Very cool, if true

Likewise.

Last time I had a serious look in to this (about a year or two ago), it was actually cheaper (most of the time) to buy a physical CD online, including the postage from VAT-dodging Jersey, than to download the album. So for a few days' deferred gratification, I save money, get a higher-bandwidth copy, and a free hard copy backup with a nice picture of the album art on the front to make it easier to find should I ever need it.

The option of trekking in to town, paying to park the car or the bus fare, wrestling through crowds of shoppers, finding the damn CD in HMV's latest store rearrangement to deprioritise music CDs ... and paying substantially more than online ... doesn't appeal.

I was in town doing Christmas shopping the other day, and was walking past HMV when I remembered there was an album I wanted in the charts at the moment. (I forget which. Almost certainly something you wouldn't approve of :-).) I went in and spent ages looking, then waited for ages in a queue to talk to a member of staff. They didn't have it.

DOOOOOOOOOMED.

I can see video DVD/Blu-Ray box sets by post continuing to be a viable business for the medium term (like 5-10 years), on the old 'never underestimate the bandwidth of a lorry full of magtape' principle. But not on margins that will support a High Street presence.