Sorry to hear the news about another retail music outlet pulling up stakes and retreating from the business.Now this is not a the level of Sam Goody's or (you name the store), but Starbucks is apparently planning to drop its in-store music retail offerings come September.
That means no more "spinner" racks offering multiple CD choices to latte-buyers. And that also means no more gift cards and promotional giveaways for Apple's iTunes. Instead, we're told, the coffee chain will offer just four CD "slots" per store. But it will also continue to offer free Wi-fi access to Apple's online music store and may continue to try to sell entertainment online. This all according to Silicon Alley Insider.
But for me, there's nothing like browsing through racks of CDs, just like there used to be nothing like browsing through racks of LPs -- I don't go any further back than that.
BTW, how many times have you used the term "you sound like a broken record" not realizing your audience (at least one) has no idea what a record is or how it could be broken?
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I don't totally get why they would stop selling iTunes cards but the music retailing reduction makes sense.
Remember Apple and Starbucks are in a co-marketing agreement and rolling out free access to iTunes wirelessly to all of there retail outlets by 2009.
If you have an iPhone/touch and enter one of the 'lit up' stores you get a starbucks icon and access to the currently playing track and the last 10 songs played.
Apple probably just said, we want your retail business if we do this co-marketing venture with you, so ditch your CD's!