Are CDs dying out in the market place?

mep · Feb 5, 2011

OK. I just bought a new sub after reading numerous threads here about how multiple subs can improve the sound of the bass in your room. Frantz was instrumental in pushing me to start down this path. Anyway Frantz recommended a Lyle Lovett CD to buy in order to help dial in the new sub. I braved the snow today and drove to the "big" city of Bloomington, IN to find said CD. My frist stop was SAMs Club as I had to go there anyway. SAMs used to have a decent CD collection. No more. They only have a few to choose from. Next I drove to K-Mart which used to have huge amounts of CDs. Aside from the interesting mass of humanity that was there, they hardly had any CDs and no Lyle Lovett. Next I drove to my local record store that I normally only buy LPs from. Although they had more CDs than either SAMs or K-Mart, they have far more vinyl. Again, no Lyle Lovett. I thought this was going to be a simple task and it turned out not to be so. I ended up ordering the CD from Amazon. I did check for downloads, but couldn't find anything besides MP3s and I refuse to buy those.

Which leads me to my point: Are big box stores giving up on allocating space to sell CDs because they just aren't selling very well due to downloads? Maybe Best Buy or Target would have had it, but I lost my confidence after 3 stops. Maybe this has been going on for awhile and I just haven't recognized it because I hardly ever shop for CDs. Any thoughts?

fas42 · Feb 5, 2011

Luckily in Australia (east coast anyway) a mob called JB Hi-Fi has just about cornered the market, in part because they always carried an excellent range of the more esoteric stuff. They have moved into DVDs, hardware, just about everything that opens and shuts in music and video, but still carry an extremely expansive collection of CDs. Very good energy in the store, tons of specials bins, always a good experience shopping, apart from the overloud PA system.

So there is a way of doing it well as a retail operation ...

Frank

MiTT · Feb 5, 2011

Hard media in brick and mortar stores is growing increasingly frustrating if you ask me. Similar to you, I braved the snow today just to look for something new. I used to have good luck at Best Buy, Barnes & Nobel or Borders. All of them at one time had decent music selections, but no more. DVD's and Blu Ray's abound, but music is limited to whatever is playing on the radio (I.e. Mostly dreck). I am fortunate to have some good music stores not too far away and thank god for online sources, but I fear that the days of running to the local record store for a quick fix are sadly gone.

DonH50 · Feb 5, 2011

My son turned us on to Hastings, a shop in Greeley CO (and a few elsewhere). Huge selection of CDs, some vinyl... Looks like CDs, like the LP before, is heading toward being a specialty item.

Jay_S · Feb 5, 2011

It looks like there's not much left at the big retail store chains. I'm lucky to live near Amoeba Music, a large independent store. Otherwise, there are still quite a few internet retailers.

Ron Party · Feb 5, 2011

In a word, yes. Even internet CD sales will be replaced by direct downloads, if they haven't already been.

FrantzM · Feb 5, 2011

Ron Party said:
In a word, yes. Even internet CD sales will be replaced by direct downloads, if they haven't already been.

Agreed.. Even DVDs are making an exit .. Heck!! even good old cash is being replaced by digital currency aka Debit/Credit/Charge Cards and even those physical mediawill be replaced by string of bits from a cellphone (Strangely enough quite common in Africa, Europe and Asia but not yet in the USA)

garylkoh · Feb 5, 2011

+1

With Netflix streaming, I haven't bought a DVD for quite a while. The only two DVD's I've bought have been freebies included in a CD I wanted. In some countries, you can walk up to a vending machine, key in a number with your cellphone and a can will pop out and be charged to your phone bill.

JackD201 · Feb 6, 2011

A big yes from the Philippines. Japan seems to be the last bastion right now. Even Hong Kong is shrinking.

flez007 · Feb 6, 2011

MixUp, one of the largest music store chains in Mexico (owned by the powerful Carlos Slim conglomerate) are cutting half their store floor to make room for Apple/iTunes related ¨toys¨- now some CDs are "by-order" items and of course video stuff doubles in number to CDs all over.

Phelonious Ponk · Feb 6, 2011

Are big box stores giving up on allocating space to sell CDs because they just aren't selling very well due to downloads?

Yes.

Maybe Best Buy or Target would have had it...

Not likely.

Maybe this has been going on for awhile...

Yep, a few years. I'm guessing a 256kbps download of the specific track in question would have done the trick just fine. What song was it?

Tim

rbbert · Feb 6, 2011

CD internet sellers (amazon, deep discount, cd universe, etc) are still doing very well. It's really the only way to have a reasonable inventory and prices; otherwise the customer base (outside of a handful of major metropolitan areas) is just too small.

MiTT · Feb 6, 2011

rbbert said:
CD internet sellers (amazon, deep discount, cd universe, etc) are still doing very well. It's really the only way to have a reasonable inventory and prices; otherwise the customer base (outside of a handful of major metropolitan areas) is just too small.

Yes, online suppliers are my main source these days. I use Amazon, but also go to Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds for my fix's. Prefer to hit some of my local independent record stores when I can, but they're mostly on the south side of town and I'm on the north whereas my iPad is always with me.

rblnr · Feb 6, 2011

Only reason BB and the like carry media is that they know they get a certain amount of sales per visit in the store on impulse/convenience purchases. They know exactly how much per visit, and the floorspace taken and store layout reflect this. Note how the media is usually in the middle of the store so it's quickest to pass through it to another section. They do not view themselves as a destination for media.

I'll be happy when CDs die provided that I can download the same or better audio quality. Less landfill and resources used to produce.

mep · Feb 6, 2011

Phelonious Ponk said:
Yes.

Not likely.

Yep, a few years. I'm guessing a 256kbps download of the specific track in question would have done the trick just fine. What song was it?

Tim

She's Already Made Up Her Mind

Johnny Vinyl · Feb 6, 2011

My local BB and FS's have basically reduced their CD inventory by 75% in the last year. Only HMV has a somewhat more generous offering. I am starting to see DD giftcards or whatever you call them at FS especially, and I think that's where it's headed.

mep · Feb 6, 2011

I know I predicted on another thread somewhere that CDs were going to go the way of the do-do bird, I just didn't realize how quickly it is already happening. Because I don't buy digits too much in the first place and normally buy them on line when I do, I wasn't aware of how CDs are being withdrawn from the commercial retail outlets. I was a little shocked even though some of you have seen this happening for awhile now. The funny thing was that even though I couldn't pick up a copy of the Lyle Lovett CD I wanted yesterday, I did come home with a new sealed copy of Mingus Tijuana Moods LP. The cover alone is worth the price of admission. I was blown away when I heard this last night. I found this to be a fabulous sounding recording and I really liked the music as well.

JackD201 · Feb 6, 2011

rbbert said:
CD internet sellers (amazon, deep discount, cd universe, etc) are still doing very well. It's really the only way to have a reasonable inventory and prices; otherwise the customer base (outside of a handful of major metropolitan areas) is just too small.

I agree. I can't help but wish I had bought FEDEX, UPS and DHL stock 20 years ago when retail e-commerce was just a dream.

Phelonious Ponk · Feb 7, 2011

mep said:
She's Already Made Up Her Mind

Great song.

Tim

FrantzM · Feb 7, 2011

Phelonious Ponk said:
Great song.

Tim

OT
ANd great recording to boot .. Lyle Lovett fan here ..

Are CDs dying out in the market place?

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Addicted To Best

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Technical Expert

WBF Founding Member

WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)

WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor

New Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

WBF Founding Member

New Member

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member

Similar threads