Back to the high street

sir – I was interested in the comments by Adam Marshall of the British Chamber of Commerce on the return to shopping in the high street after lockdown, broadcast on the Chopper’s Politics podcast last week.

As a cycle retailer, permitted to remain open throughout lockdown, I experienced one of the busiest periods in my 30-year career. With reduced staff and a strict one-out, one-in policy, we did well to cope with the huge increase in retail demand.

One lesson from those weeks is that customers waiting patiently for their turn in the store are essentially “pre-sold”: they have either bought something online and are collecting, or they know that what they want is in stock, making the whole process efficient.

Secondly, their ability to linger and browse is reduced – after all, there’s a queue outside. Browsing relies on staff time, space and display. These are obvious traits of a shop, but are they as important as previously thought?

With millions of shops on dwindling high streets, should the retail sector take the opportunity to change traditional ways of shopping?

It could sell to the customer online by click and collect, or through pre-booked sales appointments using Facetime and Zoom. Then, a shop, with reduced overheads, becomes more like a depot.

Guy Pearson

London SW14

sir – Surely there is too much gloom about the demise of high street shopping. Many commentators (and even some retailers) seem convinced that the leap in popularity of internet shopping is the “new normal”.

But, have they fully taken account of the fact that when the crisis is over most people will no longer be at home all the time, and will be unable to receive deliveries?

It seems more likely that people will revert to shopping in the high street, where they can try on a suit or dress, instead of waiting for delivery, finding the item unsuitable and having to return it.

Peter Rusby

Stockbridge, Hampshire