deaverb

Blockbuster CEO: I Wanna Be Like Apple

Impresssive article willing to state what "some" would think obvious (but clearly not the CEO of Blockbuster) and build upon it. Sounds like two drunks trying to cure themselves. As the author states, they have no innovative talent where Apple is loaded both inside and out. There is no "second" to Apple; it is cool in a very special way, as google is. Both suffer from being on the wrong side of Clayton Christiansen's The Innovator Dilemma (I refer to a lot, but I don't think too much), simpler and cheaper wins. Netflix doesn't "punish you" for being late; that's why I use them. Our local video stores closed first; Blockbuster not yet--but traffic is lousy (parking lot observation). CC is a weak alternative to BBY. CompUSA went out which gave their business to both. But this doesn't hide the weakness of both with mass merchants selling more and more tech, downloads, direct to consumer, and so on and so on.

In my opinion, they will die alone or together, doesn't much matter. The consumer has moved on.

Activists Turn Up the Heat - But Can They Save Circuit City?

CC can't be saved. Mass merchants are taking over aggressively, as they did to knock out Toys R'US. BBY is even struggling. My company sells software and audiobooks at $1.99 and $3.99--over 90% are handled by grocery, drug, and dollar (about 75,000 stores v. less than 2000 for BBY and CC). Gamestop did it right: dump everything but games; be small and Mall based. And they are really big in used game, a huge profit center for them. Then, of course, you have digital downloads--our fastest growing markets with software at digitalriver.com and their affiliates (which includes BBY) and audible.com, recently scooped up by Amazon, for audiobooks (audible.com is larger than Barnes & Noble, #2).

Wall Street Breakfast: Must-Know News

Always appreciated. Easy to not comment on such a helpful start to each day. Many thanks. Deaver

Circuit City: Thanks to Investor Wattles, Shareholders May Get a Lifeline

A no hoper. CC is a distant second. BBY itself is getting squeezed by others getting into their categories, and chipping away--Walmart, Target, grocery, drug, and other chains. Netflix taking a piece; iTunes; Apple stores with their resurgence. Don't see it at all. My company selling affordable software and audiobooks doesn't even bother on calling on CC anymore. They are committed to high priced useless objects, CompUSA all over again.