Was King Canute wrong ?

I watched a number of news items yesterday bemoaning the fate of our High Streets and the effect E-Commerce is having on businesses and consumers. It is clear that the growth of on-line sales is having a significant effect. The combination of punitive business rates and sometimes crazy parking policies has also accelerated the decay in many of our smaller towns. I deal with many smaller busineses who simply can't make a profit from bricks and mortar and who have instead turned to E-Commerce platforms. Often they would dearly love to operate from local premises as well but current policy and the approach of local authorities is killing off any innovation.

It was particulary interesting to hear the response of both local and national politicians with respect to crisis facing our traditional high streets, one commented that "there was no demand for market traders in the town" and the sole trader remaining agreed, because of lack of support from the authority and untenable charges coupled with intransigent bureaucracy.

The solution the local politician pointed out was to "stop on-line shopping" through taxation and "make" people come back to the High Street, he would no doubt feel the tide lapping at his feet at this point.

This year Amazon will become a trillion dollar business accounting for 55% of all on-line purchases - thats not a trickle, its a Tsunami which has already reached India and Australia.

If our High Streets are to be resurrected we need strategic leadership from our local authorities and genuine innovation and alternative models to be developed to allow the SME sector to flourish. I am not optimistic but I do hope change is coming