I stopped using Best Buy for DVDs almost 4 years because thier selection has almost been cut in half and customer service sucks. Have been using Amazon for 90% and Wal mart and Target for the other 10%. Even Wal mart's selection of DVDs are close to half of what they use to be, I'm finding the only good selection is online. My main interest is Horror and SyFy.

Quoting Danae Cassandra:

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I've rarely shopped at Best Buy - but I've always found them to be overpriced, so with them it's a matter of if I'm in the store for something else, and then if something is on sale. 

I get most of my DVDs used, and most of them at the shop I work at.  But my online purchasing has definitely gone up.  Looking at this year my percentage was 63% local vs 37% online, versus last year it was 74% local to 26% online.  Mostly at this stage it's because what I'm looking for isn't coming into our shop (documentaries, foreign films, classic or cult cinema). 

I don't think it's online shopping that's killing brick & mortar, it's streaming.  It feels like we've had more people selling DVDs this year saying "I can stream all this"" than we had last year.  We still do well with DVDs, but we're the used market - and even we're seeing the writing on the wall for them.

It doesn't matter to me I'll take used if it is one that I want and can not get it new. As far as streaming I tried it for about 4 months thru Netflix and dropped it because the movies I wanted to watch were only available on DVD. The only place for used DVDs here is called Movie stop, pawn shops were good at one time but that dried up about 5 years ago hardly any selection at all.

We don't have Hastings in Tucson, so I cannot compare.  As for useless/uncaring employees it is simply that their training program sucks and they only keep their high volume selling employees on the floor.  They want to say hi, grab your item and get you out so they can check out the next person.  Notice often the employee who helps you often offers to check you out in their area as they get credit for your sale.  More sales equal more hours.  But I digress I didn't mean to turn this into a bash Best Buy thread.  I only use them when I have to and normally that is for exclusives.  For instance they are going to be the only store that carries the Infinity Wreck It Ralph so I will have to give them money.

But seriously, back to the issue at hand do you find yourself spending more time using online venues in order to buy the items you want and are you going to shop on Black Friday at a Brick and Mortar.  So again, my answer is yes, most of my stuff is coming from online now, and no I will not be going to a brick and mortar for Black Friday, not that I have in years anyway.  Finally I think brick and mortars are on life support and we will not be seeing them for much longer.

Bigger stores are definitely carrying fewer and fewer catalog titles. I imagine DVDs/Blu-rays don't make up much of their revenue so they're stocking fewer and fewer titles and giving the floor space to bigger money draws. There's a huge difference between the media section of my local Best Buy from 10 years ago when DVDs were in their boom phase, compared to today where everyone has everything they want on DVD and Blu-ray hasn't taken off quite so successfully.

I think the first time I really noticed this trend was when Best Buy, Walmart, and Target all opted not to stock Singin' in the Rain on Blu-ray. Here's a film that's widely regarded as a beloved film classic given a new restoration and a big Blu-ray push with a collector's set, etc., and yet no store carried it.

I live in a small town, and we only have a Wal*Mart and one rental store (now) that sell DVDs. The one time I've been into the pawn shop, every one of their few-dozen DVDs had more scratches than clean places.

Quoting CubbyUps:

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I am very picky about the condition of the slipcover and case.

Same here. Not so much as you, but the slipcover is an important part of the case as far as I am concerned. If I am going to buy a DVD, I want everything: slipcover, undamaged cover (not folded over or the edge caught by security protection tape,) discs without ink on them (like rental stores do sometimes, marking the individual DVDs.) It's why I don't put my DVDs in binders: I'm collecting the "DVDs" (which accounts for everything) not just the "movie."

Of course, we all know that even "new" doesn't always mean it will turn out perfect when buying online which is why it is nice to have a first look. I bought The Ultimate Matrix Collection after years of waiting for a good deal on new. I bought it on eBay, new factory sealed, and I do trust that it was just that because the discs inside were pristine. However, one of the tabs was broken on the holder for the first DVD meaning it wouldn't stay snapped in place. And it's a special case, so I couldn't replace it.


Anyway, years ago cassette and VHS tapes were told in stores and we've moved from one medium to the next. Now, it's streaming because your majority of movie watchers are fine with lower-quality single-watch. So yes, unless something very different comes around to change things, in another 10 years, I don't believe you will find any (or at most less than 1%) of stores carrying DVDs, Blu-ray, 4K-quality discs, or whatever.

However, I believe they will still be selling CDs.