GRcade

I walk down mine at lunch sometimes. They have load of retro games stuff which is kind of cool. I'd kind of like to have a massive retro games library but I don't really have the space. Got to the point where I really need to buy some new clothes though. Not sure where I'd go though.

I like to walk around every now and then and see what happening, especially for clothes. Rarely buy much as the prices are too high.

Have to admit I prefer the 'shopping mall experience' though. All under cover from the elements and just about anything you could be interested in finding.

If you lived in Barnsley, you wouldn't use the high street! The drunks and druggies are out in force by 9:00 am....

Unfortunately we have to resort to Merry Hell.

False wrote:I like to walk around every now and then and see what happening, especially for clothes. Rarely buy much as the prices are too high.

Have to admit I prefer the 'shopping mall experience' though. All under cover from the elements and just about anything you could be interested in finding.

I went to a large shopping centre at Christmas, I don't really get how people deal with being around that many people. I just find those places way too busy.

Merry Hill is genuinely one of the worst shopping centres I've been to now. So many empty stores. Intu are clearly charging far too much for rent to try and justify their ridiculous "investment" claims. "£100 million on improvements" and there still isn't a way through where BHS used to be to the car park. It's just shops moving sideways rather than anything new and decent opening up. Where's the John Lewis or House of Fraser or anything? A shopping centre needs a capstone store like that. The Bullring has Selfridges, Touchstone has John Lewis, Merry Hill hasn't even got a Sainsbury's any more.

Thought i was getting blown up in Bluewater once, was actually nandos dropping their fire curtains with a crash

Absolutely not. Internet shopping or nothing, unless I need something like milk, but that's only a dash to the little shop at the bottom of the road.

Yeah, to an extent. I prefer to see some things before I buy them, or want them in good condition and be sure they'll arrive in good condition, so get them in person. The city I live in has free parking on Sundays and in the evenings, so I'm more inclined to go in because of that. Always useful to have the bank, post office, etc on hand as well.

Will usually pop into my local town centre high street every other weekend as they have a street market which sells some good food stuff.

Frank wrote:Merry Hill is genuinely one of the worst shopping centres I've been to now. So many empty stores. Intu are clearly charging far too much for rent to try and justify their ridiculous "investment" claims. "£100 million on improvements" and there still isn't a way through where BHS used to be to the car park. It's just shops moving sideways rather than anything new and decent opening up. Where's the John Lewis or House of Fraser or anything? A shopping centre needs a capstone store like that. The Bullring has Selfridges, Touchstone has John Lewis, Merry Hill hasn't even got a Sainsbury's any more.

Haven’t been to Merry Hell for ages, doesn’t look like I’ve missed a lot

Primark are expanding, so if you want to come to the biggest Primark in the country (maybe not an actual record) then you'll have a great time.

If not, don't bother.

For its size and outward appearance, Croydon is still pretty useful; it has several indoor shopping centres with large M&S, house of frasier, debenhams and other places in very close proximity, as well as at least 3 indie game shops as well as a game and CEX, an indie comic shop as well as a fairly small forbidden planet.

Its much more efficient to go there for stuff than into central london, and certainly cheaper, but it too is full of phone repair/vape shops, betting places and shops selling gaudy-as-fuck mirrors, coffee tables and chandeliers.

Depends on the item, as always. There are several Independent and retro game stores in Glasgow plus CEX stores and until recently, game cafes and pubs that deserved support. I shop for clothes in store generally but for everything else I go online.

I don't have a convenient way to take deliveries, so walking down the high street or around a shopping centre is arguably more convenient for me. I don't think I can get behind buying clothes without physically looking at them beforehand either.

Town's total shite for shops though.

Trelliz wrote:For its size and outward appearance, Croydon is still pretty useful; it has several indoor shopping centres with large M&S, house of frasier, debenhams and other places in very close proximity, as well as at least 3 indie game shops as well as a game and CEX, an indie comic shop as well as a fairly small forbidden planet.

Its much more efficient to go there for stuff than into central london, and certainly cheaper, but it too is full of phone repair/vape shops, betting places and shops selling gaudy-as-fuck mirrors, coffee tables and chandeliers.

Every time I venture into Croydon (rather than just through it via train) I'm always expecting these much touted improvements to have started and they never have.

"Has Westfield started yet?"
"No."
"Is Fairfield Halls the South Bank of Croydon yet?"
"No"
"Have they finished the renivations to Fairfield yet?"
"No"
"Has The Shard 2.0 started yet?"
"No"
"Is the London Road still an absolute mess"
"Yes"

Though to its credit there is Box Park, which doesn't actually require venturing into Croydon town centre at all, and architecturally and feature wise it does have one of the more interesting libraries I've seen around London.

lex-man wrote:I went to a large shopping centre at Christmas, I don't really get how people deal with being around that many people. I just find those places way too busy.

You get used to it after a while, one of the busiest i use is West Quay at Southampton, it can be absolutely manic during November yet as long as you're focused and organised, getting through the melee can be a breeze.

Karl wrote:Swansea is total shite for shops though.

At least Swansea has the basics, as in M&S, HMV, and a few other odds and ends, you'd certainly miss having them if you lived around my way.

Vermilion wrote:

lex-man wrote:I went to a large shopping centre at Christmas, I don't really get how people deal with being around that many people. I just find those places way too busy.

You get used to it after a while, one of the busiest i use is West Quay at Southampton, it can be absolutely manic during November yet as long as you're focused and organised, getting through the melee can be a breeze.

West Quay around Black Friday or Christmas is a living hell

Mini E wrote:West Quay around Black Friday or Christmas is a living hell

I also pop across to IKEA while i'm at it.

Vermilion wrote:

Mini E wrote:West Quay around Black Friday or Christmas is a living hell

I also pop across to IKEA while i'm at it.

So you're a sadist?

lex-man wrote:So you're a sadist?

Yes.