Retail parks can offer free parking, familiar brands and the convenience of getting everything in one trip. Yet the town centre has strengths that retail parks cannot easily replicate: independent businesses, cafés, culture, the market and the chance to make a day of it. Should money be spent on events, public spaces and attracting major names, or should Ipswich concentrate on becoming a destination rather than trying to copy retail parks? Council planning policy aims to enhance the shopping area’s attraction and market share, while retail evidence identifies Anglia and Euro retail parks as destinations. Is Ipswich doing enough to compete, and what change would bring you into town more often?