The future of the video store

This piece from today's LA Times, "Video Stores Struggle to Stack Up," is worth a quick look.

It isn't as sharp as it could've been - I think it should've asked the question more clearly, 'Are brick-and-mortar rental shops an endangered species?' (I do wonder if we'll look back at video stores the same way we look at blacksmith's shops in the Old West.)

Lorena Muñoz writes:

"People have been saying that the video store is a dinosaur since the beginning of Blockbuster dating back to the '80s," Blockbuster's [CEO John] Antioco said in an interview.

Mark Wattles, founder of Hollywood Video, said the video store industry was facing major challenges. But he believes that savvy merchants will take advantage of technological changes.

"I don't think we are in the twilight of the brick-and-mortar store for any industry," he said. "Consumers will continue to want to handle things and buy on impulse. There are a lot of changes ahead. I think that the really good operators will capitalize on those changes."