2014 guesses

As usual I ask myself what could happen in the new year.  

Some predictions, illusions, and overall food for thought.    

We can name 2013 the year of the tablet.  Finally tablets took off.  They are used everywhere. Supermarket chains are even offering their own tablet versions.Books stores still survive, just. Online shopping is on the increase, and offline shopping is still alive. IT job offers are on the rise, but salaries are not up that much.  

What can we expect for 2014? 

-This year can become the cyber security year.  Cybercrime appears to become more sophisticated, but so are the organisations fighting it.  Also the universities educating the future security professionals. Those of us who are still sceptical of cloud computing can see a reason not to use as much the cloud or Dropbox as we used to.  

-This year can also be the year of business intelligence (BI).  Just check the number or courses with this name.  Also the number of jobs even in the academic sector.  Time to see if it delivers, because the name and technologies associated with it have been around long enough.  

-For many businesses globalisation can come to an end this year.  It has worked well for some, not so well for others.  What could be more feasible now is to have partnerships with certain countries.  The global scenario is to be occupied by cities.  Rio de Janeiro will be on stage, but others will also follow.  Cities will need to offer good living conditions, not only economic opportunities.  My continuous concern with city centres in the UK so because I still do not see how cities can be inclusive for migrants, the elderly, and families.  

-Technology will definitely help people to continue being connected, but this year there can be many more social media communities, and Facebook might need to fight hard to remain valuable.  Time to reinvent itself? Maybe.  And Amazon? They need to offer more convenience at good prices. 

Ok, let us see what really happens this year.  Happy 2014! 

 

Time to look elsewhere?

The UK high street is dead.  Long life to the new high street.

It is a street where those who recycle and assist can now live, but just.   

In my home town among other unusual suspects we now have two charities occupying (legally of course) the biggest shops in the high street. 

These shops are now nicely refurbished.  The city council also splashed some cash in bringing the surrounding walking area up to a good standard.  After some hassle, finally people can have a stroll and walk around.  

Other players in my hometown who did some redecorating include Lloyd's Bank and the coffee chains.  They have taken over less powerful players.  

The former got rid of its black sheep brother (TSB) and the latter did of a local coffee shop.  Not physically but in terms of the market.  TSB had to move to another store nearby.  Not    centrally located.  In the margins. 

A sign of changing times I suppose.

What still remains in the city centre is the picture of economic recession.  Empty shops, shops that go bust and leave.  Not as many as a few years ago, but still.  Other shops remain there, they do well (toy stores), others are still defiant.  Yes, we can still walk and see these shops, as if we were inspecting the aftermath of what they have had to endure.  

Sadly, what also remains in city centres is the mentality that they are not for everyone.  Yes, you can go there, but parking is limited or expensive.  There are really few shops or restaurants for families.  The elderly have one or two spots to hang around before the night clubbers, the young families or the couples take over at the cinema, the Starbucks the Costa coffee (UK based), the fast food or the sandwich shops.  Elevators in shopping centres are always busy.  They are considered a luxury, the same as escalators.  

There is inclusion, but it is very limited.  A kind of public relations stunt.  The stunt can also be seen in the new regeneration plans.  More shops, more happy people, more birds, more green spaces.

So if we want to experience life in a town, where should we as parents of kids, as tourists or people who want to show visitors around, go? Where can we really seat and relax, and experience town life? 

Is it time to look elsewhere than the town centre? 

Or is it time to resign ourselves to wait for better prospects...? 

Too many questions, I know.