Women Turn To Online To Avoid Retail Experience

Last week we talked about the British music retailer HMV and its uncertain future created by poor curation and digital competition. Now, the Guardian reports that British women are buying music from the web as a direct reaction to the poor service they receive in music retailers:

Women using digital downloads to circumvent intimidating record shop assistants are driving a resurgence in music sales, according to research. The fifty-quid bloke, the marketing name for middle-aged men credited with boosting record sales by buying piles of CDs, has been superseded by a new breed of female music fans…. More women now spend more time listening to music than their male counterparts, with record labels speculating that the rise in digital downloads means they now find it quicker and easier to explore new artists.

MediaGuardian.co.uk