Is online shopping killing retail stores? In Britain, before malls, we had The High Street. It was the centre of town, and it still exists in various degrees of shabbiness. The decline of the British High Street started in the 1990s, when Government bludgeoned small businesses with a tax called The Uniform Business Rate. Rates are a form of taxation collected to pay for local services, and they are levied separately from general taxation taken on labour and productivity. On top of already super-excessive rental costs, with “Zone A” prime retail space only affordable by dreary banks, boring multiples and too many estate agents, the blue-sky thinking of the out-of-touch civil servants ensured that any quirky and interesting individual retail start-up never got off the blocks.

The High Street Hits A Low

After we’d turned into the 2000s, it wasn’t immediately obvious how online shopping would further affect the British High Street. Early consumer habits included browsing and researching online, and maybe even ordering online, but visiting the store in person to collect. Then, even before the global financial downturn sucker-punched the consumer sector in 2008, the great monoliths such as Amazon, EBay, and Apple iStore were winning the war for possession of the wallet. These days, exorbitant town car-parking charges together with the convenience of “one-click” transactions, means shoppers don’t even have to venture out of doors. Many retail units are occupied by “charity shops” or “pound stores”, both business models equally depressing. Retailers are forced to find other ways to attract visitors to their premises. Some are succeeding. Bijoux concepts such as the books-and-chocolates model, seem to be bucking the downward trend and offering an alternative proposition to the ubiquitous eBook.

Cart Or Carrier Bag

The Riverchase Galleria, Hoover, Alabama, is probably the USA’s largest shopping mall. You could spend a week there and not discover all of it. Mall shopping in The States offers a contrast of environment and entertainment factors with which online shopping cannot compete. In 2013, 70% of Americans were “showrooming” (researching purchases online) before ordering. Around one third are schlepping to bricks-and-mortar to make their purchase, especially if internet speeds are slow, but the trend towards buying online is inexorable, as in Britain.  Unfortunately in Britain there is not the space to build a mall experience on such a lavish scale as the Riverchase, although we do have flagship developments such as Lakeside, in Essex.

Accident Advice Helpline

Accident Advice Helpline is a UK law firm that offers legal advice and services for victims of non-fault accidents. To provide a rich experience for consumers, it offers a wealth of tips and information for how to stay safe, including whilst out shopping.

Author Bio

Fiona Faith Ross lives in South Devon, UK. She’s an English teacher from a family of English teachers. She writes science fiction, with a focus on the interaction between humans and technology. Her debut novel for YA, Far Out, is published on Kindle. Her interests include web technologies, literature, painting and writing. On the web she writes for the legal, business and consumer sectors.

Most people love a little trip out of town, to get away from the hustle and bustle of stressors and the daily grind. However, your little respite should not have to include wrestling with your luggage or stuffing your bags so full they literally start bursting at the seams (not great for checking in your baggage at the airport). Yes, traveling is a wonderful experience, but what is not so great is having your luggage either too oversized for the airline’s luggage restrictions or impossible to wield through the busy airport due to faulty roller wheels or handle bars that refuse to cooperate. In such cases, perhaps looking into a brand like Tumi luggage would be well worth your time, money and efforts and reduce anxiety that often accompanies your race across the airport to catch your connecting flight. After all, you’ve only got a few minutes to board, so you don’t want to spend that precious time messing with your bags.

Tumi Luggage is world-renowned as one of the finest and refined pieces of luggage you can buy, sort of the Cadillac of suitcases. Yes, they might cost a little more than your Samsonite, but what you are purchasing is far more than a label; you are buying a product that is guaranteed for its quality and integrity. Most globetrotters will eventually discover luggage that wears well over time and travel, which is especially important in today’s often over-booked and busy flight schedules.

An interesting side note, the founder of Tumi Luggage decided upon its unique moniker from a Peruvian god he had learned about from his days working at the Peace Corps in South America. A ‘tumi’ is a ceremonial axe used during a festival celebrated to honor the sun by ancient Incans in which a priest would use the tumi to sacrifice a black or white llama. Of course, in more modern times, the name ‘Tumi’ has been associated with both quality and durable luggage, two essential ingredients for the world traveler.

Come and visit our blog at http://SpecialtyLuggage.com/blog.aspx

You can find me on Twitter via @TravelWithJesse

Every time I buy new shoes, I feel better about myself and my confidence seems to skyrocket every time it happens. Believe it or not, I bought a pair of new shiny shoes just two days ago. I went to the dentist in the morning, and on my way back I saw a shoe store I felt an urge to visit. I haven’t looked back and today I am the proud owner of black leather shoes that fit me like a glove.

One of the reasons I like to go for leather shoes such as all those shoes that can be found on Gipsy Dharma is that leather simply feels so natural. I like it when my feet have a chance to breathe as opposed to getting hot in shoes made of artificial materials. I guess there is simply something about leather that makes it so enjoyable to wear. It almost feels like my second skin: it is soft, it is natural, and it breathes. These are some of the qualities I tend to look for every time I need to and want to buy a pair of shoes.

Since the rules of fashion often dictate what clothing and accessories women choose to wear, it pays to sit down for a while and look for some fashionable shoes. I am sure that you would agree with me when I say that women’s shoes are a large part of fashion. The bottom line is that when you want to be stick to the latest trends in fashion, you need to take care of your shoes as well.

With Christmas coming up and gift buying being on the rise, we’re looking into websites that have a unique style or offering around this period.  While the US has crazy discount days like Black Friday, here in the UK we see the highest number of gifts being bought on Cyber Monday – the day we all realise Christmas is coming and that we had better get a move on with our presents.

