Tower Records, R.I.P.
On Friday, it was announced that the Tower Records chain was being sold to Great American Group, which in turn is liquidating its assets. Trans World Entertainment, which had hoped to continue operating at least some Tower stores, lost in its bid to purchase the chain. You can get more details from an Associated Press report (via the Washington Post).
An exterior view of a Tower Records store is seen in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 6, 2006. After a lengthy auction stretching over two days, a federal bankruptcy judge on Friday approved sale of California-based Tower Records to Great American Group, which plans to liquidate the music retailer. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
It's a sad ending to a place (actually, places) I've spent many hours and many dollars during my middle school / high school / college years. When I moved from Florida to California, I learned about Tower Records. There wasn't any Tower Records in South Florida, so I was intrigued. The stores had a freebie magazine describing the new releases as well as interviews with musicians. The stores had a massive selection of any and everything, or so it seemed.
Over the years, the music formats changed, and Tower seemed to carry them all: vinyl records (LPs, 45s, 12"s); cassette tapes; compact discs; mini-discs; SACDs; HDCDs; etc.
Over the 2 decades I've known and frequented Tower Records, I saw the chain expand to more locations, then close some of the smaller locations. I've seen the freebie magazine (Pulse, it was called) end its publication. When the location closest to me closed, I would still make weekend drives to Tower Records locations.
In the end, decline in music sales, downloading of online music, and competition from big-box stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy led to the ultimate demise of Tower Records. However, for me, it was the price of gasoline breaking the $3 a gallon mark that ultimately stopped my trips to Tower Records. All of my descretionary spending now went to filling up my gas tank.
Apparently the entire Tower Records inventory is being discounted at this very moment. I will have to make at least one more trip back and say goodbye.
On Friday, it was announced that the Tower Records chain was being sold to Great American Group, which in turn is liquidating its assets. Trans World Entertainment, which had hoped to continue operating at least some Tower stores, lost in its bid to purchase the chain. You can get more details from an Associated Press report (via the Washington Post).
An exterior view of a Tower Records store is seen in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 6, 2006. After a lengthy auction stretching over two days, a federal bankruptcy judge on Friday approved sale of California-based Tower Records to Great American Group, which plans to liquidate the music retailer. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)It's a sad ending to a place (actually, places) I've spent many hours and many dollars during my middle school / high school / college years. When I moved from Florida to California, I learned about Tower Records. There wasn't any Tower Records in South Florida, so I was intrigued. The stores had a freebie magazine describing the new releases as well as interviews with musicians. The stores had a massive selection of any and everything, or so it seemed.
Over the years, the music formats changed, and Tower seemed to carry them all: vinyl records (LPs, 45s, 12"s); cassette tapes; compact discs; mini-discs; SACDs; HDCDs; etc.
Over the 2 decades I've known and frequented Tower Records, I saw the chain expand to more locations, then close some of the smaller locations. I've seen the freebie magazine (Pulse, it was called) end its publication. When the location closest to me closed, I would still make weekend drives to Tower Records locations.
In the end, decline in music sales, downloading of online music, and competition from big-box stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy led to the ultimate demise of Tower Records. However, for me, it was the price of gasoline breaking the $3 a gallon mark that ultimately stopped my trips to Tower Records. All of my descretionary spending now went to filling up my gas tank.
Apparently the entire Tower Records inventory is being discounted at this very moment. I will have to make at least one more trip back and say goodbye.
posted by sitting_here_reminiscing at
9:40 PM
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