By Community Correspondent William Dyson Having lived in Southfields almost all of my life, I have seen the local area change dramatically over the last 17 years. This has become an issue of great importance in society today due to the rise of large chain stores, internet shopping and the improvement of transport.

Several years ago, a small shop on the Replingham Road, Southfields, was converted into a little known coffee shop chain. The face of the local shops was changed drastically. This new outlet provided an almost ‘friends’-like atmosphere, with sofas and armchairs – an atmosphere that was previously unachievable outside the living room. Meanwhile, the rise of supermarkets posed a further threat to the local shops. Gone are the days when mum would go to the local shops to get the food every other day. A weekly shop at the supermarket on the A3 then replaced this. A cheaper, easier, more conventional mode of shopping was now available, and we embraced this. However, this came at a cost. Over the last ten years, the once entire row of small shops on Brookwood Road, Southfields, has closed down, just a few small businesses remain.

Now, however, a new phenomenon has taken over. Shopping on the internet. We now feel that even jumping in the car and pulling up in the supermarket car park is too much for us. Why make the effort when pretty much every supermarket now does home delivery with just a click of a mouse? And to make it even more convenient for us, we can ask the nice man to come to our door at a specific time.

Considering all of this, what do we use our local high street for, if not to shop? This little known coffee shop chain, it now appears, was right on cue. People no longer go to the local shops for more than a pint of milk and a loaf of bread, unless it is to relax in one of Southfields’ thirteen cafes and restaurants.

What about the future? The changing face of the local shop in areas such as Southfields means that the future is looking less about necessity and convenience and more trendy and suited to the modern lifestyle. Order the shopping online, have a browse through the books in the local bookshop, read your purchase in the coffee shop, then catch a friend for lunch in the posh restaurant on the corner, not forgetting to pick up the loaf of bread on the way home. Is this really a tearful farewell to our local shops?