In reply to marsbar:
> Question and answer both above.
> London isn't a cheap place to have a shop. It isn't worth having a shop for people to finger your goods and then buy them online.
> If people want shops to be able to try things on, get advice, have a chat and a cuppa, look at the latest shiny things and so on, people need to support their local shops and actually buy stuff now and again, in the shop.
It's a chicken and egg situation though. You're working on the scenario that there's no point shops stocking stuff if people are just going to try stuff on and then buy online. I was buying most stuff online when I lived in London BECAUSE the shop stock was so limited. My typical experience was spending an hour on public transport getting to Covent Garden, spending five minutes in each shop without finding anything to try on, then travelling an hour home. It was generally easier just to order stuff to the front door. I thought the shop at Mile End was good for shoes. Urban Rock did some good deals, particularly on axes I remember.