2. • 1 What do you or your family buy on
the Internet?
• 2 Were they pleased with what they
bought?
• 3 Was it cheaper than in the shops?
• 4 Did it arrive quickly?
3. • Do you enjoy shopping? Why /not?
• Have you ever bought anything from a catalogue
or shopped online? What did you buy?
• How safe do you think it is to shop online?
• Do you know anyone who is a shopaholic?
• Are you saving up for anything at the moment? If
so, what?
• How has the way we shop changed over the last
fifty years?
• How do you think the way we shop will change over
the next few years?
4. • brainstorm all the words you can
think of associated with shopping.
5. SHOPPING: What are the pros and cons of
these ways of shopping? Complete this table
with your partner(s).
Pros Cons
• Online
• In malls
• Shopping streets
• Via catalogues
• Markets
• Garage sales
6. • shopping is boring and a waste of
time
• shopping is great fun.
10. • The Internet has changed the nature of the way we shop. More
and more of us are shopping online instead of in "bricks and
mortar" stores. In the United Kingdom, this is having dire
consequences for the traditional high-street store. A respected
business leader has released a report containing grim statistics
on the future of U.K. retailing. CEO Bill Grimsey warns that 47
per cent of Britain's chain stores are "horribly stressed
financially". This amounts to some 20,000 shops. He predicts a
quarter of these will be out of business within the next three
years. Mr Grimsey has also said that the continual demise of
traditional shopping streets has led to what he termed as "ugly"
town centres.
• Mr Grimsey provided a range of reasons for the degeneration of
Britain's downtown areas. Over 40,000 of Britain's shops are
empty; roughly eleven per cent of all retail space. Grimsey said
many stores have not sufficiently risen to meet the challenge
posed by the Internet. He said that rather than looking to the
future, and at innovative ideas to lure customers back, many
stores are still stuck in the past. In particular, he said companies
were too "nostalgic". Another reason is that multinational
companies are draining local areas of money. He said: "It is not
difficult to keep local money within the local economy, but it
doesn't work if…we are listening too much to big firms."
11. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
• 1.As "bricks and mortar" stores
• 2.Dire consequences
• 3.Grim statistics
• 4.5,000
• 5.He said they were ugly
• 6.11%
• 7.Ones to bring customers back
• 8.Nostalgia
• 9.Multinational companies
• 10.By listening to big companies
12. How did the article describe traditional
shops?
a) as online stores
b) as being old-fashioned
c) as being concerned with nature
d) as bricks and mortar stores
What kind of consequences is the
Internet having on stores?
a) dietary b) dire
c) positive effects d) unfair
13. What did a report contain?
a) photos of every closed store
b) a way forward
c) bleak statistics
d) innovative ideas
How many shops could go bust within the next three
years?
a) 5,000
b) 47%
c) 20,000
d) 11%
14. How did a CEO describe the look of town
centres?
a) modern
b) comfortable
c) ugly
d) original
What percentage of retail space in the UK is
vacant?
a) 10
b) 11
c) 12
d) 13
15. What ideas have stores not been looking at?
a) ideas to move location
b) nostalgic ideas
c) ideas about new technology
d) ones to bring customers back
What feelings did the CEO say stores had
too much of?
a) nostalgia
b) pity
c) anger
d) relief
16. What is draining local economies of money?
a) sewage systems
b) tourists
c) multinational firms
d) nostalgia
How can local economies make things
difficult for themselves?
a) by not offering huge discounts
b) by listening to big companies
c) competing with the Internet
d) closing early
17. PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND
ADD CAPITALS
the internet has changed the nature of the way we shop more and more of us
are shopping online instead of in "bricks and mortar" stores in the united
kingdom this is having dire consequences for the traditional high-street
store a respected business leader has released a report containing grim
statistics on the future of uk retailing ceo bill grimsey warns that 47 per
cent of britain's chain stores are "horribly stressed financially" this
amounts to some 20000 shops he predicts a quarter of these will be out of
business within the next three years mr grimsey has also said that the
continual demise of traditional shopping streets has led to what he termed
as "ugly" town centres
mr grimsey provided a range of reasons for the degeneration of britain's
downtown areas over 40000 of britain's shops are empty roughly eleven per
cent of all retail space grimsey said many stores have not sufficiently risen
to meet the challenge posed by the internet he said that rather than looking
to the future and at innovative ideas to lure customers back many stores are
still stuck in the past in particular he said companies were too "nostalgic"
another reason is that multinational companies are draining local areas of
money he said "it is not difficult to keep local money within the local economy
but it doesn't work if…we are listening too much to big firms"
20. •
DEFINITION bricks and mortar
• Bricks and mortar refers to businesses that have
physical (rather than virtual or online) presences - in
other words, stores (built of physical material such as
bricks and mortar) that you can drive to and enter
physically to see, touch, and purchase merchandise.
This term is used as the basis for the term
clicks and mortar, a business that sells products and
services on the Web as well as from physical
locations.
21.
22. • de·mise
(dĭ-mīz′)n.
• 1.a. Death.
• b. The end of existence or activity;
• termination: the demise of the streetcar.
• 2. Law Transfer of an estate by lease or will.
• 3. The transfer of a ruler's authority by death o
r abdication.
25. • go bust
Definitions
• to become bankrupt
• Synonyms
go bankrupt, fail, go under, break, be
ruined, be wound up, go to the wall, be
liquidated, go into receivership, go into
liquidation, become insolvent, cease trading
26. • The end!
• http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com
/1309/130903-retail-chains.html