When buying presents, the hardest part is really deciding what it is would be perfect for each person. No one wants to sit under the Christmas tree to watch a family member or friend open a present with false enthusiasm or a fake smile, so getting that idea right is the most crucial part of it all.

Bestgiftideas.co.uk  is a relatively new website with a great ethos behind it – we get in touch with the owner, Karen Clarke, to find out exactly what the site is all about:

So tell us a little bit about your website:

“Bestgiftideas.co.uk started as a hobby of mine earlier this year. I’ve worked in the gifting industry for about four years and always found myself recommending gifts to friends or family. There’s a massive amount of gifts that people can buy out there, and what I wanted to do was compile my own favourites into categories that other people could look at as well”

What’s your favourite gift?

“My favourite gift? There are so many to choose from that it’s quite difficult! *Pauses* My favourite gifts are probably those that come with same day delivery. I worked in a florist for a couple years and was always shocked by the number of people looking for same day delivery gifts, but realised that this is a unique thing that several UK retailers can offer. It’s quite interesting to see what can still be delivered at the very last minute.”

What kind of stuff can be delivered on the same day?

“Wow, all sorts of things. You can get things like experience day vouchers which are printable or emailable – these could be anything from a skydiving experience to a spa day in London, or even a tank paintballing experience. The choices there are huge. If you want something physically delivered, many florists can deliver flowers same day around the UK, and many of them stock things like wine, champagne, chocolates and balloons as well. It’s pretty cool. On top of that retailers like Firebox or House of Fraser deliver same day in specific areas – London & Birmingham. It’s really great to see this movement and optimisation of delivery networks here.

Well that is pretty interesting – so do you think same day delivery is getting more and more popular?

”Definitely is getting more popular by the day. With more retailers sending gifts around Britain every day, they can also throw on last minute presents onto the delivery truck without much additional work. This allows a few forgetful people the chance to still get their items delivered. I think as time goes on, every retailer will start doing this – it’s only a matter of time!”

But you don’t just have same day gifts on your site right, you have other ideas?

“Oh yes, we have all sorts of things. From Christmas gifts for under £100, to how to buy flowers and which flowers work for which occasion – I’ve made the site to give us all a better focus when you’re a bit stuck for ideas.

What are your tips for the hottest presents this Christmas?

“Well, you’ll have to browse around to find out! Every person is different, so the key to buying presents is identifying their needs and desires and putting them into action. Some Dad’s might just really want a golfing trip, while another Dad could really want a new iPad or a micro scooter! People know their friends and family best, so just remember to keep that in mind when looking.”

Well thanks very much for chatting to us – anything else you’d like to add?

“Just come by and check us out! I’m sure we can give you a few ideas for whatever occasion it is you’re looking for!”

I still remember my family’s last family reunion. It took place less than a year ago and it was so much fun. As the organisers of the event, we ordered personalised t-shirts to celebrate this special occasion. The whole idea definitely put smiles on many faces, especially on the faces of those family members of mine who didn’t expect anything so fun to happen on that day. Several members of the family still talk about the t-shirts, which only proves how much they enjoyed the idea.

I strongly believe that Personalised Clothing is great for many occasions, not only for family reunions. One good example I can think of is when you want to order some clothing for your sports team. It looks so cool and trendy when all the members of a sports team wear the same clothes. It also looks great when a group of friends or family members wear very similar clothes, just different sizes of course.

What ideas do I have in store for my next family reunion? Personalised clothes will again play a pivotal and integral role in our next reunion that will hopefully take place in five years. I am already thinking about ways to surprise my family with something new and exciting. I am not even thinking about personalised t-shirts only, but I am seriously pondering expanding the idea to personalised hats, vests, or even sweaters. An uncle of mine could definitely use a sweater or two, so I am already putting the idea on my list of things to do in the future.

I’m a model and I’ve been modeling for a long time, ever since 2003 actually when I first heart of a talent services company called One Source Talent. I got started with mostly small modeling jobs, but eventually moved my way up and started doing high fashion and runway work.

Now I’m mostly involved in high-end fashion promotion, but I have a confession… I’m a shopping addict!

I am not one of those people who spends hundreds of dollars on a shirt, though. I’ve
gotten quite good at finding great deals on clothing and accessories.

Today I’m going to share some of my tips with you, check them out below:

1. Resale shops are a goldmine – In this industry I’ve met my fair share of the stereotypical rich girl. The girl who spends hundreds of dollars on a shirt, wears it one or two times and then gets rid of it. I’m not too proud to wear used clothes, so guess what I do? I go to resale shops in upscale neighborhoods! That rich girl who spent $200 on a sweat just donated it to a thrift store and now I can get it for $25.

2. Create a promotion email account – I have an email address that I use just for shopping. What I noticed is that when I used 1 email address, I would ignore the sales and promotions. So now I have a special email account set up just for promotions. I go to my favorite clothing store’s websites and sign up for email notifications. Then, whenever I feel like shopping, I log into my shopping email account and I look at the promotional emails I have gotten recently, print out the coupons, and head to the store.

3. Get a job at your favorite store – When I first moved to New York to start modeling, I needed to find a part time job. While all of the girls my age were getting jobs at bars and restaraunts, I found myself a sales job at a local boutique. I didn’t make a ton of money, but I got huge discounts on clothes, and when clothes were going out of season they practically gave them to my for free. Even if you get just a part time job at a clothing store, it’s a great way to get a big discount on your favorite brands.

4. Trade clothes – Join some online fashion forums and trade clothes with other people. Pretty much every fashion forum has a section where you can post pictures of your clothes, find other people who post pictures of their clothes, and agree to trade with somebody who wears the same size as you.

These tips have saved me a ton of money and helped me build up an impressive wardrobe over the years. I hope it helps you do the same. Enjoy!