If we lose high street shopping, we lose an experience of incomparable joy

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. All the while, online retailers like ASOS, Boohoo, and their counterparts Pretty Little Thing and Nasty Gal, have continued to soar in popularity among Gen Z shoppers who, unlike millennials, grew up in a world with social media, smartphones and apps for absolutely everything, including clothes shopping. “Over the last few years, research has increasingly found that, if they aren’t shopping online, people feel much more connected to local independent businesses, such as boutiques. In some ways, a transition to this way of shopping – one that feels more indulgent and bespoke – would reflect the industry shifts we’ve seen in the publishing world, with mid-range titles like InStyle and Teen Vogue going online-only, while those at the upper echelons are investing more into their print offerings – glossier paper, coffee table-worthy covers – in order to provide a higher-value and more impactful reading experience that cannot be replicated online. “And while big department stores have not necessarily adapted very well to the times, the hole that they leave in the industry makes way for something more relevant.” That’s the thing.