150 Suncoast, Sam Goody stores closing in 2004

[Dolemite]

You mean the Sunrise store?

Yeah, I live like, 5 minutes from Sunrise mall. Then again, on Long Island, no matter where you live you're always 5 minutes from a mall.

[Bacon McShig]

First of all, if a store is in the mall, they will charge mall prices. If you expect anything else, you are a certifiable moron.

Secondly, Media Play, Sam Goody, and Suncoast's main competition (Best Buy, Circuit City) sell high-ticket items like refridgerators, TVs, and computers, which offer a very large profit margin. The competitors can therefore price their low-ticket items (CDs and DVDs) close to or below what it costs THEM to buy it, because they make up that lack of profit every time they sell a high-ticket item. Musicland stores (the parent company of MP, SG, and SC) only carry low ticket items, so the only way they can exist is to price things higher, and make up for that by carrying a wider selection.

And Best Buy didn't turn a profit with those companies because they're wasteful. They spent thousands of dollars on unnecessary remerchandising, signage, and resources. And most of all, they made those stores considerably less enjoyable places to work.

Musicland is now owned by a company that exists only to buy properties, reap them of any profit, and dump them. Musicland is posting profits now, but as you can see from this announcement, it's from a slash 'n burn mentality.

[Dolemite]

First of all, if a store is in the mall, they will charge mall prices.

Not so. The Wiz was in the same mall, than they charged an average of $10 less per CD.

Of course, The Wiz is now out of business...

[BarryWeen]

Yup. And thats exactly whats going to happen to Musicland... they will be pumped for profit, then left to die...