Retail Super Session: Retail in the 21st Century
Friday March 5, 2004 2:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Westin Harbour Castle Hotel

Once, to stay alive, music retail had to diversify - into "lifestyle" products and DVDs. Now these erstwhile saviours of the business threaten to take over the floorspace as the audio downturn continues. Stores are boycotting the "Stones" in the wake of their exclusive retail deal, and are taking a beating in general from big-box stores that sell CDs close to cost. Even with labels giving select retailers deals on extra tracks, advance releases and exclusives, it looks like a potential sea of red-ink ahead. Is it as bad as that? Our experts separate the scare-stories from the hard truths.

Moderators: Geoff Mayfield, Director of Charts/Senior Analyst, Billboard Magazine, CA, USA

Panelists: Steve Simon, VP Sales, BMG Music Canada, ON, Canada; Humphrey Kadaner, President, HMV Canada, ON, Canada; Michael Dreese, CEO & Co-Founder, Newbury Comics Inc., MA, USA; Brian Thompson, Category Manager, A&B Sound, BC, Canada; Yvon DesRochers, VP, Retail Sales, Groupe Archambault, PQ, Canada; Scott Young, VP, Digital Entertainment for Business Dev't, Best Buy Co. Inc., MN, USA

RECORDS/RETAIL