The Internet is destroying America.

[maybrick]

Pretty obvious observation as far as I'm concerned.

We all know that it's hard to find our favorite cult films in brick and mortar stores, because the deals are too easy to pass up through amazon or one of the many sales through deep discount, etc, etc, etc. But that's just the icing on the cake. Nobody buys CDs anymore because of downloads (and illegal torrents), and because of that there is no reason for record stores. We used to have 5 in my town (along with several video stores). Now we're down to one each. And Netflix sure isn't helping so for the life of me I can't understand why any studio puts up with this shit. It's like they're all fine and happy with devaluing their products. Nobody really goes to the theater anymore, they wait until video, so the studios re-introduce gimmicks like 3D to get people back into cinemas. But THEN they just as quickly introduced 3D TVs which defeats the entire reason for the gimmick.

Very little that is tangible is being produced. And so, there are few factory jobs here in the states, no reason to hire more workers for deliveries, and no use for actual store fronts any more. The few still around are only there so that people can window shop, test out product and then find a cheaper deal on line. One has to wonder where we'll all be when storefronts are all gone. How are we supposed to test out an acoustic guitar, microwave, or television "virtually"? That is totally going to suck. Hardcore.

Frankly I'm amazed that unemployment isn't twice as high as it is now. We're digging our own graves.

[Zollman]

I scream this all day long.
Everything is ruined, and it'll onlyget worse.
There will be no stores- just Amazon.

[Katatonia]

I'm hoping the Internet will destroy a few churches around here. There's literally one on every goddamned street corner here.

[msw7]

I buy CDs all the time - but I buy a lot from bands/labels directly, and have to import quite a few. In a way you're right though - I have no use for a brick and mortar record store. I'd consider it if they stocked what I like, but I doubt that what I like is enough to keep them in business.

[MorallySound]

I do miss the good old days of going to the video store, and I am still a strong supporter of analogue mediums and physical copies, but nothing lasts. Change. It's a way of life.

[Katatonia]

Originally Posted by msw7

I buy CDs all the time - but I buy a lot from bands/labels directly, and have to import quite a few. In a way you're right though - I have no use for a brick and mortar record store. I'd consider it if they stocked what I like, but I doubt that what I like is enough to keep them in business.

Same here. I still buy CD's and Vinyl. Screw lossy MP3 downloads that sound like crap...unless it's the only option. Most remaining record stores here stock all trendy garbage or inflate their prices (even the used stuff) so high that people have little choice but to seek merchandise elsewhere.

The only B&M store I like these days is Hastings, which have decent prices and sales promotions, and offer a large variation in what products they carry.

I just never see anything when I do go into other record stores anymore. And if they do actually get rare stuff in anymore, it's now marked up to ebay prices. B&M bargains are now much rarer to find. And many of the stores have done a lot of the damage themselves. Tower Records and Borders are two prime examples of how to kill your business. The internet is only a factor in the equation.

[Paff]

No, business just changes with the technology. It's like saying the automobile destroyed America because it put blacksmiths and horse traders out of work. The business just shifted, adding jobs like car repair, road construction, etc.

And it's the same today. Sure, maybe if you were a record store clerk, you're out of a job now. Instead, better get into the IT field.

I remember a couple of years ago there were two stores next to one another that I frequently visited. A Tower Records/Video and a Good Guys stereo/TV store. They both went tits up and were replaced by a Staples. But when you realize that most people watch their movies and listen to their music on their computers, it sort of makes sense.

These things just happen with technology. It's always been like this, and will continue to be. Change with the changing times or be left behind.

[Workshed]

The area of Seattle that I live in had two record stores, Easy Street and Silver Platters. In the past six months, both stores announced that they were closing and/or moving to new locations. It's sad to see these great retail storefronts shrink. I'm considering moving to a new location because there will no longer be a record store in my area.

[The Tall Man]

The Internet is destroying the world, not only America. Here in Australia most book/music/video stores have closed in the past few years. Only major chains like JB-HiFi can survive because they offer low prices, similar to what is found online.

