27 May 2008 11:17 GMT / By Katie Scott
One of the UK's biggest retail chains says that the market has fallen out of CD single sales.Woolworths, which sells a third of all CDs in the UK, has decided to stop selling CD singles.
The retailer admitted falling sales and added its belief that music fans prefer digital online downloads.
This is backed up by nationwide stats - last year, only 8 million CD singles were sold in the UK in 2007 compared with 72.6 million downloads.
The best year for CD single sales was way back in 1999, when 78 million were sold but since then, the increasing popularity of online music stores like iTunes has impacted sales hugely.
In fact, it's been a steady slide for CD singles since downloads overtook CD single sales in 2005.
Woolies will pull its CD singles from August with the exception of one-off releases such as the X-Factor winner, which still sell hundreds of thousands of copies (shame on all of us). Audio, CDs, Woolworths



Is Facebook about to buy Opera to create own Facebook browser? EXCLUSIVE: Pocket-lint source tells us "yes"
APP OF THE DAY: The Weather Channel review (iPhone / iPod touch) Tonight for the first time, just about half-past ten...
Mazda CX5 2.2 TDI AWD A very zoomy SUV
Apple testing 3.95-inch iPhone 5, with 16:9 display 1136 x 640 resolution revolution
Pentax K-30: 16-megapixel weather-proofed mid-level DSLR 81 seals makes this one tough cam
Jony Ive: Next Apple product is our most important and best work yet Better than iPod, iPad and iPhone?
Running blind: How Simon Wheatcroft uses his iPhone to see Runkeeper and more let this man run solo
APP OF THE DAY: WhatsApp review (Android) Instant message, cross platform
WIN: Tickets to Ibiza Rocks to see Maverick Sabre and Labrinth live Epic prize courtesy of Sony
3G FaceTime coming in iOS 6? Warning in 5.1.1 seems to point that way
Dragon's Dogma Adventure time
Panasonic Lumix GF5 Micro Four Thirds' mighty mini
What is So.cl? Should you be signing up?
Bungie Destiny contract reveals Xbox 720 will arrive in 2013 - E3 announcement? Commissioned for Xbox 360 and "next Xbox"
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Roger likes a Tango at 12 o'clock
Olympus OM-D E-M5 review
The compact system camera to beat all others?
Nokia Lumia 900 review
Is big beautiful?
HTC One V review
V for victory?
Huawei Ascend G300 review
Big bang for your hundred quid
FIFA 12: UEFA Euro 2012 review
Lacks polish, if not the Polish
Asus Transformer Pad TF300T review
Transforms your money in to a great tablet
BlackBerry Mini Keyboard for PlayBook review
Will this make working on the go easier?
Nikon Coolpix P510 review
Does the P510 zoom beyond expectations?
Fujifilm X-Pro1 review
Like a Leica
Volkswagen Beetle Design 1.2TSi DSG review
The bug is back. Again.
BlackBerry Curve 9320 review
A BB for beginners?
Fujifilm FinePix HS30EXR review
Can Fujifilm’s latest put the ‘super’ in superzoom?
HP Envy 14 Spectre review
The Ultrabook that isn't an Ultrabook
The Walking Dead: The Game review
Fleshed out zombie bonanza