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Shopping online is fine and all that, but there is something nice about being able to pick something up, examine it, and take it home with you. I tend to do a bit of both - when I'm buying generic parts that I don't care about and I'm not in a hurry for, I'll buy them online. I like browsing physical shops though, and occasionally I'll buy something on a whim (typically books, games, music or clothes), even though I know I can probably get it cheaper online.
What I do like to see is the appearance of retro-specific shops. They're popping up occasionally, thanks to the current nostalgia boom. There's one in particular in Dublin which has been going well for a few years now. Yes, you can buy the games they have cheaper online if you scour eBay and forums and all that, but there's something very nice about being able to browse through hundreds of SNES, Megadrive, Gamecube etc. games in person, so you can see the exact condition of the game, box, manual etc. before you buy it, and relive the experience of your childhood, taking your new game home, reading the manual on the train and playing it as soon as you get in the door. Shops like that, I hope, will continue to appear and do well for years to come.
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