We are all to blame. I'm sure everyone here has at some stage downloaded a movie or album. Or bought a movie or album online. It's a fact of life now. It's what our kids will learn from an early age.

I rarely go to store to be honest. Last time was to buy a new laptop. Before that, an oven .... before that a new TV. Hell, I don't even support the Australian online stores much anymore, it's cheaper for me to import blurays and dvd's from Amazon then it is to buy them here !

[Anthropophagus]

The only remaining record shop in my town is HMV and there used to be dozens both chains and independent-Rock En Stock, Phatasmagoria, Music World, Sam The Record Man, Discus to name but a few. Not only were these great places to shop and pick up on new and exciting bands they were a fantastic place of employment for teens and youth, certainly better than the preponderance of coma inducing boring call center jobs that are the alternative now.
I don't buy books, cds or dvds from amazon, unless I've searched for it exhaustively in stores and I visit HMV about once every two weeks. On my last visit, I bought John Mellencamp, Diana Krall, Led Zeppelin and Adele. I still believe in supporting the businesses in my area first and foremost.

[DanceEnergy24]

I still buy movies at Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart. I would buy more if they offered more. For example, the horror section at Best Buy used to be great. If I'm looking for something I can't find in a store then my only other option is to get it online.

[elDomenechHDG]

Originally Posted by Zollman

I scream this all day long.
Everything is ruined, and it'll onlyget worse.
There will be no stores- just Amazon.

The problem with physical stores is there are too many of them that sell EVERYTHING. What I mean is, there aren't many stores that concentrate on one or two products so one category of merchandise will always be shortchanged. For instance, Best Buy sells washing machines, cellphones and movies (among other things). But if it's movies you're going in for you're not going to find a Code Red title or even a major studio catalog release from barely a year ago because they only have room to stock the latest blockbusters. And now they're selling electric guitars and have little rooms set aside to display higher-end home theaters, which is fine, but you can only do so much with the space you've got. Then they have 85 copies of Green Hornet on DVD that nobody wants so there's even less space for anything smaller. What we need are movie-only superstores that stock everything that's supposed to come out when it comes out. There's nothing I enjoy more than browsing for movies in an actual store. But there are none.

[X-human]

In other words the "free market" and "deregulation" is killing America.

[maybrick]

Originally Posted by Paff

No, business just changes with the technology. It's like saying the automobile destroyed America because it put blacksmiths and horse traders out of work. The business just shifted, adding jobs like car repair, road construction, etc.

And it's the same today. Sure, maybe if you were a record store clerk, you're out of a job now. Instead, better get into the IT field.

I remember a couple of years ago there were two stores next to one another that I frequently visited. A Tower Records/Video and a Good Guys stereo/TV store. They both went tits up and were replaced by a Staples. But when you realize that most people watch their movies and listen to their music on their computers, it sort of makes sense.

These things just happen with technology. It's always been like this, and will continue to be. Change with the changing times or be left behind.

I think you're vastly over estimating the need for IT people in our society. What's happening now is like what happened to the US workforce when automation was introduced to manufacturing... only on steroids. A place like Amazon, unlike classical business models, really only needs a handful of low wage employees to do what they need to do. They don't have any real overhead to speak of, just a few warehouses. All of their profit goes right to the top and does very little to help the overall economy, but they're continuing to get a larger and larger share of business as they crowd other smaller companies out. Instead of having thousands of locally owned businesses nationwide employing hundreds of thousands of people which in turn buy goods and services and stimulate local economies, we have one Mega corporation that employs a few people in a warehouse one state over and doesn't do a single thing in keeping your town solvent. Yes, times change. But that doesn't always mean for the better. Without brick and mortar stores and showrooms there will be no way to test out products before purchasing them, but if everybody buys online brick and mortar stores can't stay in business. There is a ripple effect taking place and few people will truly realize how disastrous this will be until it's too late.

[bigdaddyhorse]

The next 2 biggest industries I see:

Federal internet security. Fuck IT, we need hackers to out-hack the enemies before they break in and shut us down!
Tattoo removal. Explains itself.