Virgin Megastores

Virgin Megastores' 2009 U.S. closure ended Richard Branson's attempt to build experiential music retail. The stores offered not just CDs but listening stations, coffee bars, and cultural events. None of it mattered when customers could download music instantly. The Virgin Megastore experience couldn't compete with iTunes convenience. The stores became cultural landmarks of a pre-digital era, then closed. Physical music retail's extinction happened regardless of how much experience was added.