Back in March we noted that someone had
bought the Tower Records brand for $4.2 million after the company had
liquidated its business. We wondered what the new owners would do with the brand -- even wondering if they might try to set up shop somewhere offshore and offer an AllofMp3.com-style service under the powerful and recognizable Tower Records brand. Instead, it sounds like the folks behind the new Tower Records are looking to... well...
do the same thing as the old Tower Records, including potentially opening up brick-and-mortar stores. Of course, if they simply turn around and open stores similar to the old Tower Records stores, they could be in trouble. It's tough to be just a music retailer these days, since almost all of the competition simply uses music
as a loss leader to sell something else. That doesn't mean there aren't creative new opportunities for record stores, though. In the past, we've seen some independent record stores
embrace the changing marketplace, trying to become more of a destination lounge/hangout/club that also happens to sell some music. Still, the new owners may find that they have an uphill battle. The company that brought the brand has a big business selling hard-to-find music via Amazon, but according to the article, also has a huge number of complaints concerning bad service. The company admits this is an issue that it's trying to clean up, but it certainly won't endear many people to the new Tower Records if it comes with dreadful service -- online or off.
