Physical Media Makes a Comeback

We officially reached the limit on renting our lives because physical media is staging a massive

comeback right now. Everyone thought Barnes & Noble was going to be an Amazon casualty,

but they are pulling a total 180. They opened nearly seventy new stores last year and have

dozens more planned for 2026. They stopped acting like a corporate giant and started

letting local managers curate the shelves, and it is working. It is not just books. Vinyl records are

still dominating, outselling CDs in pure numbers. But here is the plot twist: Gen

Z is actually bringing CDs and DVDs back from the dead. It makes sense when you think about

it. Streaming prices keep hiking up, and your favorite movies just vanish