Shopping trends have evolved over the years, with people facing the choice to buy online or in-store.
The decision often depends on age differences, with the new generation hitting a digital era where everything can be done online through a phone.
An analysis from the Guardian has shown that the UK lost 37 shops a day in 2024, with 13,500 stores closing. This was an increase of 28% from the previous year, according to the Centre for Retail Research.
The Kingston Courier asked employers in the Bentall Centre if they had noticed differences in shopping trends.
At the O2 store in Kingston, Said Islam said that online shopping has become the popular choice when it comes to electronics.
“The age of customers has changed to 30+ years old. Nowadays, most of the people do everything online, even when it comes to buying electronics,” he said.
He added: “Now people are less social, they like staying at home, and even when they go out, they keep staring at their phones.”
Islam believes that robots could replace humans in shops in the future.
It might be laziness, comfort or perhaps both, but there are still people who enjoy the experience of going into the store.
Penn Allitt, who works at the clothing store Superdry in the Bentall Centre, talked about how more people are visiting stores after the pandemic.
“We actually see more people coming here. Now that the pandemic is over, people like to come in person,” she said.
She believes that the younger generation is hesitant to come into stores because they like the ease of online shopping.
“If I shop, I don’t go to the physical store because I don’t like to see the crowd much. I prefer my comfort and privacy. It is also convenient because most brands offer free delivery,” Alllitt added.
She admitted that while most customers are older, this could change in the future as people want more social interactions.
Oliver Bonas sells home wear, furniture, jewellery and clothing, and its workers believe that it is not affected by the generational differences in shopping.
Raphaella Rivera works at Oliver Bonas, and while acknowledging the rise in e-shopping, she said that her store still sees customers coming in to return products.
When it comes to stores that sell a wide range of items, the age range of shoppers can differentiate from children to 90-year-olds.
She believes that there might be a chance in the future of people returning to physical shopping.
She said: “It’s super convenient online, but it’s not always working out. I am someone who likes feeling things and seeing things in reality, people might come back to shop in person.”
She explained how, during the Christmas season, a lot of people came into the store to buy gifts for their loved ones.
“It is easy to go on social media and pick things through a link, but it might encourage people out because they want to see what the product looks like in the shop,” she said.
She expressed her sadness in seeing the impacts of these changes in people’s shopping preferences.
“People want that connection, but the problem is that so many shops are closed down, which is creating bad spaces,” Rivera added.
