Dude, I can’t wait for the flying car (or do I have to wait until all these businesses go out of business?)
Nothing lasts forever I guess. My husband’s great grandfather was a harness and buggy maker and we know what happened there.
Interesting, for another example; people have all but forgotten the extensive roadside motel and restaurant chains that catered to black customers in the South in the Bad Old Days of segregation.
I find my shopping is narrowing down to about 6 stores.
-A big electronics retailer
-my favorite clothing shop.. clothes that are tough enough to not breakdown when I wear them:).
-Walmart
-Hardware, car parts, home depot type store
-Grocery store
-Drug store
For example electronics. I’ve tried buying at rinky-dink little stores, but its always a hassle if like something breaks. On the other hand the ‘big box’, just hand you a replacement part no questions, and very importantly no waiting.
Walmart: No one wants to drive to 20 stores all over town, when they can drive to one store and get what they want. Its not even about price for me. And time is a big issue in our time pressed society.. plus rising fuel costs quickly eat away at any price advantage gained from driving around.
SKI RESORTS (Global Warming)
Kodak has finally come around to digital photography, since they invented it and then shelved it for a while. Some of their recent cameras are great (one new one just announced serves up 12 megapixels, (that's a lot for a $250 buck camera). For some inexplicable reason, their cameras do not get good ratings in the digital camera mags, but mine produces excellent images under many lighting conditions.
Another new Kodak product line that looks very promising is their new all-in-one color printer (three models). I bought one and it is super. The color quality of photos from the printer are superior to any previous prints made on competitive printers. The best thing is their inks are less than half what I pay for HP printer inks.
It's too soon to write Kodak off. It's a personal thing since I worked for that great company for 36 years.
Here is another one for the list.. Local computer shops.
Who would buy from some small-time store when you can get the same for less at a big box electronics store. And a much better warranty, and no questions asked replacement if something goes wrong.
This wicked computer I have now, I walked in to the store. Within 15 minutes I was carrying my new computer out to the car. Compare that to a small shop that orders it for you, and it arrives in two weeks.
A travel agent is no longer needed to book your plane ticket or for you to call the airline. Once again, the internet swallowed them up.