Cash splashing for online fashion is, as it escalates in preferability, popularity and profitability, leaving the formerly attractive High St attire outlets sorrowful, cold and alone to stand in the winds of change that now blow their silicon valley stink through the everyday buying habits of fashion hungry, day-walkers …err…shoppers. Sorry!  Fashion E-tail (as PC consumerism has been somewhat appropriately christened) has, since 2006, increased by a massive 40% (like someone buying a full suit instead of just the trousers but still not falling for the allure of that shirt and tie combo).  So what you might well ask, why are you telling us this?

People, I came here today to raise awareness of the poor suffering ‘real’ stores and the plight of the needy staff who work there, day in day out, and for what?  So everyone can stay home instead and avoid such helpful, not at all interfering, commission chasing vampires as they do so. I spoke to ‘Mr. Don Fashanu’ (see what I did there!), a fictional, well seasoned retailer with a massive chain of stores throughout the UK. He had this to say about the current trends…

“Although I’m imaginary and only exist for the purposes of this article, I do hope that my plea from here on the high street can be at least acknowledged. We all need shoppers and we need folk to recall the good old times when dragging a reluctant, disaffected partner around each and every shop before sorely realising that ‘there’s nothing’ actually stood for something. The way it’s going well, this time next month I might not even be able to afford that shirt and tie combo I’ve had my eye on for so long…even with staff discount!”

Ahem… thanks for that!  Another longstanding retailer who chose to remain anonymous shared their thoughts on the worrying clothing purchase climate…

“Those other guys, our competition, don’t know what its like to be the top shop and to have to deal with the detrimental knock on effects of that there darn tootin’ World Wide Web thingy.  We’re losing our Buying Director who has been with us for the best part of a decade, and to who… an internet fashion jockey that’s been established for less time than our recently departed BD served under us… that’s who…they’re just a bunch of !!!@$O$!!!”

Clearly, the effects are taking their toll on the dinosaurs of this brave new world, but just what does it mean for those on the cutting edge of this wondrous market?  Well, unlike the fashion retail academies of yesteryear (tick followed tock…) who are processing their students in preparation (not!) for a world where merchandising, marketing and public relations are meaningless, the future’s bright…but certainly not garish darling!    

Range and online exclusivity are other attractive aspects of the WWW appeal too. We all know what it’s like to save up (remember?) for that special something (or to pay with the credit card you’ve just thawed out from the safe confines of your freezer) before getting to a bare fashion cupboard with not even a generic rag or bone to show for your  cross-town troubles. Online you can not only have the unobtainable and the abundantly stocked, you can have them brought to right to your door, avoiding any ‘end of line’ or ‘sold out’ risks as well as any road rage orientated ramifications, deadline pressure pushing or mile long queue fighting expenditure on your behalf.

It’s hard to argue against such compelling evidence and so, regardless of the number of purists left dazed and bewildered out there in the forgotten physical fashion retail world, looking still for that personal, one on one service, the forecast must surely show that for now at least, before any disadvantageous points of size accuracy, colour confidence, postage costs or fit and feel deter buyers from their PCs… online is the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the shopping world!  

By Ant Standring

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