Piccadilly Jewellers in Birmingham
In a conversation with Piccadilly Jewellers in Birmingham, the owner stated when asked if he had seen a decline in clients over the years as more jeweller chains open up on the high street that ‘We’re unique’. He confirmed that they had a unique and quirky difference to the typical ‘cheap and poor quality’ chains when talking about his 25 year old business.
Can Anyone Save Our High Streets?
The Guardian's article on how we can save our high streets was the foundation to which I began my research for my dissertation. Being a very relevant issue at the minute, I decided to look into the area for myself to discover the ways in which I believe our high streets can be rejuvenated.
'We're shopping on the internet. Recession is killing the big chains. So what should we do with the streets that were once the heart of our communities?'
What I find really interesting is the comments that people have made having read this article. It shows a wide variety of opinions and gives a real life account to the matter.
Can Anyone Save Our High Streets?
'We're shopping on the internet. Recession is killing the big chains. So what should we do with the streets that were once the heart of our communities?'
What I find really interesting is the comments that people have made having read this article. It shows a wide variety of opinions and gives a real life account to the matter.
“There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that that have nothing to lose. People who have stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Change?
Decadence, public liberties, lack of
morals, inflation, high taxes, dissatisfaction of the common people, and government
corruption. The chaos of the Dark Ages. Yes, this was the decline of Rome, but
it all sounds very familiar to what is happening today. History is repeating
itself.
The recession has somewhat knocked our psyches, the recent riots in London showed people reacting to things in a way that we would never have imagined our society to do. Sadly, this meaningless and violent reaction to issues that the rioters as young as 14 didn’t truly understand shows tell tale signs of the lost generation that we are living in.
The urban landscape of British cities consists of concrete arrangements, vacant or clone shops, endless miles of unappreciated space, neglected city centres and unsociable neighbours. The concept of a ‘neighbour’ has changed from being a friend or someone you care for to someone that lives next door to you (and it is most likely that you occasionally drop a hello or ask over for a barbeque, followed by a grateful sorry).
Society has lost its ways somewhere along the lines. The high street used to be the heart of our society. Today the high street is seeing a rise in vacant shops and currently stands at 14.6%, people are losing their jobs, consumers don’t have the confidence to spend, and it is continually going round in a violent circle. This is a definite issue that needs to be addressed and everybody from the public to politicians need to claim responsibility. The wealth effect must to be initiated; consumers should find a more upbeat perception of their financial situation and the short-term economic outlook, and start to be more optimistic about spending.
The recession has somewhat knocked our psyches, the recent riots in London showed people reacting to things in a way that we would never have imagined our society to do. Sadly, this meaningless and violent reaction to issues that the rioters as young as 14 didn’t truly understand shows tell tale signs of the lost generation that we are living in.
The urban landscape of British cities consists of concrete arrangements, vacant or clone shops, endless miles of unappreciated space, neglected city centres and unsociable neighbours. The concept of a ‘neighbour’ has changed from being a friend or someone you care for to someone that lives next door to you (and it is most likely that you occasionally drop a hello or ask over for a barbeque, followed by a grateful sorry).
Society has lost its ways somewhere along the lines. The high street used to be the heart of our society. Today the high street is seeing a rise in vacant shops and currently stands at 14.6%, people are losing their jobs, consumers don’t have the confidence to spend, and it is continually going round in a violent circle. This is a definite issue that needs to be addressed and everybody from the public to politicians need to claim responsibility. The wealth effect must to be initiated; consumers should find a more upbeat perception of their financial situation and the short-term economic outlook, and start to be more optimistic about spending.
Vacant Britain Flickr
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