Editing Formby (section)

==Economy==
The main [[shopping]] area is known locally as 'The village', in which the town upholds an array of shops including a [[Boots Group|Boots]], [[Card Factory]] and [[Savers]], alongside some independent outlets. The majority of these shops are located along the streets of Chapel Lane and Brows Lane, which also contains a number of coffee houses, including [[Costa Coffee]] and [[Cafe Nero]], banks, travel agents, estate agents and charity shops. This tree-lined [[avenue (landscape)|Avenue]] runs for about a third of a mile, with shops either side of it. 'The village' further branches out onto Elbow Lane, Three Tuns Lane, Halsall Lane and School Lane, where more shops are located.

There are several other smaller shopping areas around Formby and Freshfield, mostly [[convenience store]]s and specialist outlets, such as an optician and a model shop. Formby also has a main post office and two smaller post offices.
[[File:Formby point.jpg|thumb|National Trust – Formby|alt=]]
The town has several supermarkets including a [[Tesco]], [[Marks & Spencer]]'s SimplyFood, [[Waitrose]] and [[Iceland]]. Formby has no major industries; however, there is a small [[industrial estate]] on the outskirts of the town, on which a McDonald's is located. A recent study of the town showed that between 10%–30% of its residents commute to either Liverpool or Southport <ref name="theworkfoundation.com"/>

===Tourism===
[[File:Formby Beach.jpg|thumb|left|Formby Beach]]
Formby has a significant tourist industry, most notably between the warmer months of May and September.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/hub/A5210056|title=Sefton Coastal Footpath|work=BBC Online|date=19 August 2005|access-date=30 November 2015}}</ref> In particular, it is popular with day trippers from across the [[North West England|North West]]. There are two main spots along the Formby Coast which are particularly popular with the public.

The Lifeboat Road site is about 1½ miles from the town centre; there are three linked unpaved car parks with several routes cascading out into the sand dunes and woods. The car parks are about 900 yards from the beach and there is a charge to park there.

Victoria Road is north of Lifeboat Road and is busier due to the red squirrel reserve being located here, as well as it being the starting point for the asparagus trail. The reserve begins at the junction of Larkhill Lane and Victoria Road. Like Lifeboat Road, there is a charge to park from this point onwards. Parking is available adjacent to the reserve and at the end of the road, there is a large unpaved car park for easier beach access. The beach is located approximately 100 yards from the car park.

There is a privately run [[caravan park]] called Formby Point Caravan Park on Lifeboat Road, open between March and October. There are around 300 caravans on the park and 20 plots for touring caravans. There is a phone box, public toilet and a play area on site and, until 1995, there was a small convenience store. Additionally, there is a smaller caravan site called Freshfield Caravan Park.