Media Sales Will Be Up This Fourth Quarter

I was speaking with a friend who works at a bookstore. He mentioned to me that business was doing unexpectedly better than the store's projections. While some stores are doing all they can to preempt a lackluster fourth quarter, I can't help but think these efforts may be for naught. People are spending less, that's just a given. Still, Drake Bennett of the Boston Globe has an article about what a 21st Century depression would look like. It's an excellent read and from the look of it, most of the criteria he notes are happening already. At least I know for certain that I'm a recent college graduate living in the room over the garage. That sentence alone jostled me.

But what really made sense to me in the article was Bennett noting that in economic downturn, cheap escapism is key. I have addressed this before as it relates to alcohol when the bottom was first beginning to fall out. But with my book schilling friend noting the increase in sales, media may be heading for an upturn.

The TV Series DVD phenomenon is still going strong. The internet is steadily growing and the frontier for all sorts of entertainment. I wouldn't be surprised to see bookstores, Amazon.com, the DVD section of Best Buy, and other sellers of that ilk do well this holiday season while clothing stores, technology stores, and essentially everything else see losses come the end of the year.

Something to note about this economy. Mark my words on this.