HMV is Doomed

I love stupid corporations...I really do...I shouldn't be amazed at this point, but I continue to admire the single minded folly of whomever runs HMV.

One of the bigger HMV locations just closed down here in Toronto and the only question anybody asked was "why did it last so long" or "the HMV was still there?"...and the reasons are obvious to anyone with an IQ over six.

HMV is a bastion if a dead world.

In the beginning the tech types were the first to abandon physical media. The rise if Limewire and Napster and finally Bittorrent meant that consumers were finally free to escape DRM hell...region codes and anti-piracy ads that couldn't be skipped became a thing of the past...the media world responded with ridiculous lawsuits, more DRM and making the consumer experience even worse for those who actually bought the stuff.

In the middle came everyone else...who bought ipods and downloaded from Itunes or realized that paying $27 for a movie that was available for $16 on Amazon was just throwing $10 in the garbage.

In the end, if you're wondering, an entire category of retail no longer exists in physical stores and isn't even an option.

HMV sat and watched the train coming...and sat...and sat...and sat...oh and did I mention they were sitting in the middle of the tracks?

Right now...Rango is $27 in store at HMV (they no longer have an online store)...Rango is $17 on Amazon...unless you need Rango NOW, what possible reason could there ever be to step foot in an HMV?

Consumers aren't what they used to be. Ten years ago you'd go to HMV because that's who sold DVD's. Today savvy consumers browse online to find the best deal and once they find that online is better, they will never ever return to your store. Ever.

HMV still has locations...but not for long...and nobody will miss it once they, too, disappear.