According to the AI definition “vanishing media footprint refers to the “disappearance, reduction or minimization of a person’s or organization’s presence online and in traditional media. AI goes on to state that this occurs due to intentional removal and/or censorship issues (which is one of the main reasons for the sinister existence of the dark web). Archival limitations are also a prime reason the vanishing footprint occurs. The massive and stunning loss of user uploaded content of music, videos, and pictures from 2003-2015 on My Space in 2019 is an outstanding example of this. Apparently this fiasco happened because all of this content failed to transfer to a new server. There have also been stories of security breaches which also hastened the downfall of My Space. In any event, this was an epic fail!
However, the main topic of my article today is not about fading or lost digital media footprints. I’m thinking more about the sad and troubling loss of the physical retailers and outlets which rented and/or sold the hard copies of books, magazines, music, movies, and tv programming we’ve all enjoyed for many years. Of all the media retailers that have disappeared over the last two decades or so, the closure of Borders was the greatest loss in my estimation. They had huge stores containing a vast selection of books, magazines, movies, and music for every taste. I always looked forward to visiting my favorite Phoenix location at least twice a month. The cafe was cozy, and the atmosphere always felt good — something to look forward to.
As it turned out, though, Borders closed their doors in 2011 due to a combination of unfortunate factors. The main issue was that the company failed to adapt to the digital age and did not bolster online sales. Amazon quickly became a direct competitor that edged Borders out which was already top-heavy with too much physical space. The far-reaching effects of the severe 2008 recession didn’t help matters either, and in the end Borders closed over 400 stores and laid off a staggering 11,000 employees. It seemed as though internet sales were taking over everything by the 2010s and the “brick-and-mortar” stores were quickly becoming obsolete. While shopping online did and does have its conveniences (I too enjoy shopping online to a point) it was still fun to actually visit locations like Borders, Waldenbooks, and so many others. At least there were more choices offered and Amazon and Walmart had not yet devoured the world.
The sheer number of entertainment media retailers that have fallen by the wayside is astounding and I will list them in alphabetical order: B.Dalton Books, Blockbuster Video, Borders, Circles Discs & Tapes, Fry’s Electronics, Hollywood Video, Record Town, Sam Goody, Suncoast, Tower Records, Waldenbooks, Video Update, Virgin Megastores and Waldenbooks. These are the ones that I have known throughout my life, and I’m sure there are others that were regional which have also disappeared. The ones I listed above were mainly national chains. Some like Fry’s Electronics and Circles Records & Tapes were mainly in the Phoenix, Arizona area to my knowledge. Circles had been in Arizona from 1972-2010 and many of us regret seeing that go away as their musical selection was awesome!
For many national entertainment media chains, such as music stores like Record Town or booksellers like B. Dalton their last days were hastened with the demise of many shopping malls around the country. It also cannot be underestimated how the rapid spread of the internet, the popularity of digitally streamed music on it and the development of online music purveyors like iTunes and Amazon became serious competitors to the traditional media stores. Those outlets which had dominated retail for so long — became increasingly irrelevant and outmoded in comparison. As it turned out, Barnes & Noble was the rare media company that survived this dramatic downturn in retail and has thrived in the digital age.
One of the chief reasons for this is that Barnes & Noble managed a successful balancing act keeping physical locations intact (and even expanding them in the last few years) as well as keeping up with the online shopping trends. Additionally, B&N tailored each of their physical stores to be more in tune with their local communities and became event destinations that bring those communities together more. They also created themes in those stores that were more appealing to pique consumer interest than was previously the case. Hosting special family friendly events has also greatly revived interest in the B&N brand.
Now, in the mid-2020s, people are getting sick of the internet to a degree what with all the constant clicking and scrolling. It gets tedious for sure! Online shopping has its limitations and actually going somewhere again like Barnes & Noble is an activity that one looks forward to — getting out of the house and off the phone or laptop screen to go and actually hold a book or a good, old-fashioned vinyl record in your hands to examine before buying! With that said, it’s also encouraging that the vinyl album which became almost extinct by 1990 has been making a huge comeback. At least some of the smaller “mom & pop” businesses are prospering again because of it, and are more attuned to their local community shoppers and socially oriented as well.
On the other hand, it’s doubtful that the video stores like Blockbuster are ever coming back. They became too tedious to deal with because of not having enough time to watch videos and paying those pesky late fees. Again, as with other media companies, Blockbuster did not adapt to changing times which paved the way for Netflix to provide the much more popular mail-order DVDs (which I loved to get!) and streaming options which were so convenient to have when I was taking film courses at Arizona State University. In addition, poor management decisions and too much debt also helped kill Blockbuster, and the terrible 2008 recession was another nail in the coffin for them.
