At least in the British Isles you still have local shops and pubs. Where I live (Richmond, VA) they seem to be a dying breed - hardware stores, small grocery stores, etc. just can't hold out against the Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday's, Walmarts, Home Depots, Costco, Sam's Club, etc. etc. Oh there are still some, but many have gone out of business while they keep building more "chains" restaurants and megastores. It's kind of scary!