NYC J&R Music World consolidated to half a floor in their new 5 story location

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by seg763, Aug 20, 2013.

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  1. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    That is what it is...a joke. We had a great store, and now it's gone with no replacement in sight
     
  2. JETman

    JETman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Knowing
    I have one general rule for record stores. They should not look cleaner and more sterile than the average operating room in NY hospitals :)
     
  3. jhm

    jhm Forum Resident

    Definitely. This should be more like it:

    [​IMG]
     
  4. nbakid2000

    nbakid2000 On Indie's Cutting Edge

    Location:
    Springfield, MO
    That place looks as much fun to shop at as a shotgun blast to the face.
     
  5. ubertrout

    ubertrout Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    It seems like their primary inspiration is the new Urban Outfitters across the street.
     
  6. SoporJoe

    SoporJoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    British Columbia
    I was just about to say that very thing!
     
  7. johnlightning

    johnlightning Forum Resident

    https://gallery.mailchimp.com/07179...ages/4c23c3b0-6328-48e7-b7aa-85166be8d5fc.jpg

    What are those albums in the background could be a mini thread by itself... 2 down and 3 over looks like Carly Simon... and to her left it looks like the Beatles butcher cover, eh? Way too small a JPG and too pixilated to decipher any better. But a fun diversion.
     
  8. ubertrout

    ubertrout Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Supposedly the new J&R Express is opening November 1 or therebouts. It's a bit jarring how small the new space is, honestly.
     
  9. cc--

    cc-- Forum Resident

    Location:
    brooklyn
    it can join the upcoming vinyl section at the Strand in the assortment of new, window-dressing record shops in NYC...
     
  10. Sckott

    Sckott Hand Tighten Only.

    Location:
    South Plymouth, Ma
    J&R was the bomb!! I got my first cheap CD player there.

    Of all the retailers to die a horrible death, for those who don't know, J&R was as powerful as Amazon and just as diverse in many ways. I used to buy LPs, CDs, hard to find stuff from mail order. They and DAK in the 80's were something else!
     
  11. hockman

    hockman Forum Resident

    This is just too painful. I just don't understand the point of a J&R Express. Let the good memories remain and have J&R (the store) rest in peace.
     
    RightOff, RoyalScam and ConnieGuitar like this.
  12. ubertrout

    ubertrout Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    In total fairness to The Strand, they always had a small but surprisingly good music section in the basement.
     
    ti-triodes likes this.
  13. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    I personally like a neat and orderly store. But this new J&R Express will probably look just like the one that used to be in Macy's- it will be the Top 20 CDs, the Top 20 Blu-rays/DVDs, a few CDs and DVDs on sale, and an emphasis on Ipods and headphones . Now add in some LPs to appeal to the "cool vinyl hipster crowd".... And now NYC is a wasteland if you want to actually buy music
     
  14. Guy E

    Guy E Senior Member

    Location:
    Antalya, Turkey
    Well, Other Music is a great little shop and Rough Trade is doing a good job (and has a very nice venue space). But it's not like the old days, that's for sure.
     
    Hep Alien and drasil like this.
  15. Ken E.

    Ken E. Senior Member

    I'm sure one of the major motivations is for Century 21 to increase their business with the locals, their largest clientele from my vantage point - I work two blocks North - is foreign tourists evading the VAT.
     
  16. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    Other Music is a bit on the "esoteric" side for my tastes, and I still haven't been to Rough Trade yet. But you are so right- the good old days are gone. I miss a store where I could buy Andy Williams, Richie Havens, the Ohio Players, Freddie King, and the Jam , all under one roof .....
     
    ConnieGuitar likes this.
  17. RightOff

    RightOff Well-Known Member

    Exactly right - there is no point. If they actually think that they're going to make much money selling records and CDs, they're crazy. It's a compromise based on a complete lack of understanding of who their customers are. People who still use record stores to buy records and CDs don't want to shop in a place like that. They likely won't be carrying what they're looking for, but also the experience will be so drastically different from what the customers want that they won't go based mostly on that.

    Essentially, the problem is that there wasn't enough revenue coming in to support what J&R (and stores like J&R) were, but the solution is not to cut overhead to the point where what you end up with is something like this. If it doesn't work any more then it doesn't work any more.

    The above is the kind of compromise that nobody wants.
     
  18. RightOff

    RightOff Well-Known Member

    There's enough good stores specializing in used product that I would not yet call it a wasteland, but it's getting there.
     
  19. tkl7

    tkl7 Agent Provocateur

    Location:
    Lewis Center, OH
    Disagree, this express store is aiming for people doing holiday shopping, who might pick up something "new" as a stocking stuffer or whatever. Look for it to vanish after the holidays.
     
  20. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    They lasted in Macy's basement for about 3 or 4 years IIRC. Since they only carried the top hits on CD and DVD/Blu-ray, and a few sale items, it was obvious that they were catering to a specific crowd- namely those who don't buy much music or movies, many of them tourists from out of town or out of the country. The "real" J&R had the deepest catalog stock of music and video of any store in NYC, even when they had the big league competition back in the day
     
  21. tkl7

    tkl7 Agent Provocateur

    Location:
    Lewis Center, OH
    I'm aware of that, but you do realize that J&R express in Macy's opened nearly 10 years ago, right? Times have changed dramatically since then. The basement in Century 21 carries housewares, and this express store will carry some electronics. The basement also holds the seasonal holiday stuff, like decorations.
     
  22. jjhunsecker

    jjhunsecker Senior Member

    Location:
    New York city
    The express store in Macy's also carried (small) electronics, as I bought my last IPod there , as well as a few pairs of headphones
     
  23. pig bodine

    pig bodine God’s Consolation Prize

    Location:
    Syracuse, NY USA
    I'm surprised Patti Smith didn't own that album until 2000.

    I spent so much money at J&R in the 80's--practically the entire Blue Note catalogue on CD, Acid House 12's, they had a nice indie vinyl section at the time when indie bands were the only groups releasing music on lp's. I'd usually get my indie albums at Pier Platters, but if I was picking up a bunch of other stuff at J&R, I'd add a few to the pile. When I'd visit NY after moving away, it was one of the first places I headed. My wife will be happy--we won't be CD shopping when we go to NY.
     
  24. ubertrout

    ubertrout Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I'd be surprised if this is only a holiday thing. The main reason for this is that I suspect their main business will be selling personal electronics to tourists (which to be honest was always a major business of the "real" J&R).
     
  25. RightOff

    RightOff Well-Known Member

    Oh - yeah, I could totally see that.
    That would make sense.
     
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