Sony decide turning to online retail is the way ahead

You can see the logic behind having Sony stores on the High Street - if you value the quality of their electronics, you might go to shop the brand.

Less clear is the value of a Sony store online selling digital music, movies and ebooks. I've said before that only the major labels believe that their brand offers any attraction to the consumer, and there are few customers who think "I wonder what songs EMI or Universal have on offer this week".

Locked-in items - Playstation games, for example - you might just get away with. But wasting time, money and effort building a music store which will only offer a limited range? What would the point be?

They're planning on calling it Sony Online Service. The initials say it all.