So recently we've heard in the news that entertainment retailer HMV is going into administration after the chain of stores has been seeing sales margins get progressively lower due to the online entertainment market sky-rocketing upwards, but I can't help but think, why?
Personally, I have always preferred going to the shop the day a particular CD is released to buy the physical CD of something, rather than spending a minute buying the download online via itunes. Yes, some would argue that staying awake until midnight to download the CD is exciting, but I'd rather be itching at school, waiting until the end of the day when I can go to the HMV in Bury or Manchester to buy the CD!
Despite this, I do really like the idea of websites like Netflix and LoveFilm which allow you to pay a certain amount a month so that you can watch high quality films and/or TV shows online, which could be really useful if you are on the move, temporarily staying somewhere, or if you're in university. But unfortunately, this still means that less people will go into the shop or online to the website, to buy physical copies.
But HMV also do some really cool stuff that I would really miss due to lack of funds, such as signings/meetings with celebrities and bands (in 2010 I met The Wanted, in 2011 I met The Midnight Beast and in 2012 I met Matt Cardle). HMV also organise some small gigs around the place, like in Manchester we have the HMV Ritz which hosts great people like The Lumineers (which got upgraded to Manchester Academy 1 due to high demand), Lianne La Havas and Ben Howard.
Evidently this new year has proven to be a bad omen to some high street shops as Jessops has also gone into administration and now HMV is looking like it will too. As the online market grows I do fear for high street shops closing down, as they are the only reasons that I will venture outside. I'd rather go out to buy a physical CD in HMV any day rather than download it off of itunes. Sorry itunes....
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