Looking at my high street, a third of all shops are now empty. Whilst we've had a very severe recession, the Internet has destroyed my local electrical, book and music shops as well as countless others.
What businesses based in shops (so builders, electricians, etc.) do not compete with the Internet?
- Hairdressers & barbers*
- Food - restaurants, sandwich shops and coffee shops
- Beauty - nails, tanning, etc.
- Hotels
- Gyms
- Bakers
- Car cleaners
- Pubs
- Nightclubs
*It was my barber who started this discussion!
Whilst these shops don't have natural competitors on the Internet, they still rely on the Internet for mapping (i.e. a search for 'pub' on Google maps) and reviews (I urge all the owners of the shops above to keep checking review sites).
Any other suggestions?
Photo courtesy of Dave Patten on Flickr.
