Will shops become a thing of the past?

Now that another shop is closing in our road (a really good artist's materials shop) I wonder if one day, shops will be obsolete. Obviously we can buy almost everything on line now and normally at a better price. Surely todays kids who have iphones welded to their heads will all buy online too.

There have been some new places opening but they are all food related; cafes, sweet shops and a fancy milk shake place but the future of 3D printing could wipe those out too.

Another example is our nearest John Lewis which has almost become just a showroom where you can view items and then order online. They quite often don't stock the things you want.

So do you think in the future people will be watching old film and saying 'How strange that they used to go to shops for their goods'?

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

If there are no shops, what do we do if we run out of milk?!

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

I think there will always be some shops as already said that pint of milk will still be needed but I do wonder in a few years time if we will have many shops left. I'd like to think the premises could be transformed into housing rather than left to rot.

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

Unfortunately there are few in my area that are doing just that- rotting away. I believe landlords rent the flats above but the shops are unused and just rotting away. Not a good look for the town.

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

So, if there were no shops, would it mean traffic would consist mainly of delivery vans/lorries and less cars?

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

Our local Asda is becoming highly automated and why I don't know.

Three of us took almost thirty minutes to get a reasonable amount of shopping through the night before last at approx 10.00pm. An operator would have done the same job in approx fifteen minutes.

There were a bank of self scanners being used for small amounts and this one line for a bigger shop.

There were three women watching the whole thing, being called in a number of time to unblock machines. Those three women would have whizzed through everyone in half the time.

The chap in front of me was a software engineer, he said, what's on its way would scare you, he said in ten years time I wouldn't recognize things.

One of the women had to come and help me, the machines and I are not a good mix, despite the software engineer's attempts to show me the ropes, I usually avoid the automated tills but had no choice that evening. She said they will be rolling out a new system in the near future where you scan everything as you go round.

The best self scanners I have found are in Ikea, I mentioned it to someone who worked there. He said all their machinery is top of the range and top dollar.

Myself, I order everything online, food too. I'm sat here today waiting for a new laptop, I actually hate going shopping and avoid it at every turn, I should be ashamed of myself for encouraging a system that isn't good for mankind.

One, two or three generations down the line are going to be asking why we stood back and let it happen.

When they've made all the people redundant with machines, what are they going to do with them? How are we going to live and on what? Will we be state housed and fed? Chipped and pinned with a decease date?

Cyberdyne systems and Skynet wasn't just a company in a film (Terminator) it was a warning of what was to come.

In my opinion of course ...

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

Not sure about that one and not sure if 3D printers could cope with that either.

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

I reckon shops will cease to exist in the next 50 years or so.

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

What would Napoleon call us now.

Re: Will shops become a thing of the past?

They've been on the decline for years......each year my mum would comment on the situation and her concerns.

The decline in the need for knitted clothing is obviously hitting them hard.