Given construction costs and/or rent, payroll, utilities, etc., it's got to be tough. I'm sure Circuit City and its competitors have people coming in every day, getting the sales people to demonstrate five different stereos or TVs, and then, after that research, ordering their choice from a discount warehouse for a lower price.
Expect more shuttered "big box" stores, even when/if the economy bounces back.
For me, no. Too many things I wan't to see up close and a monitor doesn't do it for me.
Books, music, videos - yes online. Pretty much everything else - going to a store.