The advent of digital cameras and online photo sharing has enabled amateur photographs to capture moments in time and share them with a global audience almost immediately. The global recession and mass store closures, like that of Circuit City in the United States, only adds to this phenomenon. Flickr has led the charge all along, as sets of geotagged photos become the equivalent of interactive, constantly-updated history books.
The photos in the gallery above all document the nationwide Circuit City store closures. By all news accounts, these stores have become scenes of near pandemonium as shoppers scramble for the best deals. There are lines that extend out of the building at locations that were devoid of life mere months ago.
Photo Credits: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10
Geotagged Recession Records
Flickr Photographers Document Circuit City Closures
Trend Themes
1. Geotagged Documenting - The use of photos with geotags to document and share real-time events like mass store closures has become increasingly prevalent on platforms like Flickr, providing disruptive innovation opportunities to businesses that can leverage this data.
2. Visual Shopping Experience - The widespread use of digital cameras and online photo sharing allows for a unique and immersive shopping experience that businesses can replicate online, providing disruptive innovation opportunities in the retail industry.
3. User-generated Content - The rise of user-generated content on platforms like Flickr has allowed for real-time documentation of historical events, providing disruptive innovation opportunities for businesses to leverage this data and improve their offerings and marketing strategies
Industry Implications
1. Social Media - The use of geotagged photos to document and share real-time events highlights the growing importance of social media platforms like Flickr and presents disruptive innovation opportunities for businesses to leverage this data in their marketing strategies.
2. E-commerce - The visual shopping experience provided by the use of digital cameras and online photo sharing presents disruptive innovation opportunities for e-commerce businesses to improve their website user experience and increase engagement with their customers.
3. Retail - The real-time documentation of store closures on platforms like Flickr presents disruptive innovation opportunities for the retail industry to better understand customer behavior and improve store layouts and marketing strategies.