It’s harder to tell when an online shopping site is going under. When you head into a store and see that their stock is dwindling (and it’s not because of a big Christmas rush!) and the workers don’t look too happy and there’s a general aura of malaise, well, the writing is on the wall. But an ecommerce site can look happy and peppy up to the bitter end. It’s been depressing going into certain bookstores lately, seeing their stacks getting smaller as they try to manage a decreasing cash flow. The problem is that a vicious cycle starts when I don’t want to go to that bookstore anymore because their selection isn’t big enough. Then they lose customers and go further downhill. But I hope a few of the better, more creative ones, will remain.