Dumfries isn't unique with most towns suffering the same decline. What the planners forgot is that increasing the number of retail outlets doesn't increase the money supply. If shoppers spend their hard earned cash in Tesco's and etc they can't spend it in the town centre. Even big cities like Glasgow have found that out. I apologise for banging on about my young days, but when I was a boy it was quite literally an effort to get through the crowds in the Vennel on my way to Palmerston. Now I can make my way down to the Sands on occasion without encountering another person.