HMV Closes Specialist Department today

[kenneth cooke]

A sad day. HMV Leeds always had a good specialist room dealing in Jazz, Classical and Folk. It meant one could get away from the rabble and enjoy a bit of piece. They closed it today and moved all the stock into Rock and Pop. Yet another sign of commercial globalisation. I used to shop in Virgin Records as well until the demise of their specialist room. They need only look back in history to see the development of specialist rooms first started in the late 60's by no other than Richard Branston of, Virgin Records which he modeled on Collets London store

 

[RogerS]

That is indeed a great shame although perhaps, in this day and age, not surprising. I have bought many extra CDs on spec as a result of hearing them in store...certainly not possible when all you can hear is the latest pop wannabee. Long live Radio 3.

 

[BradNaylor]

Sad, but inevitable.

I shall be very surprised if there are any record shops at all in five years time.

Music will be distributed exclusively via the internet.

CD's will be found pretty well only in charity shops and at car boot sales.

 

[DaveL]

Music will be distributed exclusively via the internet.

CD's will be found pretty well only in charity shops and at car boot sales.

Which is bad news, I miss the covers of LPs, CD covers are just too small and the tiny little album art icons are silly. Some albums had covers that were superb artwork and others were a good read.

 

[Oryxdesign]

Perhaps there is an opportunity for online album covers

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Music will only be available on two forms download and vinyl, yes Vinyl, its sales are increasing.

Pete

 

[StevieB]

Noooooo, don't tell me CDs will disappear - my grand plan (thought up at two in the morning while a little worse for wear, ahem) was to scroll jigsaw puzzles out of CD covers and flog them to puzzle loving music junkies. Sigh, I need another idea for Dragons Den now

Steve.

 

[Racers]

Hi, steveB

You could scroll saw LP's then you could do the puzzle and play them :wink:

Pete

 

[kenneth cooke]

Noooooo, don't tell me CDs will disappear - my grand plan (thought up at two in the morning while a little worse for wear, ahem) was to scroll jigsaw puzzles out of CD covers and flog them to puzzle loving music junkies. Sigh, I need another idea for Dragons Den now

Steve.

No- Pete is quite wrong CD's will not disappear but download will take the majority of the musak business. The discerning buyer will still be able to buy their choice on CD. LP records are in-fact a growth market in the music industry but only accounting for a small percentage in sales as indeed the sales of second hand LP's.

 

[BradNaylor]

CD's will not disappear but download will take the majority of the musak business. The discerning buyer will still be able to buy their choice on CD. LP records are in-fact a growth market in the music industry but only accounting for a small percentage in sales as indeed the sales of second hand LP's.

You are possibly correct in that there will remain a small rump of a market for specialist CDs and vinyl after the mass market has gone down the downloading route.

It is very unlikely however, that this rump will be able to support any retail shops. The whole business model of retail record shops around the country each holding stock, together with the neccesary distribution network, is now totally obsolete. What business currently remains on chart CDs is largely taken by Tesco anyway.

For the specialist genre-led market, it is obviously more efficient and profitable to sell CDs and LPs via mail-order - or 'on the internet' as it is now called. The 'discerning buyer' will have to buy his music this way.

As for Kenneth's original point about being able to listen to an album before he buys it - surely the internet is ideally placed to provide exactly this facility.

Keneth also mentioned Richard Branson in his OP. He sold his interest in Virgin record shops several years ago. He's no fool - he knew there was no future in them.

The fools were the poor saps who bought into them!

Cheers
Dan.

 

[RogerS]

Same goes for white goods and electronics.

 

[kenneth cooke]

CD's will not disappear but download will take the majority of the musak business. The discerning buyer will still be able to buy their choice on CD. LP records are in-fact a growth market in the music industry but only accounting for a small percentage in sales as indeed the sales of second hand LP's.

You are possibly correct in that there will remain a small rump of a market for specialist CDs and vinyl after the mass market has gone down the downloading route.

It is very unlikely however, that this rump will be able to support any retail shops. The whole business model of retail record shops around the country each holding stock, together with the neccesary distribution network, is now totally obsolete. What business currently remains on chart CDs is largely taken by Tesco anyway.

For the specialist genre-led market, it is obviously more efficient and profitable to sell CDs and LPs via mail-order - or 'on the internet' as it is now called. The 'discerning buyer' will have to buy his music this way.

As for Kenneth's original point about being able to listen to an album before he buys it - surely the internet is ideally placed to provide exactly this facility.

Keneth also mentioned Richard Branson in his OP. He sold his interest in Virgin record shops several years ago. He's no fool - he knew there was no future in them.

The fools were the poor saps who bought into them!

Cheers
Dan.

Where did I mention about wanting to listen to albums before buying? I was just bemoaning the closure of a department. And yes I agree one can listen and buy anything on the web but it is just not the same as making a discovery in a record shop

 

[RogerS]

CD's will not disappear but download will take the majority of the musak business. The discerning buyer will still be able to buy their choice on CD. LP records are in-fact a growth market in the music industry but only accounting for a small percentage in sales as indeed the sales of second hand LP's.

You are possibly correct in that there will remain a small rump of a market for specialist CDs and vinyl after the mass market has gone down the downloading route.

It is very unlikely however, that this rump will be able to support any retail shops. The whole business model of retail record shops around the country each holding stock, together with the neccesary distribution network, is now totally obsolete. What business currently remains on chart CDs is largely taken by Tesco anyway.

For the specialist genre-led market, it is obviously more efficient and profitable to sell CDs and LPs via mail-order - or 'on the internet' as it is now called. The 'discerning buyer' will have to buy his music this way.

As for Kenneth's original point about being able to listen to an album before he buys it - surely the internet is ideally placed to provide exactly this facility.

Keneth also mentioned Richard Branson in his OP. He sold his interest in Virgin record shops several years ago. He's no fool - he knew there was no future in them.

The fools were the poor saps who bought into them!

Cheers
Dan.

Where did I mention about wanting to listen to albums before buying? I was just bemoaning the closure of a department. And yes I agree one can listen and buy anything on the web but it is just not the same as making a discovery in a record shop

Couldn't agree with you more. Many's the time I've wandered into the HMV in Oxford Street to discover a new piece of music.