Comments on: What Was Your Last Visit To A Big-Box Retailer’s Music Section Like?

By: cheesebubble

cheesebubble — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:07:49 +0000

Funny this came up because I just visited a local Big Box store yesterday (Future Shop). As mentioned, all the Big Boxes carry are crappy “greatest hits” compilations which is so disappointing. On this particular visit, I noticed so many CDs that were filed wrong. Quite a neglected scene. It was also very evident that the music section has shrunk while the movie and game sections have grown. As per usual, I left the store feeling pissed off by the crap environment, poor selection, and dumb staff.

By: DocStrange

DocStrange — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:46:38 +0000

My local Best Buy’s music section is thriving and doing very well. However, the Walmart’s music section is down to a half an aisle now.

By: cassidy2099

cassidy2099 — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:11:30 +0000

I picked up the new Phoenix and Passion Pit at my local Best Buy the other day. The selection was better than I expected, but Best Buy’s tend to vary in choices. My brief time with a small town Best Buy was an eye opener, where nothing was stocked on new release day at Noon(!) and they sometimes didn’t have certain Best Buy exclusives that had been advertised in the in store flyers. Also, Phoenix was only available on an endcap, without even a “Phoenix” cardboard divider in the “P’s”.

By: kurtck

kurtck — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:57:43 +0000

I got the new Grizzly Bear at Best Buy for $7.99 last week. Also the new Neko Case. I definitely appreciate the cheap prices on this kind of semi-indie stuff. Got the new Sonic Youth there yesterday for $9.99. I also check out the Target indie/underground endcap — a couple of months ago I found some “Target exclusive” Duke Spirit CD there that I didn’t even know about. Made up mostly of previously released material, but still… These stores are not good for catalog stuff, though I did find the Grizzly Bear Friend EP at BB last week.

By: DrWorm

DrWorm — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:42:18 +0000

The MusicPass cards are like iTunes cards: they have no value until bought. So there is no reason to mark them down as they don’t cost anything to Target, Best Buy, etc. On the other hand, I’m sure the MusicPass people pay Target for the endcap, so they probably making more money than if they had Law & Order DVDs on there.

By: LostTurntable

LostTurntable — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:27:03 +0000

Unless you want to get a mainstream new release then I never see a reason to go to Best Buy for music, they have nothing.

By: michael.pop

michael.pop — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:49:21 +0000

Picked up the new Phoenix album at Target last week for $7.99! I like browsing the “indie/underground artists” end cap to see what I can pick up for under $10. And it’s always interesting to see what offerings they have. I didn’t even know The Sounds had a new album out until I saw it at Target!

By: CaptainWrong

CaptainWrong — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:46:14 +0000

I was just in Target yesterday and saw a similar huge endcap with those MusicPas cards. I had the same thought as you except I was also wondering if they were even valid anymore.

By: slowburn

slowburn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:55:59 +0000

I go to Target fairly regularly, and always browse the music section — mostly just to disgust myself, I think. Bad selection, of course, but also, the prices were ridiculous. Ciara’s last album, now “On sale” for $15.99? That’s just absurd.

By: goldsounds

goldsounds — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:24:41 +0000

I was in Best Buy recently myself and took a look through the discs — absolutely terrible selection. Every big name artist or group — Bowie, James Brown, etc. — only had “Greatest Hits” selections for sale or was so picked over that just the lousy stuff was left.

However, this Best Buy did have instruments for sale. Maybe the kids are all just too busy making music to listen to it?

By: Varina

Varina — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:04:52 +0000

Last time I actually looked around at a big box store was at Best Buy, and I was shocked that they were selling vinyl (this was prior to reading about that particular initiative). What they did not have was the Panic at the Disco Live album.

By: TheRunningboard7

TheRunningboard7 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:00:10 +0000

I think the last time I was somewhere similar (a Wal Mart maybe?) they had a huge DISTURBED!!! divider. Like, “Hey, we carry DISTURBED!!! now! You know!! ooo aah aah aah aah!! Remember, you couldn’t buy them here before! But now you can! (cough it is edited cough)” Which made me wonder… Disturbed? Really? I understand understocked sections, but even the guys who stock them must have some sort of guidelines created by some sort of research. I didn’t quite think that was what the research would yeild.

And in response to the Sony Music passes: While not quite the same store environment, I’m yet to be in a Best Buy that didn’t carry half the number of Bruce CDs as it did the number of passes to his album, Magic.