Starbucks recently produced the late Ray Charles album "Genius Loves Company". Due to their distribution system, this album is now #2 on Billboards Top Ten chart. Not only that, Starbucks is the number one retailer of the album! This is quite a surprise that a coffeehouse has become capable of influencing music sales in such a dramatic way. Now, it could say something about demographics too, who knows this is such a surprise.
Starbucks reports that its Company-operated locations in North America sold more than 44,000 CDs, which is approximately 22 percent of total album sales. The numbers generated by the Company significantly outpace those achieved by other individual record retailers, both traditional and mass-merchants - making Starbucks the number one seller during the CD's first week of sales. This chart debut for Genius Loves Company supports the proposition that the Starbucks Experience and the Company's broad customer base provide a compelling and powerful new distribution channel. To date, Genius Loves Company has shipped more than one million copies worldwide to Starbucks and other leading retailers. |
Well now, this is something that will have the marketing
gurus putting on their thinking caps. Maybe it is a good idea to display albums in some different venues, possibly tailoring the music to the crowd. I could see some impulse buying in a few pubs I've been in, but what you need is national chains. It is also quite an accomplishment that Starbucks put the album together, it would not seem to be their arena.
The article goes on to say that the album features Natalie
Cole, Elton John, Norah Jones, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, Michael
McDonald, Johnny Mathis, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, and James
Taylor. Together, these artists have won some 79 GRAMMY Awards and were close
personal friends of Mr. Charles, an original inductee into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame.
Source: Music Industry News
