Starbucks music deal sounds discordant note
US music retailers object to Alanis Morissette deal
Specialist US music retailers believe a deal giving coffee chain Starbucks an exclusive sales period for a new CD by Alanis Morissette threatens smaller retailers.
A number of independent music retailers have expressed concern that the singer/songwriter’s new acoustic version of her album [i]Jagged Little Pill [/i] – recorded to mark the 10th anniversary of the orginal release – will be available in US Starbucks outlets six weeks before other retailers can sell it.
Starbucks stocks a very limited range of CDs, but any album it supports is guaranteed strong sales. The final album by the late Ray Charles, [i]Genius Loves Company[/i], sold around 30 per cent of its 1.2m US sales through Starbucks.
The Starbucks deal has been described as a one-off by Morissette’s record label, Maverick. One US music retailer, the 900-store Trans World chain, has already said it will not stock the album, and others have indicated they will not devote resources to promoting it in store.
Many are concerned that Starbucks’ exclusive period, starting in June, will coincide with Morissette’s first-ever acoustic tour in the US, a time when even higher sales can be expected.
[img r]StarBuckslogo.jpg[/img]Ken Lombard, president, Starbucks Entertainment, said: “We have a strong commitment to providing our customers with convenient ways to discover and acquire great music and are delighted that Alanis and Maverick identified the Starbucks Experience as the perfect setting to introduce millions of music fans to this intimate acoustic recording and tour.”
