An article in the 10/10/06 Daily Variety says that Trans World Entertainment is "the last large, national music and video specialty chain still standing."

Now where you live there just might be one of the 148 Wherehouse stores, but they are owned by TWE. Same thing for Sam Goody and their 335 stores (Sam Goody and Suncoast, combined). TWE even tried to buy Tower Records, but that failed and Tower is now being liquidated, one CD at a time.

And do all the failed stores blame digital downloads of music and videos for their demise? No, they put most of the blame on someone you might not even consider one of their competitors -- Wal-Mart.

Sure, digital downloads play a role in all this, but more music is still sold in physical than electronic form, and the smaller bricks and mortar stores don't have the buying power -- or almost any kind of power -- to keep people from following the price. Wal-Mart can buy cheaper and sell lower than almost any other retailer, and they know it.

I've often thought about Wal-Mart putting others out of business, but I never thought about them putting a whole industry out of business. Have you?