High street retail ranks just behind the travel industry on the list of sectors completely decimated by the pandemic.

Some shops are closed, some are semi-open, and all are struggling, but when the high street returns properly, so will we.

Here’s why we can’t wait for the return of in-person retail…

1. You can actually see what you’re buying

Hands up if you trust the photos you see on websites. Anyone? We’ve all got at least one horror story – a new rug fit only for a doll’s house, or a ‘cashmere’ scarf made of nylon – and trying on clothes post-purchase is particularly perilous. You are not the model in the stock photo, you’re the person in the changing room mirror.

2. Retail therapy works

They say money doesn’t make you happy, but on some level, spending it does. A 2011 study found that going shopping can help alleviate low mood, and that “self-treats” rarely resulted in regret. Retail therapy 1, buyer’s remorse 0.

3. The sense of familiarity

Disrupted routines are a theme of the pandemic, and the local high street was once part of the furniture. Even if your sole interaction with your high street is passing through on your commute, you still recognise all the shops and restaurants, and on some level they know you.

Cookies, commercial email lists, and weirdly personalised adverts just aren’t quite the same thing.

4. Shopping is sociable

It would be nice to see an actual human being outside the bathroom mirror, second opinions are everything when clothes shopping, and we really, really miss petting stranger’s dogs outside Boots.

Honestly, we even miss surly shop assistants, and we’ll take a real frown over a fake smile any day. Modern customer service lines are staffed by enough robots to set up the Matrix, but there’s always a chance a cashier won’t notice the expiration date on your gift card.

5. The high street is spontaneous

One moment a shirt catches your eye in a nearby department store; the next you’re on the fifth floor because your friend needed some new headphones; next you’re in the rooftop cafe sipping mimosas at three in the afternoon.

Browsing the internet can be spontaneous too, but rather than leading to coffee with friends it leads to four hours of random cat videos.

6. You don’t have to wait

They say the internet has ushered in the age of instant gratification, with movies, music and information available at the tap of a touchscreen, but it’s also ushered in the age of waiting three days for your new shoes.

7. No hidden fees

Postage is just the tip of the iceberg, and we prefer making purchases based on price tags rather than visits to Trustpilot. Just imagine what we could achieve with all the cash we waste on hidden costs.