Another day, another report…those crazy statto guys, they just don’t stop polling, do they?

Today, it’s a report on the drop in high street record sales which almost exclusively seems to focus on the rise of downloading shops, while unfairly sidelining the continuing rise and rise of online mail order. Which is weird considering it’s the cheapness and breadth of stock available that is really pulling people from the high street, in contrast to the current rather limited major-label-heavy range of downloadables, although there are a growing selection of indies that are trying to do something about that.

So… off to the virtual shops we go…”Sweet Smell Of Success” on DVD? – a quick google and there it is…£5.99 including p&p. Flux’s seminal “Uncarved Block” album, re-released on CD…£6.99 and a quid for p&p. Find me those as quickly, as cheaply and as easily, Mr. High Street? Didn’t think so…you’re too busy trying to lure me with your 3-for-2 bulk buys and loss-leading sale stock.

And of course if Google fails to deliver a decent vendor, there’s good ol’Ebay for out of stock and deleted stuff – although I still can’t see how some people can get away with charging £2.50 to pack and post a CD or a T-shirt – gripe, gripe…

And you don’t even have to buy from the online chain stores, you may be able go direct to the label’s site or even the artist’s site to buy, thus bypassing even more middlemen and putting sufficiently more beer in the artist’s fridges…

I know I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know, but it’s yet more conclusive proof that t’Internet is “Better Than The Real World”(tm). I mean, try knocking on Norman Cook’s door with a tenner in your hand at 3AM demanding a copy of “Palookaville” and see how far you get…

This article was posted on Friday, 12 November 2004 at 2:38 pm in the Mouthing Off category. You can leave a comment, or Trackback to this article.