A sign of the times, as the internet undercuts and overwhelms many a high street shop, as well as a reflection of the struggles of specialist stores all around the country having to compete with the big supermarket discounts, Xtra-vision on Greystones’ main street closed its doors today for the last time.
Your average Greystones living room today
Having only recently been taken over by the similarly-struggling HMV chain, Xtra-vision has long provided the Greystones couch potato with a wide range of movies to watch in the comfort of their own pyjamas, whilst the boom in video games over the last decade or so saw a new lucrative revenue stream help keep the tills chiming.
Xtra-vision Farewell Notice
But, with more and more people turning to the wonderful world of the interweb for their home viewing kicks, and cheaper deals on physical sales of DVDs and games available online, it was perhaps only a matter of time before Xtra-vision followed the likes of Blockbuster in America – once a giant of US retail – and go into receivership.
Whatever about illegal downloads (hi, Grace!), with the rise and rise of streaming, through the likes of Spotify, Vevo and YouTube, it could hardly be easy, getting people to pay for something they can get for free at home.
Dang it. There’s something wonderful about holding a movie or an album in your hand before buying it there and then. No waiting. No chance that Postman Pat will nab it.