Tower Records Back From The Dead?
from the could-happen dept
Back in March we noted that someone had bought the Tower Records brand for $4.2 million after the company had liquidated its business. We wondered what the new owners would do with the brand -- even wondering if they might try to set up shop somewhere offshore and offer an AllofMp3.com-style service under the powerful and recognizable Tower Records brand. Instead, it sounds like the folks behind the new Tower Records are looking to... well... do the same thing as the old Tower Records, including potentially opening up brick-and-mortar stores. Of course, if they simply turn around and open stores similar to the old Tower Records stores, they could be in trouble. It's tough to be just a music retailer these days, since almost all of the competition simply uses music as a loss leader to sell something else. That doesn't mean there aren't creative new opportunities for record stores, though. In the past, we've seen some independent record stores embrace the changing marketplace, trying to become more of a destination lounge/hangout/club that also happens to sell some music. Still, the new owners may find that they have an uphill battle. The company that bought the brand has a big business selling hard-to-find music via Amazon, but according to the article, also has a huge number of complaints concerning bad service. The company admits this is an issue that it's trying to clean up, but it certainly won't endear many people to the new Tower Records if it comes with dreadful service -- online or off.![Hide This Hide this](https://ii.techdirt.com/s/t/i/topclose.png)
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Music is overrated.
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someone had money to burn
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Three letters...
It's a brand play. Starting a new retail business with an unknown name is a tough task. If you have regional or national ambitions, spending 4.5MM for a known brand is cheap. Renovating or reinvigorating tarnished brands is a well-travled path too.
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Stay open till Midnight 365 days a year.
Carry quirky stuff that no one else will touch.
Cater to marginal groups and individual customers.
The good Tower stores actually paid attention to what regular customers bought and anticipated their desires. What makes a Barnes & Noble or Borders suck is that they push the latest best sellers and crap, and their inventories do not evolve with the interests of their clients. They are also afraid of the marginal things. They hide the porn, and don't carry the more controversial stuff.
The Tower stores had been out of the control of the founding Solomons for years, so it wasn't dependent upon any specific owner.
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Stay open till Midnight 365 days a year.
Carry quirky stuff that no one else will touch.
Cater to marginal groups and individual customers.
The good Tower stores actually paid attention to what regular customers bought and anticipated their desires. What makes a Barnes & Noble or Borders suck is that they push the latest best sellers and crap, and their inventories do not evolve with the interests of their clients. They are also afraid of the marginal things. They hide the porn, and don't carry the more controversial stuff.
The Tower stores had been out of the control of the founding Solomons for years, so it wasn't dependent upon any specific owner.
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Tower Records
R.I.P. Tower stores 131 & 132
Shawn R
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