Friday, January 20, 2006
RHINO EXTINCT?
Rhino Records Shop, the venerable L.A. record shop founded in 1973, has officially closed its doors.
Owner Richard Foos says: "As bad as it is for everybody, it's much worse for independents. I don't know all the reasons. It's so complicated. There's literally hundreds of reasons." Foos adds dispiritedly: "There's too many other things to do and too many ways to get your music without paying $18 for a CD. ... I don't see a great future for physical product." -CNN
I don't think it's a matter of a dwindling marketplace for retail music. I was in Virgin Megastore yesterday and the place was packed, as usual. People still like to shop, and will continue to purchase music at stores. I think the digital revolution will serve to bring prices down in the physical retail market, and that's cool. Rhino Records has fallen victim to bad decision making. They moved the store away from it's established clientel. In L.A., where folks spend half their lives in their cars, the thought that your customers will follow you across town is a huge error in judgement.
Rhino Records Shop, the venerable L.A. record shop founded in 1973, has officially closed its doors.
Owner Richard Foos says: "As bad as it is for everybody, it's much worse for independents. I don't know all the reasons. It's so complicated. There's literally hundreds of reasons." Foos adds dispiritedly: "There's too many other things to do and too many ways to get your music without paying $18 for a CD. ... I don't see a great future for physical product." -CNN
I don't think it's a matter of a dwindling marketplace for retail music. I was in Virgin Megastore yesterday and the place was packed, as usual. People still like to shop, and will continue to purchase music at stores. I think the digital revolution will serve to bring prices down in the physical retail market, and that's cool. Rhino Records has fallen victim to bad decision making. They moved the store away from it's established clientel. In L.A., where folks spend half their lives in their cars, the thought that your customers will follow you across town is a huge error in judgement.
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