Well, when I wrote that, I hadn't heard about the talks with administrators. Of course it is sad when people lose their jobs - but it sounds like the management team should have been able to see these problems looming well in advance. Losing employment is a hazard that we all face, but there should have been no reason for people to go unpaid.

Will Matthews, Shenfield,

The only people who gain from this are the administrators with their over inflated fees.

As to who is to blame? How about the likes of Sony etc who take the majority of the mark up on CD's. By the time CD's / DVD's hit the shops the profit margin for stores is tiny. The industry is in a downward spiral and will continue to fall until the fat cats at Sony give a better deal. After all, who will sell their products when there are no stores left on the high street selling their products.

Mr Matthews - not everyone has internet access (it's true!) and even those who have, some of us still enjoy searching through the racks in our local music stores... Which are now getting harder to find than the rare CD you may be searching for!

A bitter and twisted EX music retail employee, Manchester, UK

I am sure Mr Matthews is sympathetic to the problems facing the now ex-employees of Fopp. But his argument stands. High street music stores could soon be history. As a leading analyst covering the market, I can say there is nothing pseudo about this argument, however, questions need to be asked about how the management of the company can let the situation deteriotate so quickly? They'll blame the bankers - but ultimately they should have seen this coming.

R F Perks, London, UK

Fopp posted a profit of £186,000 on a turnover of £40,000,000 for year ending 2006 which is marginal to say the least . In a declining market, taking on a store on Tottenham Court Road at a rent of at least £650,000 pa. strikes me as a risky strategy !

atom 41, nottingham, uk

If my analysis is so wrong, then please tell us the real reason behind the demise of a store that I have spent several hundred pounds in? I think your management have a lot to answer for in this case - you don't decide that you won't be able to pay your staff from one day to the next.

Will Matthews, Shenfield,

I work/worked for Fopp. I say worked because technically we've been told we're 'on leave'. I didn't get paid this month. Who's going to pay my mortgage, bills and food? Mr W Matthews, since you're a music lover who has nothing to fear, can you pay my bills this month? Your statement is ludicrious in its psuedo market analysis. I have £16 to last me until I find another job, who won't pay until the end of July, providing I find a job within the next week or so. A whole month on £16, even a beggar needs more than that.

A Fopp Worker, England,

Sure Will Matthews, music lovers have little to fear. Never mind the poor employees losing their jobs, and out of pocket.

Domo, Nr Guildford,

The Fopp stores do a better job than most when it comes to catering for the music enthusiast as opposed to the casual chart album buyer. However, it is the fast moving chart albums that generate the sales. Commodity items like these don't need to be sold in specialist stores, so other retailers, like supermarkets can cream the market, depriving retailers like Fopp of a valuable source of sales.

The other half of the argument is that the back-catalogue stuff that Fopp does so well, is more cost effiecient to provide online. A successful line in back catalogue sales requires a large amount of slow moving stock, and keeping this on prime high street space is never likely to be a cost efficient strategy.

Ultimately, it will be a shame if retailers like Fopp disappear, but as long as the internet can fulfill the same functions, music lovers have little to fear.

Will Matthews, Shenfield,