A Fool Looks Back

Tomorrow delivered today
Remember when your pizza had to arrive in 30 minutes or it was free? It was a flawed Domino's (NYSE: DPZ) marketing campaign that led to reckless drivers speeding around town. Still, if you thought we were spoiled by that, imagine how tickled the impatient people must be with the popularity of digital delivery.

No, you can't get your pepperoni pizzas delivered virtually (yet), but there are now several ways to immediately acquire media like music, videos, and books online.

You know that. You're reading this online as a result of digital delivery.

However, the landscape changes so quickly that even during a holiday week, when corporate news is typically in hibernation, the following things took place:

• News leaked that Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) would begin renting online flicks by 20th Century Fox early next year.
• Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) struck a deal with Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) to sell MP3s -- free of copy-protected shackles -- through its digital music store.
• Amazon's press release detailing its top holiday sellers didn't single out its Kindle electronic reader, but that's only because the thing has been out of stock for several weeks as e-book lovers warm up to the device. 

Yes, we're really living in a digitally delivered age. Now if only I can get working on that cyberspace pizza-delivery service. Bear with me, Domino's.

Briefly in the news
And now let's take a quick look at some of the other stories that shaped our week.

• Troubled DVD-rental chain Movie Gallery (OTC BB: MOVIQ.PK) shed more than two-thirds of its value during the week after the company filed its bankruptcy reorganization plan that would ultimately cancel the existing common shares. You've seen this movie before, so the ending shouldn't surprise you. 
• Retailers love gift cards. They provide chains with cash up front for sales that will be booked in future quarters. However, things got hairy for Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) when its gift-card redemptions system ran into a snag the day after Christmas. Ouch! Shot by the same ammo that was supposed to beef up sales? Talk about a self-inflicted wound.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz

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