HMV had a big 6ft "Northern Soul Classics" point of sales when I went in today...

Didnt know what to think really, was all well knows complilation CDs "talc" etc... CDs and the HMV crowd are not really what I think of along with northern scene, but they must be selling them to someone eh?

Have I missed something?

Being an ex-HMV manager I can see where they're coming from - Had a peep in the Leeds store a few weeks back and they racked Duffy etc with Northern comps. Just a pure marketing exercise and get those 'add on' sales. However things like that will always pull in some new faces so can't be all bad eh?

Rich

Being an ex-HMV manager I can see where they're coming from - Had a peep in the Leeds store a few weeks back and they racked Duffy etc with Northern comps. Just a pure marketing exercise and get those 'add on' sales. However things like that will always pull in some new faces so can't be all bad eh?

Rich

I, I can understand that - but this is a whole point of sales with graphics/posters/cardboard cutouts and everything!

And? It caught your attention and no doubt others too. Punter sees Duffy Cd on some great big whopping display - Mmm I like they say. What else? Ooh whats this Talcum Soul thing? And so on... Despite what many think of the main chains - Whilst at HMV we were very actively encouraged to promote music however mainstream or obscure. Whilst being a 'Soul & Dance' buyer I very much promoted indie releases on listening posts etc. I clearly remember one week selling 20 odd copies of the Sean Oliver CD purely off recc. and sticking it on the listening post! People do have taste - Some just need it sticking in their faces.

Rich

BTW - If you ask nicely they'll give you the Point Of Sale material if no-ones bagged it already! Had some great stuff like that from them which quickly went on ebay....

Rich

but if you are gonna see cd's for sale like Northern soul surely you would buy them for tracks. as it's a nice thing to do but i guess some people into Northern want vinyl

i brought Dean Parrish - It'll Never Be Over For Me from HMV when i asked them to order it. But i actually think like as said here if you worked for HMV or do it's so nice to have an intrest in both popular and obscure music cause so much out there

but i know you can't know everything so you can almost imagine the look when you say do you know if you have the new Panics cd (aussie indie band released album 2007) or say Ashton Sheppard (country cd from 2008) and they might have no idea if not released here or not as popular compared to the ones that are popular like do you have the new Nelly cd or the new Iron Maiden greatest hits knowing they can locate it simply in store quick.

HMV had a big 6ft "Northern Soul Classics" point of sales when I went in today...

Didnt know what to think really, was all well knows complilation CDs "talc" etc... CDs and the HMV crowd are not really what I think of along with northern scene, but they must be selling them to someone eh?

Have I missed something?

I saw a full page back cover Northern Soul ad in Uncut for Zavvi (formally Virgin) a few months ago and have been trying to get some stuff into them ever since!

Trouble is, with both HMV and Zavvi, is that a record company has to have a UK distributor just to get into these stores - you cannot sell directly to them and cannot even set-up an account. They're simply not interested. Most of the independent Northern Soul labels find that they can distribute their product themselves quite easily without necessarily needing a UK distributor, so to ask them to pay 25% just to get their stuff into campaigns in the big chains is simply not feasible in this day and age. I'm currently trying to find a way around this so I'll keep everyone posted. It's taken me 3 months to be 'rejected' for 3 UK indies by EUK - the distributor who supplies Zavvi, Morrisons and Woolworths, so it's an uphill battle and very frustrating.

On the other hand, when good Northern Soul albums do make it into these accounts the sales can be astonishing. Sony-BMG's sales of the 4 volume "The Northern Soul Story" (Wheel, Torch, Mecca & Casino) have been phenomenal since their release last Summer and they are now consistant monthly re-order titles or back-catalogue staples. I know 'cos I've seen the sales figures!

There is actually a much larger market for Northern Soul then we may give credit for, but ONLY if they have the more accessible material, they're priced accordingly and available in all the key chains and the Northern based supermarkets like Asda & Morrisons etc. There is generally a healthy audience for Northern Soul with the general public but you can only really reach them via the above methods which is by far the most difficult bit!

Ian D

Understand Ian totally - And you have to be very lax on the margins and terms to deal with soeone like HMV. Have you tried people like Shellshock and Hot distribution?

Rich

They actually have a whole Ace section in the Oxford St branch. There are a lot of genuine music fans work there and they've always been very supportive of Ace/Kent etc

They actually have a whole Ace section in the Oxford St branch. There are a lot of genuine music fans work there and they've always been very supportive of Ace/Kent etc

Too true Ady. I wrote on here a while back how well-racked Sean's Millie Jackson "Soul For The Dancefloor" was @ HMV Oxford Street.

However, margins being what are right now, some operations simply cannot afford a UK distributor when maybe 80% of their sales are export, direct and website based anyway. Why pay 25% for the privilidge of simply passing an order over? Doesn't make sense.

Ace/Kent's has a long-established and great reputation plus a huge catalogue so it makes sense good sense for ANY account to have an Ace/Kent section in their stores - especially if they're serious about back-catalogue.

But some of the labels I'm dealing with are at the bottom end of the pile. Despite having great releases they simply don't have the clout to get into some of these campaigns. I'm probably going to have to cut a 10% deal just to get into these stores, which is still a big margin simply for processing an order, if you see what I mean...........

I need a middleman who has EUK and HMV accounts and will work for a small percentage! Any takers?

Also, I need a degree of seperation between the different accounts as they're all technically rivals LOL....

Ian D

Understand Ian totally - And you have to be very lax on the margins and terms to deal with soeone like HMV. Have you tried people like Shellshock and Hot distribution?

Rich

Well, I'm good mates with a number of Distributors both big and small, so I'll cut a deal somewhere for sure. But what I want to do is set up a seperate account with each label direct with the Distributor so that all the orders and payments are processed seperately - my lot are all naturally suspicious and I would be in their shoes. Terms have to be agreeable naturally. And it needs to be simple without too many complications 'cos life's simply too short.......

Tall order in this day and age Rich. If you have any contacts let me know 'cos I'm open to anything right now........

Ian D