Physical media has already gotten more expensive in the US after major retailer Best Buy abandoned the market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The average price for "video discs and other media," which includes DVDs, Blu-rays and UHD Blu-rays, rose 30% year-over-year in March 2024, following Best Buy's exit in February 2024.
The average price continued to rise in April 2024, up an additional 1.9% compared to March. The new data was first reported and illustrated by Consumer Affairs.
Is Best Buy the full story?
While the jump certainly seems to be related to Best Buy's decision to exit the physical disc market, other factors could also be in play.
US retailer Target recently confirmed that it is shifting DVD and Blu-ray sales to its online store. With no discs on display in Best Buy and Target, shoppers are less likely to impulse buy cheap DVDs, which could shift a larger percentage of sales to more expensive Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray discs – increasing the average price.
Also read: The State of Ultra HD Blu-ray in 2024
Reduced competition in the market likely also contributes to higher prices, as fewer retailers selling physical media can lead to less price competition and more pricing power for the remaining sellers.
Also, as the graph shows, prices were already on the rise before Best Buy's exit, which may be related to the many recent collector and limited edition releases aimed at movie collectors.
