From drones that deliver to the rise of the hi-tech high street, decodes a smart new age for city retail

capable of delivering parcels in 30 minutes. The company is testing them here as the regulations are more relaxed than abroad. This will position the UK either in the vanguard of the future or in a riotous anarchic zone where robots dive-bomb us mercilessly from bet ween the spires of the Cit y. Obviously a mass drone trial is risky. Especially when each clumsy aerial bot is carrying an awkward Amazon box: perhaps a slim, bookshaped one, like the one that slips from under your arm as you try to carry it, three Sainsbury’s bags and your gym kit upstairs to your flat. Drones do not have opposable thumbs. Furthermore, they can interfere with pilots’ lines of sight and are prone to bumping into things, not to mention privacy concerns when cameras are attached. However, the high-profile trial will address these concerns and the hope is that they will be employed by 2020, so there’s no rush. Amazon says it will invest carefully in securit y soft ware. The company is testing