With the internet attracting millions of users daily, it is no wonder that many industries are now deciding to forgo traditional physical stores and opt for an online-only approach. From dwindling customers to an attempt to keep up with modernity, many big industries now partially use the wonders of the internet to connect with their customers and increase their revenue.
Betting Shops
Traditionally, to bet on a race or a football match, you would have had to walk down to your local betting store or casino, where you could see the odds available, place your bet, and track the live outcomes of the event. However, now you can bet on your favourite sport direct from the comfort of your own home, giving you the ability to watch the match on the television while deciding on which team to support. Online betting websites such as Unibet are allowing this to happen, with their range of online casino activities such as live bets, poker and even bingo ensuring that you can stake your money at the click of a button, and from any location.
Travel Agents
Although high street travel agents such as STA still seek to draw students into their shops with the glossy brochures and helpful advisors, most travel agents have now gone online only. Now, travel agents place all their holiday advertisements online and allow you to browse through yourself. Where once it may have been difficult to coordinate your flights and accommodation for yourself, the internet has made it even easier to do so, allowing you to book flights and hotels easily at the same time as each other. Not only this, but some websites even allow you to compare prices online, without the need for a physical travel agent to act as the middle man.
Entertainment
Blockbuster, the flagship DVD and Video rental company, was once a staple of the high street, with a network of 4.8 billion dollars in 1999. However, Blockbuster soon went into decline with the rise of streaming services such as Netflix, which allowed viewers to access a wide range of films and television shows straight from their laptop, television or mobile phone. Now, there is a wide selection of streaming services to choose from, including Amazon Prime and Hulu, and each of these are expanding every year, intending to make their own new content to rival household names such as the BBC and ITV.
Publishing
Although Waterstones and Foyles are still waging battle against Amazon in the UK, the publishing world was forever changed by the introduction of e-books. Although e-books started as online-only databases which held out-of-copyright books such as Project Gutenberg, they quickly became prominent with the introduction of handheld e-readers, for example, the Amazon Kindle. With reduced prices and the ability to transport books to any location, this became attractive to book-buyers. Although the sales of physical books are once again rising as of 2019, it is difficult to predict the future of the physical book or what may happen to the market in the future.
