I covered the opening of the Apple's San Francisco retail store in February, 2004. It was Apple's seventh store and its first flagship store, the first to feature a very modern design.

The building was a minimalist cube and inside were two floors of stunning decor and a centerpiece glass staircase. We were told Steve Jobs was involved in every aspect of the design, down to choosing the seats in the upstairs theater.

It was impressive, but what was more striking to me was its location: Across the street sat a huge Virgin Megastore, 6 floors of music and movies.

Megastore. It sounded so 1980s. Two floors versus six floors. It was an apt metaphor for the changing landscape in commerce.

I walked past the San Francisco Virgin Megastore yesterday and it was festooned with colorful banners. It's closing. A mega sale at the megastore. I pulled out my iPhone and snapped a picture.

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It's official: All U.S. Virgin Megastores closing down : Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech