I haven't lived in the area for 30 years so perhaps don't have the right to complain.
However, I shared the dismay of many locals when it was revealed that the new occupier of a sizeable vacant unit on Fort William High Street was an outdoor clothing store, the eighth to open in recent years.
There's no doubt it's a captive market for puffer jackets, fleeces and climbing boots. The town is known as the UK's outdoor capital, with thousands arriving to scale Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain, every year.
However, hopes were high that the tenant might fill the gap left by M&Co after the firm went into administration and I'm genuinely surprised that budget chain Primark hasn't scoped the area.
READ MORE: Lochaber no more: Businesses not expecting to open next year due to ferry crisis
A community councillor said the fact you can't buy a pair of new shoes in an area with a population of around 20,000 people is 'ludicrous but inevitable'. It's supply and demand, he says but I can't help noticing on return trips to visit my parents that many of these shops have permanently discounted stock.
We shouldn't forget about the older generation who don't wish to shop online and face a three-hour round trip to Inverness to buy most items of clothing other than gaiters or thermal gloves.
READ MORE: 'Beyond a joke': Highland town 'prioritising tourists over local needs'
Those who are happy to internet or mail-order shop face higher delivery charges than most other parts of Scotland and many firms will simply refuse to deliver.
Growing up in Lochaber, pre-internet, an occasional trip to Glasgow was something we relished and looked forward to for those coveted items of clothing we couldn't get at home. It was accepted that we had more limited choices growing up in a rural area but basics likes jeans and school shoes were adequately supplied.
Highland councillor Angus MacDonald says Fort William is looking better than it has done in a decade and in some ways he is right.
It's great to see a new cinema, bookshop and independent cafes opening but my optimistic hope would be to see the return of other high street staples, like a fishmonger or butcher, which are reappearing in other Scottish towns and cities and thriving.
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