kendall said:
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5199227.html
according to the stats at the URL above, iTunes has had a little less than twice the amount of downloads as Walmart but Walmart has only been open for 1/4 the amount of time as iTunes.
oh me, oh my? does iTunes finally have some competition? if the trend continues, Walmart should surpass iTunes before next year!
Oh my God, the sky is falling! Well, actually it is not. Did you know that Wal-mart just surpassed Blockbuster in video sales? I live at Wal-mart Ground Zero, but I don't see Blockbuster in decline. In fact, this town with two Movie Gallery (Wal-mart video) stores recently
added Blockbuster. I don't see Blockbuster going away because Movie Gallery has no special advantage over Blockbuster. Its
Kill Bill Vol. 1 DVD or
Band of Brothers boxed set is the same as those sold eveywhere else. And what's more, Wal-mart can't beat any other major chain on price.
How does this relate to online music? Well, the most obvious thing is that Wal-mart can't beat Apple on price, at least not for the music that we really want to buy at any rate. And what's more, unlike the Vlasic pickle case, Wal-mart cannot force the artists to produce more product just to satisfy its own greed.
But music purchases are much more than economic activities. I am my music. The music that I buy and how I buy it define who I am. Wal-mart is not me, but Apple is. Right now, the iPod and the iTunes Music Store are the epitome of cool. Wal-mart is anything but cool. Apple is [not always accurately] noted for cool products at premium prices. With music downloads, however, Apple has the cool product at the same or lower prices.
I often shop at my local Wal-mart Supercenter because it has the best selection of stuff that I need. It stocks food products that are not available in any other store in my hometown. It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Of the three big stores in town, it is the only one that is open all night. Wal-mart drove mom and pop groceries, pharmacies, clothing stores, and hardware stores out of business because it enjoys significant advantages over them. In online music sales, it enjoys none of these advantages. It may succeed, but it will not be dominant in the online music market.