One of the great mysteries of life in a British market town is the relative lack of consumer goods. This is not a criticism; I moved here on purpose, and one element of the decision was a desire to escape the rampant commercialism of my homeland. I detest all aspects of shopping.
But when one needs to purchase essential goods, like underwear or shoes, it would be nice to have more than two choices.
This is entirely separate from the perplexing point that many items are not adjusted for currency. Something that costs ten pounds here is often ten dollars back home, and the exchange rate is in my favor.
I am also baffled by the fact that every other European city I’ve visited is affordable (and often cheap) compared to the UK.