Don’t think that the campaigning movements of the present provide any guide to the way things will turn out. They probably won’t.

Last week there were at least three events around the UK where retailers and pundits gathered to discuss (aka pontificate about) the future shape of retail and the effect that this would be likely to have on the way we live our lives. And having attended two of these events, once as a member of the audience and the other time as a panellist, there was uniformity about just one thing: nobody has a clear understanding of what will happen, except that it will be different and there will be fewer shops.

Interestingly, one point of view that was espoused was that the demise of big chains was “to be welcomed” as this would take us back towards nicer, more user-friendly high streets. Only one mild problem with this view - lots of people will lose their jobs and retailers, designers and shopfitters will all be doing a bit of thumb twiddling in consequence.

The other point that seemed to have some currency was that ethical considerations would be brought to bear on some of the larger value-led chains. Shoppers would, somehow, and at some point, eschew purveyors of dubiously sourced merchandise in favour of greener and (presumably) more expensive operations.

This has to be wrong. In spite of news about dodgy sourcing operations, proven or unproven, grabbing the headlines from time to time, there is almost no discernible impact on the sales of most of those at whom the finger is pointed. The real thrust of the argument must be that green and things ecological should ideally form part of any future retail agenda, but future shoppers won’t care…as long as price, product and, if you have stores, place, are appropriate.

All of which means that the future might be as follows. Shoppers will want a lot for not very much (what changes?). They will want physical retail experiences, but will do much of their shopping online, consigning some shops to showroom status or oblivion. And the advent of omni-channel is likely to mean retailers with bricks and mortar portfolios scrambling around to try and justify their stores to smart phone users. Oh yes, and they won’t care a jot about green, Plan A or anything else.

Or in other words, the future is pretty selfish and any vision we might harbour of an inclusive touchy-feely outlook is motherhood and apple pie. Equally, this could of course be entirely wrong…

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