Report

January 2000

• Half of media retailers already toy with digital downloads.
• Book and video sellers expect digital downloads to take root for them in three to five years.

• In 2004, 22% of online media products, led by software and music, will be downloaded.
• Media merchants will emerge to serve all-media consumers.

• Brick-and-mortar stores must prepare for a makeover.
• Retailers must hire tech-smart customer service reps.

• Environmentalists will embrace digital downloads.
• Hoodlums will trade CD shoplifting for apparel snagging.

• Figure 1.  Online Media Retailers Step Into Digital Downloads
• Figure 2.  An Uncertain Future Awaits Media Retailers
• Figure 3.  Technology And Rights Issues Are Overcome In Stages
• Figure 4.  Software And Music Lead Early Digital Download Forecasts
• Figure 5.  Media Merchants Become Product Innovators
• Figure 6.  Likely Media Merchant Winners

 

• Companies Interviewed For This Report
• Related Research

• If it looks like a book and smells like a book . . .
• Gumballs, music, it's all the same.
• The medium sends a message.