It is no secret that the future of retail is changing. As high street brand after brand are flooding the headlines with their white flag of surrender, it has got me thinking as to what the future of the high street and shopping looks like.

Millennials (currently aged between 22-36) seem to be ditching the shopping experience and ordering online. Huge online retailer ASOS have announced another stellar year with profits of over £2bn worldwide, £800 million in the UK alone. There is one problem with this model though – the carbon footprint. Shoppers are now treating their own bedroom as a fitting room and sending products back (for free) if they don’t like it. If you think about the journey of this product, it has gone from the factory to the warehouse, the warehouse to the customer, and the customer back to the warehouse, all within a few days. In a world getting ever closer to the limit of climate change, is this model sustainable?

Companies are trying to combat this by using electric vans for postal orders, and using clever algorithms/AI in the purchasing journey to limit the amount of returns customers make. However, as an entrepreneur with a shoe brand, what I need to know is whether people still like to try their shoes on before they buy them? If I am online only store, my rate of returns could be astronomical (especially being a new brand a customer has not tried before). Please let me know in the comments below.

The main driver of all this is the fast paced world we live in. There is no time to even stop and eat, let alone go shopping of a lunchtime and so we have become reliant on the most convenient option. The quickest route from A to B to fulfil our needs. Unfortunately, it is no longer a nice surprise to have your parcel on your doorstep the next day, it has become expected.

In order for us to continue on this conveyer belt of consumerism, something is going to have to give. Would you rather the high street empty and your post office full, or shall we dial down the huge rents and get the high street back to being the hustle and bustle of your town? Comment below your thoughts. I know what I’d prefer!

Until next time,

Emily x