The Internet or the High Street?

Original Image: Mystery Fanfare

With the rise of internet companies such as Amazon and the fall of many High Street shops, many of us ask, is there a certain charm for there being a high street or shall we just let be with the market?
We think that these two things are completely separate entities and it is pointed out to us whenever we hear the latest business news. We have formed to think that the Internet and High Streets are two completely different things.
However, I argue that we should not be led into such a false assumption, I agree changing due to technological advances but neither for the greater benefit of Internet Companies nor High Streets. What has happened is not how we shop but the way we shop, time is just as valuable as money and this transformation focuses on the first.
While Internet Companies have the cost advantage, High streets have the eye candy consumer products. This is important to think about as companies such as Amazon do not have the 'attraction' or 'appeal' of good but rather people know what they want to order from there (It's hard to window shop in front of a computer.) So it seems that the High Street does have the edge when we want to shop vaguely (which doesn't do well when money is tight.)

Okay, so I said at the start that the distinction is not as simple as what it seems between Internet Shopping and walking along the High Street and the last point I made links to this. As we move into fast technological advances, these advances are aimed at saving us time, something we cannot get enough of and both the Internet/High Street experience are making use of that. Many people are favouring the reserve and collect approach which has been played down with the expansion of companies such as Amazon. It's clear that spending in shops may not be sky high (or even high) many of us see them vital in getting to see what we want and probably prefer looking at them in person. However, while browsing may not lead to immediate sales, they probably will buy it from the High Street's website when it suits them (i.e when money comes in, when there's a dinner etc.)

So while in-store spending may not be high, it is not only Internet companies such as Amazon that are reaping the benefits as we seem to hold onto our view of 'try before you buy.'