In the Footsteps of the Tasmanian Tiger
Seventy years ago this year, the last Tasmanian Tiger (or thylacine) died at the Hobart Zoo. This year is also shaping up as a year of extinctions. By the end of the year, there will be a few less products and services to be priced:
Nikon has announced that the only type of camera it is making now will be digital ones. In China, there is likely to be a generation that go from ‘no camera’ to ‘digital camera’, not taking the detour to ‘film cameras’ that many of the current generation are familiar with
Bankcard, the iconic credit card introduced in Australia in 1974 will be no more by the end of the year, despite the fact that there are still 1million card holders
As there were only 20,000 of them sent last year, Western Union has announced the closure of its telegram business (there hasn’t been a telegram delivered in Australia since 1993)
Dixon’s, the UK Electrical retailer has announced that by the end of the year, it is unlikely to be selling cathode ray TV’s, and is likely to be selling flat-screen TV’s only. It has already stopped selling manual 35mm camera’s and it expects to also stop selling portable CD players and cassette players (remember them?) in the not-too-distant-future.
And all these announcements have come in the first 6 weeks of 2006. What products or services will join them before the end of the year? Share you predictions….
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2 comments:
Hi Jon,
In the UK, Asda (owned by Wal Mart) announced yesterday the end of accepting cheques [US: checks] at the check-out. Official reason is that it slows customer service for others but I suspect it's also the handling cost.
I heard this on the BBC Radio News last night. In a vox pox interview with shop owners in Ealing, West London, many remarked how they few cheques were proferred. One said "two or three", to which the interviewer said "a day?". No said the shop keeper, "a month". The electrical chain Dixons told the BBC they had refused them for some months.
Personally, in 2005 I wrote just 17 personal cheques out of over 500 financial transactions, and 12 of those were for just 1 company.
I started my career in banking IT and it was facinating to watch for the first time how fast the cheque sorting machines worked - until there was an almighty jam! Each machine would be staffed by a small team of girls (never saw any chaps!) and they would be motivated to see which team could process the most each day. More like the industrial age than the technological age, but without the grime.
I think one of the banks should give one to the Science Museum complete with a few thousand used cheques.
Hi Alan,
You know, everytime I shopped in Safeway Ealing, I swear the customer in front of me was paying by cheque. Its was/is far more widespread in the UK than here in Australia.
Jon
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