Well, I've learnt something today. I never knew the 'n' shaped bike racks were called Sheffield Stands. I'll have to remember that.
There certainly seems to be some variety of experiences. It's a big shame that some facilities are being removed. I guess they were under-used and an example of why a broad encouragement of cycling by a variety of provisions and initiatives is important, not just the one aspect of bike stands in this case.
I like the idea of bringing the bike into the shop and that may well work for some larger shop or supermarket (although the response is obviously mixed). I'm also thinking though of small corner shops where two or three customers is a crowd, services such as hairdressers etc. and the other myriad of little places where floor space certainly wouldn't allow a full size bike.
The folding bike solution may work. Unfortunately, it means another bike specifically for this purpose though which is again less than ideal. It may be a future consideration though, as I was thinking of getting one for carrying on public transport. For someone weighing up whether cycling is for them though, I'm not sure promoting the idea of multiple bikes for different purposes is much of an encouragement, unless they're use case means a folding bike will meant all of their needs.
But again, with all of these, we're all finding workarounds to what seems to be a common problem. Drivers generally get their parking facilities, or in worst case they can park nearby on the road. It's a pity society is so car centric that cyclists can't have at least just one Sheffield Stand per parade as a minimum, with more added if there is demand.