[2009] What actually causes ayu's sales to drop?

[Crystal_Ageha]

I think it's simply because she's been around so long. I mean, a few "bad" songs here and there won't make your future songs not sell as well. (Well, sometimes, but not a consistent drop like what we're talking about with Ayumi.) Simply, that album/single won't sell as well. But then you promote your next album, with your "good" songs, and sales will rise. Unless, of course, your popularity is simply (I've used that word three times already D: ) dwindling, as is Ayu's case.
Also, I think only really big fans are still buying. As mentioned above, so many download for free, I'm sure, probably because they assume that, 'hey, she's Ayumi Hamasaki! She doesn't need my support--she'll still sell hundreds of thousand for this thing......' Nope. Not when large amounts of her fans start thinking like that. :\ And then of course there are non-fans, who will download albums here and there that they like, not caring to support... It seems Ayu has a lot of those, in my opinion, from what I've seen. -_-'