In Metro 12/09/06 there was a reply to the previous day's headline concerning high street shops closing because more people are shopping on the internet. The author quite rightly stated facts about shopping in stores that I agree with. Examples having to go through crowded shops, 15 minute wait to pay for items, commission based sales people trying poor performing stock. Of course state the obvious, and the best thing about internet shopping, you don't have to cross the street, take public transport, drive or walk to get your favourite shops.
Heck you can bring up all your usual haunts in brower tabs (nice and tidy for FireFox users) and compare prices.
The question that has to be asked is, what exactly are high street shops doing to remove these problems? Is there anything they can do?
I for one believe that high street shops should be banished from cities. Move them to big retail parks built on brown field land with good rail and bus links.
All the empty shops should then be converted to flats and add a few corner shop grocers and resturants.