Not long ago Tower Records announced that with the slumping sales in the music industry, they've been relying more and more on DVD sales and the format now accounts for a shocking 25 percent of the company's profits. I don't think the lack of music sales comes as much of a surprise to anyone, but the fact that this many people are actually going to Tower to buy their DVDs is truly stunning to me. I've almost never purchased a DVD from a retail store for the obvious reason that they cost a hell of a lot more, even if you do pay Amazon.com (or other online retailers) for shipping - and that's more of an exception than the rule.

Granted, online DVD prices have been gradually climbing over the past two years and many new titles are priced around $19 instead of what used to be $15 or $16, but a lot of the physical outlets are still selling these things for $25 or more. If you're one of the people who constantly pays these outrageous prices, I highly suggest you visit web sites like www.dvdpricesearch.com.

I've been busy moving into my new place this week so I'm going to cut the column short, but be sure to check back next Tuesday and please feel free to e-mail me your reactions or anything else on your mind.

Posted August 06, 2003 | link