3 ms·

Up until earlier this year I spent a few years working just off Oxford Street. It's amazing how much that street has changed in such a short space of time. Defi

Up until earlier this year I spent a few years working just off Oxford Street. It's amazing how much that street has changed in such a short space of time. Definitely feels a lot shadier now than it used to. While I'm not a big fan of most forms of shopping, it still feels a great loss to see what it's now become.

alibarber 5y ago
I worked for nearly a decade in Soho and moved away (from London and the UK) just before the start of the pandemic and before these stores I can remember the famous headset-mic-wearing-perfume-salesmen throwing out boxes of perfume to totally-not-in-on-it-plants. It's always had that kinda crappy tourist trap sleezy vibe that you'd find in any other big city to me. That said Soho in general seems to have evolved with better restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, streetfood and smaller boutique shops whereas Oxford St didn't seem to read the writing on the wall when it came to the viability of large department stores selling things that people needed but could get elsewhere easier.
- iainmerrick 5y ago
  The section to the east of Oxford Circus has been like that for a long time. If the section to the west has gone the same way, that's a bit depressing (but as you say, not really surprising).
- dkdbejwi383 5y ago
  The department stores (Selfridges, mainly) are really the only reason to shop on Oxford St any more. The other high street shops can mostly be found in either of the Westfields, One New Change, Canary Wharf, Upper St, etc, where there's much less traffic and tourists. Or ordered online.
  - Symbiote 5y ago
    I remember the original plan was for many bus routes to be removed from Oxford Street once Crossrail opened. Is that still the plan? I can't see any recent news on this.
    - truculent 5y ago
      I believe local residents (and the truly woeful local council) resisted the change as it would mean buses going past their (currently relatively quiet) streets. https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/oxford-street-pedestrianisation-on-hold-as-local-residents-object,972999.html https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/oxford-street-pedestriani...
- mattkevan 5y ago
  Oxford Street is also a terrible place to exist as a pedestrian – it's full of traffic, extremely crowded and just generally not very nice. I worked nearby there for many years and always hated it. The only reason for braving it was to visit the big stores and when they went there was nothing left. Soho and Carnaby St are basically Disneyland compared to what they used to be, but at least they're fairly traffic free, quite nice to walk around and have good bars and restaurants. Those perfume places were fascinating to watch. At least two or three of the crowd were plants, but they always had a big collection of tourists. Could never understand why people were so interested, or how the headset guy and his minions could maintain such excitement for knockoff perfume.
philjohn 5y ago
I work close to Oxford street as well, and yes, it feels seedy now, almost like in the 80's at times. Generally, this is more "death of the high street" stuff. Visit the Bullring in Birmingham and one whole wing is largely devoid of shops.
- InCityDreams 5y ago
  The bullring was a disgrace in the early 80s.
  - philjohn 5y ago
    It was a disgrace in the late 90's when I lived there as well - but they tore that one down and the current bullring was a different kettle of fish ... for how much longer though?

alibarber 5y ago

I worked for nearly a decade in Soho and moved away (from London and the UK) just before the start of the pandemic and before these stores I can remember the famous headset-mic-wearing-perfume-salesmen throwing out boxes of perfume to totally-not-in-on-it-plants. It's always had that kinda crappy tourist trap sleezy vibe that you'd find in any other big city to me. That said Soho in general seems to have evolved with better restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, streetfood and smaller boutique shops whereas Oxford St didn't seem to read the writing on the wall when it came to the viability of large department stores selling things that people needed but could get elsewhere easier.

iainmerrick 5y ago
The section to the east of Oxford Circus has been like that for a long time. If the section to the west has gone the same way, that's a bit depressing (but as you say, not really surprising).
dkdbejwi383 5y ago
The department stores (Selfridges, mainly) are really the only reason to shop on Oxford St any more. The other high street shops can mostly be found in either of the Westfields, One New Change, Canary Wharf, Upper St, etc, where there's much less traffic and tourists. Or ordered online.
- Symbiote 5y ago
  I remember the original plan was for many bus routes to be removed from Oxford Street once Crossrail opened. Is that still the plan? I can't see any recent news on this.
  - truculent 5y ago
    I believe local residents (and the truly woeful local council) resisted the change as it would mean buses going past their (currently relatively quiet) streets. https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/oxford-street-pedestrianisation-on-hold-as-local-residents-object,972999.html https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/oxford-street-pedestriani...
mattkevan 5y ago
Oxford Street is also a terrible place to exist as a pedestrian – it's full of traffic, extremely crowded and just generally not very nice. I worked nearby there for many years and always hated it. The only reason for braving it was to visit the big stores and when they went there was nothing left. Soho and Carnaby St are basically Disneyland compared to what they used to be, but at least they're fairly traffic free, quite nice to walk around and have good bars and restaurants. Those perfume places were fascinating to watch. At least two or three of the crowd were plants, but they always had a big collection of tourists. Could never understand why people were so interested, or how the headset guy and his minions could maintain such excitement for knockoff perfume.

philjohn 5y ago

I work close to Oxford street as well, and yes, it feels seedy now, almost like in the 80's at times. Generally, this is more "death of the high street" stuff. Visit the Bullring in Birmingham and one whole wing is largely devoid of shops.

InCityDreams 5y ago
The bullring was a disgrace in the early 80s.
- philjohn 5y ago
  It was a disgrace in the late 90's when I lived there as well - but they tore that one down and the current bullring was a different kettle of fish ... for how much longer though?