Retail: not ready to die.

Came across an article the other day entitled 'Retail is dead'. Link bait of course, any article proclaiming death only has truth if printed in newspaper obituary columns. I bit though. And of course it said nothing of the sort, simply that some retailers were not doing well. Strike me down. Retailers who have gone to that great high street in the sky of late? Rubbish business models, poorly run or just generally weak. Blame the government-constructed economic recession if you like, but better run, the likes of HMV (online music purchases, what's that?) or Woolworths (badly run, all things to everyone is not sustainable) or Jessops (go lean, go digital) could have adapted and survived.

Multi-million dollar malls are popping up, like this one in Glasgow city-centre fronted by Forever 21. Yes, look, retail is dying. Out of town malls, soulless and similar, pull car drivers who are pushed out of city-centres by councils like Glasgow eager for the parking meter coin on the premise of a green travel plan. And while I'd argue that the current UK recession is a government construction - chase the tax-dodgers, eliminate debt (not that simple, but it's a linear argument), there's no denying that consumer belts are tightening. There's also no denying the web's influence, but let's ask ourselves, how important are our cities?

For me it's 'very'. I work in one, and if I answer in the affirmative, then I have an obligation to support it, to back myself up. To socialise, eat, be entertained and shop. Many are - this Forever 21 (and more) development is no white elephant, it's a massive, long-term investment in the city and in citizens' ability to spend. Retail ain't ready to die.