help pensioners do their own shopping and get them out of the house and socialising.  Getting your pension from the Post Office and visiting local shops, perhaps also going to the Library and calling in at a local cafe used to be quite a big part of a pensioners routine back in the day, along with social groups and clubs. Unfortunately, all in decline.

Don't most pensioners get their pension paid straight into their bank account rather than the interminable queuing in the Post Office? And loads I know have cars so tend to use supermarkets?

[TheNugget 10]

5 hours ago, ECCOnoob said:

A question on my mind is whether the majority of 'pensioners' still require such things?  

 

The current generation have lived in a very different world  ever-increasing technology.   For the next generation of OAPs they will be extremely settled in the use of smartphones, internet, online shopping and online everything else.   

 

Whilst I fully appreciate that not everyone is so lucky to have full health and full mobility, I think about my own mother who is a pensioner and has been for over 10 years. 

 

Local services mean nothing to her. She drives a car, she comfortably gets the bus into the city centre or meadowhall to go shopping, she uses supermarkets, she is perfectly competent in the use of cash machines and debit cards, she uses telephone banking and has both a smartphone and tablet at home.

 

l could count on the fingers of one hand the times that she has ever need to go to a post office or use the local library service.

 

If we are going to be spending already dwindling monies we need to be very clear as to what modern-day pensioners need and want as support - not just pretend we are harking back to some distant time of local friendly high street shops and community gossip. 

Spot on.

My parents are recent pensioners and I can’t imagine their needs being the same when they are 80 as an 80 year old today or a few years ago.

[pattricia 574]

On 12/26/2018 at 10:21 PM, steve68 said:

Probably helps as its a 2min walk to our local high street, I like Hillsborough high st. I often pop into the local shops two or three times a day, as I'm passing on my way to somewhere.

 

There are plans for a couple more micro pubs in addition to the one that's already opened, it's  less retail more entertaining and eateries that seem to be popping up.

 

 

Hillsborough is also my local shopping centre. Most shops are busy and there is a lovely place called The Arcade which was beautifully decorated for Christmas with a Santa’s Grotto and films for the children.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

Support my local high street/shopping area, why?

Simple answer is if we don't use them they will close.

We  went shopping just before Christmas for a couple of spare parts for our Landy. Talking to the chap behind the counter about us having a drive out to collect the parts, he said most are now bought over the net. I think I guessed at 50/50 and was amazed at his reply, 90% are now purchased on line.

That's the reason many shops are now gone on the local street. The internet has killed them.

 

Angel1.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

On 12/27/2018 at 4:26 PM, Anna B said:

Don't you think it is a National interest issue? This isn't just the odd high street, but most high streets that are struggling, and they employ many thousands of people nationwide.

 

Sure, times are changing and many people prefer to shop online these days, but surely contingency plans have to be put in place to allow for changes to a society that has traded face to face locally for thousands of years.  The elderly, for example, may need extra help, what's going to be done with the empty premises, and councils will suffer from the shortfall in business rates.

 

Change is happening very fast across the board, and I really haven't heard much about anyone getting to grips with it. 

I either read or heard that Councils would be allowed to let them be sold for housing. Not a house I would fancy though on the local high street.

 

Angel1.

[TheNugget 10]

5 hours ago, ANGELFIRE1 said:

Support my local high street/shopping area, why?

Simple answer is if we don't use them they will close.

We  went shopping just before Christmas for a couple of spare parts for our Landy. Talking to the chap behind the counter about us having a drive out to collect the parts, he said most are now bought over the net. I think I guessed at 50/50 and was amazed at his reply, 90% are now purchased on line.

That's the reason many shops are now gone on the local street. The internet has killed them.

 

Angel1.

But so what? 

The towns and high streets will adapt and survive or if not they will diversify, there is nothing sacrosanct that says “The High Street” has to be full of bustling shops. If no one needs or wants them then they’ll close and something else willl be done in their place. Be that entertainment, houses or whatever.