Merchants & Marketing

Retailers Go To Musìemaker For Page /Crowes

G 0 TO THE SOURCE: When Similarly, Brett Wickert, a But he adds, "Clever and the six -unit College Park, Md.-based & the Black principal in nine -unit, Portland, aggressive retailers will always chain being added to Music Net- Crowes decided to make their Maine -based Bull Moose, says the find ways to bring good product to work's portfolio. "Live At The Greek" double - chain also bought the from their customers, especially in a If that happens, it would bring album available exclusively on the Musicmaker and notes that it is case like this where there is Music Network closer to the 50-unit Internet through Musicmaker. selling all right. "But it would sell unprecedented demand." mark as well as enhance its position coin and its network of online a lot better if it was sold through As a result of this, Musicmaker in the Washington, D.C., area, stores, brick -and -mortar mer- normal channels," he says. "I feel has tightened its screening proc- where it recently completed the chants were up in arms over being bad for the artists and how many ess to make sure there won't be acquisition of the 18 -unit Willie's bypassed. Many said they sales they are losing because it is bulk purchases. chain. Spotlight This wouldn't carry the album when it not available at retail. Musicmak- While Musicmaker.com won't After the Willie's acquisition, was released to stores, an event er will brag comment on the Music Network, which also runs a that is said to be contemplated for about it, but situation, the one -stop expected to achieve annu- Triple -Award later this year. But some mer- most of its sales company re- al volume of $45 million, had 42 chants have begun to rethink that are probably cently released stores spread over six states (Geor- Winner stance and are doing so in an coming from RtErrA IL a preliminary gia, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia, unusual way. retailers." indication of North Carolina, and Maryland, as in Your Audio A couple of smaller chains He says Bull how it will per- well as Washington, D.C.) under the Ed tman report to Retail Track that they Moose is selling by Chris form for the logos Starship, Peppermints, and Section! I Willie's. Kemp Mill, which has are selling the album in their the album for first quarter, stores after buying it from Music - $23.99. which ended stores in some of the markets cov- maker.com. David Lang, presi- Another merchant says he tried March 31. ered by Music Network, would dent of 10 -unit, South Plainfield, to order 300 copies, which he says According to a company an- bring Delaware into the Georgia N.J. -based Compact Disc World, Musicmaker was willing to sell, nouncement, the company pro- company's market area. says, "Normally, we wouldn't but the online company refused to duced and shipped more than Kemp Mill successfully emerged carry an album like [ "Live At The negotiate over what he considered 900,000 custom CDs in that time from Chapter 11 bankruptcy pro- Greek "] because it's an [online] a reasonable shipping charge. period. But the bulk of that is said tection at the end of 1995 after fil- exclusive and discriminates "They wanted to charge me $4.95 to be from the CDnow /Pizza Hut ing on May 16 that year. During against brick -and -mortar retail- shipping for each of the 300 copies promotion it supplied product for, that process, Kemp Mill saw its ers. But we thought we would and wouldn't budge" on price for according to sources. store size go from about 32 units make a point and show that exclu- a bulk shipment, he says. "I guess Still no word on how the down to six. sives do not make any sense if you they are making their profits on Page /Crowes album is selling for Executives from both companies seugaiyrndov are in the business of selling the shipping." Musicmaker.com. didn't return calls seeking com- records." Musicmaker.com executives ment. Musicmaker is charging $17.99, were unavailable for comment. G ETTING BIGGER: Is Music Net- Grammy® plus $4.95 for shipping, for the But one source familiar with the work, the Norcross, Ga. -based com- WITH THE release of Windows album. Lang declines to reveal company's thinking says the on- pany that has grown to 42 stores Media Player 7, the new generation Best what he paid and how many he line company isn't supposed to be over the past few years, thanks to a music player will incorporate the bought. But he says that he is sell- selling bulk orders of the album to couple of acquisitions, about to grow All Music Guide, the database of Soundtrack ing it in his stores for $26.99 and retailers, per its agreement with again? artist and album information that in the week beginning March the management companies for Sources say the company is owned by the Alliance Entertain- Album 20, it hit the chain's top 60 best - Jimmy Page and the Black engaged in conversations with ment Corp., according to a compa- seIlers' list. Crowes. Kemp Mill Music that could lead to ny press release. Academy

Deepest selection of CD's, cassettes, Award® VHS and DVD. and Internet real -time ordering with WebAmi. Golden New store specialists. GlobeTM Sales- driven marketing with raped weekly. Best www.aent.com - Online information designed to Original Song support your business. www.allmusic.com - AMG "You'll Be in My Voted Yahoo's " "Best music reference Heart" sight," offers artist/song -title look-up. written and performed by Phil Collins aecONE STOP GROUP TARZAN® Owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. LOCAL NATIONAL ONE STOP! and Used by Permission

Obby Road rb 1R BUTORS (e)A irre re New Accounts: 800 -635 -9082 Fax: 954 -340 -1641 R E C O R D S AEC has 16 SALES OFFICES Devoted to Independent Retail ® Disney Diego Dallas Portland Chicago Milwaukee Denver CD One Stop, Bethel CT Bassin Distributors. Coral Springs, FL Abbey Road, LA Atlanti Philadelphia Los Angeles /3 Offices. Sacramento Omaha San

64 www.billboard.com BILLBOARD APRIL 15, 2000 www.americanradiohistory.com