“I'll just give a bit of a background to my rant. Visited four different Derby shops today to buy some running shoes. You'd think it would be a simple task, and that most shops would snap your hands off if they thought you were going to buy a quite expensive bit of kit.

However, no. It was a uniformly bad shopping experience in each shop. All four shops were more interested in pumping bland house music into their shops than selling their products to me.

Not one shop offered an assistant who looked like they knew anything about their products, they were all understaffed and when I did finally get to a store where I found a product I wanted it took them an age to find the trainers I wanted.

They were all buy em cheap and pile them high types of shop. What makes me mad is that a proper sports shop like Field Sports closed down, and as a result we don't really have proper sports shops anymore.

It just makes you wonder if you wouldn't be better off just using the internet, where products are usually cheaper, delivered the next day and you get customer ratings to give you advice on what products to buy.

So the question remains...are shops doomed to be on their way out? Are the mega-stores doomed to fail? and is there maybe a chance for old-fashioned shops to make a comeback?”

“@RickDeckard
"It just makes you wonder if you wouldn't be better off just using the internet, where products are usually cheaper, delivered the next day and you get customer ratings to give you advice on what products to buy"

I tend to use the internet more and more and as you note, prices tend to be cheaper, also reviews and ratings I find are really useful and something that you won't get in a shop. Some offer free delivery & returns and there's no parking hassle or charges.

I'm in no doubt that the recession hasn't helped plus as you state some offer poor service.”