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Anon - Haven't you just described a normal high street? I can't really see why you'd browse a window, then go home (or on your mobile) and order something and then go back and collect it.

Also high streets are too expensive for that sort of operation now. Better to have a showroom on a retail park or another out of town location where rates are a quarter of what they are in prime locations.

I see many industrial parks being re-tasked as spaces to be shared between non-competing online retailers with a selection of goods to be browsed whilst handling collections and same day local deliveries to online customers.

High streets will probably continue to be over colonised by coffee bars and other F&B uses until they eventually start to see less and less demand for what they're offering without the draw of local retail to bring in custom. Then perhaps they can also decamp to the internet hubs I described above and offer a cup of coffee while your online order is brought to you.

Think I may have hit on a new business idea here. Anyone want to offer me some funding?