Closing down

This week alone Jessops and Blockbuster have gone into receivership, before that Stead and Simpson and Comet also went bust. 

But the big one recently has been HMV, after 91 years of trading, it seems the death of the high street wasn't greatly exaggerated.

It's sad but I have to say rather inevitable, we live in a society where we work longer hours and have less time, shops aren't open at a time when I can shop (evenings) and anyway to get anything but the latest chart book, film or music releases you have to go online. To get anything original or slightly interesting sites like Etsy or Folksy are a godsend, any small maker or retailer who doesn't have a website or web presence, and work hard at social media may as well pack up now, it's only going to get worse.

I fully expect WHSmiths to not be long for this world, on the few occasions I've been in their shop they've not had anything I wanted, if anything saves them it will be that other than supermarkets they are one of the few places that magazines can be bought (but that can't last long, how many people actually read magazines anymore? - I haven't bought a paper for over a year).

I try to search out small independent shops (real or virtual) to buy stuff, but my money is short and so is time, I don't want to shop at Amazon or The Book Depository (which is owned by Amazon) but sometimes I have to.