Home | Soundboard

October 5, 2001; Vol. 1, Issue 11

Published by NARM

The Voice of Music Retailing

This issue of News Bits marks our first effort to bring you the views and commentaries of industry members. Those wishing to submit a commentary should e-mail Susan L’Ecuyer at lecuyer@narm.com. Our first contributor is John Marmaduke, President and CEO of Hastings Entertainment, and his commentary begins here.

“Hastings is the original multimedia retailer, so we have a unique perspective on evaluating the various entertainment offers we sell. We’ve been very satisfied with growth of packaged entertainment this year. Consumers are buying more entertainment and adopting more new configurations than ever before. But our outlook has been diminished in the last few years by declining music performance, even when frontline CD comparable sales are positive. We believe the problem with prerecorded music isn’t the music or the customers but a combination of configurations and misdirected pricing… ”

Click here to continue:

http://www.narm.com/news/Commentaries/2001/John_Marmaduke.htm

Retailers and wholesalers who received the political assets survey are being reminded that the deadline for completion of the survey is October 17. Those who have questions should contact Holly Rosum at rosum@narm.com.

Reporting that mid-year global music sales figures were down by 5% in the first half of the year 2001, the International Association for the Phonographic Industry’s President and CEO Jay Berman said, “Mass-scale CD copying and piracy had a particularly sharp impact on music sales. There is no doubt that multiple CD burning poses a significant threat to the recording industry and to the copyrights of songwriters, artists and producers and everyone else involved in the music business.”

NARM President Pamela Horovitz responded to Berman’s conclusions, stating: “… We don’t choose to characterize our own customers as the problem. We think the problem lies with the record companies. Instead of offering either singles or downloads through legitimate retailers, they offer neither, and simply increase the price on CDs.”

For the complete statement, click here:

http://www.narm.com/news/Press%20Releases/2001/October_2001/PR_NARM_IFPI.htm

“Get The Blues!” - the CD sampler released September 18 by NARM’s Classical/Jazz Issue Forum and the Blues Music Association (BMA) - debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Album chart and also entered the Independent Albums chart at No. 39. Priced at $1.98, this 18-track, 70-minute sampler was modeled after the NARM Classical/Jazz Issue Forum’s three Jazz samplers and two Classical samplers.

BMA’s President Bruce Iglauer notes, “By debuting at No. 1, ‘Get The Blues!’ proves that there are plenty of people out there who are eager to find out more about the Blues, provided the music is priced and packaged right. ‘Get The Blues!’ appeals to the new fans and the potential fans. We expect it will create thousands in new Blues customers.”

Don’t miss out! For more information, contact Holly Rosum at rosum@narm.com.

The NARM Board of Directors has revised its recommendation regarding the source-tagging of prerecorded CDs from one in every three units to 100% of the CDs in the Billboard Top 200, including initial orders on titles for which pre-orders anticipate first week chart activity. The revised recommendation is based on feedback from the members of NARM’s Loss Prevention Committee, which suggests that the “one-in-three” formula was insufficient to achieve the desired theft deterrent effect in reducing theft. While “one-in-three” is regarded as appropriate for catalog titles, the Committee recommended, and the Board supports, increased protection for the top-selling titles that are most likely to be stolen. The NARM Board took no position with respect to how individual members are addressing the issue of supplemental tagging or “keeper” devices. For more information, contact Pam Horovitz at horovitz@narm.com.

- Scholarship

Remember that completed Scholarship applications must be mailed to Pat Daly at NARM by Tuesday, November 20.

The Scholarship Foundation still needs your favorite recipes for “Sound Bites,” the music industry cookbook being compiled as a fundraiser. The book, which will feature the favorite recipes of industry executives, recording artists and other friends of NARM, will be introduced and available at the 2002 NARM Convention & Trade Show for $20. Please fax or e-mail your favorite recipe to Pat Daly at 856.596.3268 or daly@narm.com by October 29. More information and a recipe form are on the NARM Web site at this link:

http://www.narm.com/programs/Scholarship/Sound_bites_recipe_form.htm

Interested in sponsoring a scholarship for 2002? Now is the time to contact Pat Daly at 856.596.2221 or daly@narm.com to discuss options available for contributing a scholarship.

The NARM Scholarship Foundation is seeking items for the Fifth Annual Auction, which will once again take place at the 2002 Convention & Trade Show in San Francisco. Please visit NARM’s Web site for more information, as well as a donor form. If you have any questions, contact Pat Daly at daly@narm.com.

For more information:

http://www.narm.com/programs/Scholarship/Silent_auction_facts.htm

To donate an item:

http://www.narm.com/programs/Scholarship/Silent_Auction_application.htm

Plans are moving forward with the 2002 NARM Convention & Trade Show, which will be Saturday, March 9, through Tuesday, March 12, at the San Francisco Marriott. Look for exhibitor and sponsorship information in November. Registration packets and housing information will be sent in December. Watch News Bits and check out the NARM Web site regularly for updates.

The NARM/RIAA Merchandising Committee has determined the schedules for the 2002 Winter/Spring merchandising campaigns supporting the American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, and Dove Awards.

For schedules, click here:

http://www.narm.com/programs/merchandising.htm

Retail activist, consumer advocate and author Peter Glen, who was one of NARM’s most popular Convention speakers, died suddenly at his home in Northern California on Wednesday, October 3. He was 62. Many NARM members will remember Peter fondly for his uniquely animated and sardonic Convention presentations in 1987 and 1996 that helped improve us all. He was renowned for provoking, inspiring and motivating his audiences with compelling visual images, no-holds-barred critiques and humorous anecdotes about customer service (or the lack thereof) gained, not just from shopping in retail stores, but from keenly observing and fully experiencing life.

Our 2002 Convention Committee had planned to bring him back to speak in San Francisco next March. We will all miss the opportunity to once again enjoy his charm, his wit, his insight, and his unmistakable flair on the NARM stage. Just a week ago, Peter had graciously shared with us an advance copy of a column he had written for an upcoming issue of Visual Merchandising & Store Design Magazine that chronicles his personal day-by-day journal during the September 11 aftermath. With VM&SD’s permission, we’ve included it here as a final tribute to his contributions to the retail industry, and hope you will find it of interest.

To read the chronicle, please click here:

http://www.narm.com/news/Commentaries/2001/Peter_Glen_911.htm

Click here for a listing of industry-related events:

http://www.narm.com/calendar/index.htm

Click here to see the companies who joined the NARM ranks in September:

http://www.narm.com/members/New_Members/NM_September_2001.htm

Web: www.narm.com

For comments or suggestions, contact Communications Manager Susan L’Ecuyer at lecuyer@narm.com.

Archived issues of Newsbits