Why you should think about Sunderland before ordering from Amazon

The answer of course is “perfectly well”. There’s a marked difference between technology and progress.

The latest imminent blow to Sunderland’s shopping is the precarious fate of Debenhams. Its future is in the hands of community-minded businessman Mike Ashley. If this popular humanitarian can’t save it, then who?

The only thing the good people of Sunderland can do to support their city’s retail is use it. Dead simple. More shops lie empty while Jeff Bezos is worth £137billion. The correlation isn’t indecipherable.

What the council, Government and industry itself should be doing to attract footfall is a matter of robust opinion. But before throwing your hands up despairingly, ask yourself: “What am I doing?”

It’s an odd sort who asks “Why should I care?” as this means not caring about where you live or, by extension, yourself or your family.

I bristle when I hear the ludicrous expression “retail therapy”. However, I do wonder at anyone who eschews human interaction for the soulless alternative of ordering online.

I’ve been to Bloomingdale’s in Manhattan. Admittedly I didn’t buy anything, but found the experience surprisingly enjoyable. But I also like Jacky White’s Market. I generally leave there with a story, as well as midget gems (proper midget gems, with the black ones liquorice flavoured).

There are advantages and disadvantages to buying online. But we don’t “need” it. We do need to protect our economy. If we can’t keep our money in Sunderland, we can at least do our best. We can, for example, order most books available online through Waterstones in the Bridges.

Sunderland has among the best and safest car parks in Britain and therefore there is a charge. Usually.

Some prefer to travel to a certain shopping centre; a traffic-choked journey lasting an hour on a bad day. It costs about a fiver in petrol too. But you get to ingeniously save a quid on parking. If that. St Mary’s car park is free from 3pm to midnight, Monday to Friday.

Quality Sunderland shops? Less abundant than in decades past, true. But they still include Aphrodite, Collinson’s, Reynolds Army Stores, Harrison & Brown and more, as well as the usual national names.

To shop local is to invest in yourself.

Cue negativity and sneering.

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