Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought - Idolator Comments

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

DarcyCoral — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:26:36 EDT

You are not supposed to shop at Circuit City. They fired all their employees and hired them back at lower salaries. Chris B

DarcyCoral

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Dickdogfood — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:09:00 EDT

@Paddington:

Well, comparing the HoJo site to the Virgin store might be a little bit of the apples and their fruit sidekick, the oranges. A little online sleuthing shows that the old HoJo store was very small -- a mere 7,000 square feet, according to Cushman & Wakefield -- whereas the Virgin Megastore must be at least 30,000-40,000 square feet and I would think even larger. I'm guessing that the people who can afford the rent on a newly-vacant Times Square location would probably be much more interested in a BIG place than a little one; plus, MAYBE the Times Square area has one of those curious economies-of-scale situations where you have a better chance making money on a bigger site than a littler one.

Dickdogfood

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Paddington — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:14:35 EDT

What about the Howard Johnson? That closed like three years ago -- nothing there, though.

Paddington

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Lampbane — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:16:56 EDT

I always went to Circuit City instead of Virgin for CDs and DVDs. The only reason I ever go to Virgin is to check their discount bins, I need to kill time before I get on the train, or I'm bored and don't want to go home yet. Never go in there to buy CDs, really.

...though, then again, they do have those perennial $10 sales. No better place to buy music that came out 3 years ago.

Lampbane

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

noamjamski — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:56:11 EDT

I work in Union Square. Unless you want something deep catalog or obscure, the Circuit City next door destroys them on price.

Granted, Circuit City does not sell Hawkwind DVDs, but I'm probably the only person on the market for them.

noamjamski

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

MisterHippity — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:45:50 EDT

I'll never forget standing in the cold for for many hours outside that Union Square Virgin store, waiting to meet Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding in 1999.

As people drove by and saw the enormous line stretching down the block, they'd shout "who's inside?" and we'd shout back "XTC!" We got a kick out of watching them react in total confusion and say things like "Who the hell is XTC?" Finally, we started shouting names like "Britney Spears!" or "Garth Brooks!" Ah, memories ...

Who know XTC were so popular? I think even Andy and Colin were shocked.

MisterHippity

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Diglett — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:19:08 EDT

In the only instance in history where one has fled to Times Square for tranquility, that Virgin Megastore is where I escaped to grasp for oxygen/buy my Harry Potter book after foolishly starting with the Union Square B&N. So it and all its big empty space with almost no customers holds a special place in my heart. Sigh.

Diglett

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Ben_is_Glory — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 11:14:10 EDT

Virgin. Closing?
Where will I not buy my music now???

Ben_is_Glory

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

spinachdip — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:26:46 EDT

Does $100 a foot calculate to $10,000 a square foot?
Sorry, that's the Mathlete in me coming out.

But really, there was a time I enjoyed going to Union Square, even going to Virgin so I could pay $30 on an import Cardigans album. But I realize now that it's basically Times Square Jr., except with NYU girls and an absolute traffic jam of a farmer's market.

Remember back when the Warriors had that big fight with the rollerskating gang in the Union Square subway? Those were the days.

spinachdip

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Maura Johnston — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:57:41 EDT

@dickdogfood: It could be open 24 hours and serve "Fourth Meal" all day!

Maura Johnston

Virgin Megastores In New York City May Be Closing Sooner Than We Thought

Dickdogfood — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 09:49:59 EDT

An acquaintance in the retail design industry thinks either location could easily be replaced by a big-box apparel retail store, maybe another H&M, and the 42nd Street could be a new tourist-centric restaraunt, like, I dunno, the world's biggest Taco Bell or something.

Dickdogfood