Corner Shops. Now they have to compete with the sky.
Drones started delivering essentials to gardens in Darlington in under two hours. Each new speed of delivery wipes out a different kind of shop.
THE GIST ON CORNER SHOPS: "Cornered"
How many corner shops are left?
Around 50,000 in Britain: newsagents, off-licences, convenience stores, even pharmacies. They've survived supermarkets, online shopping and every recession. But about 2,000 close every year, and now drones have arrived.
What has Amazon launched?
Drone delivery launched in Darlington this month: two-hour delivery for any item under two kilos. That is basically the same size of parcel a corner shop sells. Batteries, cables, toothpaste, mascara, vapes, the things you walk down the road for. Amazon's drones are in the business of replacing that walk.
Is there a pattern?
Every new speed of Amazon delivery wipes out a different category of British retail. The van took out Argos. Prime took chunks of the high street. The drone is now coming for the corner shop. It's the latest step in a process that's been going on for 20 years.
What do we lose?
Like a pub, when a corner shop closes you lose more than a shop. You lose the walk, the moment of running into your neighbour, the street lights that don't exist when everyone's indoors waiting for a parcel, and a familiar safe space when you want to get out of a difficult situation.
Every business has a competitor it has never met. The corner shop's has just learned to fly.
Would you let a drone deliver your toothpaste?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
How many corner shops are in Britain?
Around 50,000, with about 2,000 closing every year.
What is the drone service?
Two-hour delivery in Darlington for any item under two kilos, the size of parcel a corner shop sells.
What do we lose when a corner shop closes?
The walk, the chance to bump into a neighbour, the lit street and a safe familiar space.
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