Retail that’s getting hurt is/was likely gouging or being negligent.
A popular retail store will charge $150 for the same HDMI cable available online for half the cost. That’s an insane margin over the wholesale/dist cost.
Guitar Center on the other hand offers competitive prices in their stores. And I’d much rather visit and patronize the stores.
Local hardware stores are doing great while competing with both the box and online stores.
Amazon doesn’t need to be the only disruptive force in town. It practically stands alone as many of the traditional retailers squandered their final years. The potential for the paradigm Amazon adopted has been available for decades. Mainstream (not Main St) retail screwed itself.
Guitar Center actually employs people that know something about guitars.
Same with the local hardware store.
I overheard a Best Buy blue shirt trying to explain the technology in a flat screen that was so wrong it made my head hurt.