Neil Young's album being "backshelved?"

[garybeck]

I was at Best Buy yesterday and decided to take a look at Neil Young's new album. Knowing it's currently #4 on the Amazon hotlist, I figured it would be right there in the "new release" or "best seller" section at the aisle endcap.

however, it wasn't there with the other new releases. I went to the regular Neil Young section in the Rock section. I had to leaf through a dozen old Neil Young CDs before I found it in the BACK, the very last one. And, there it was, only one copy.

are they deliberately backshelving the CD? have others noticed this in the record stores? is there any good reason why it shouldn't be with the other new releases?

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Regretfully, I was in a Wal-Mart on Sunday and for fun looked to

see if I could find it. Not in 'new releases' nor even under 'Neil Young'. I bought my copy at Best Buy on May 7 (?) and it was in with all his other CDs, but that had tons of them.

[Mr_Spock]

37. Another good reason to avoid WalMart

I have been boycotting WalMart for 2 years now and I'll never darken their door again. Hate that company.

[lonestarnot]

2. Damn you know I will be checking that out. That is one of

my major shopping tactics. Unshelving backshelved, backshelving stuff that should REALLY be there.

[emulatorloo]

3. Are any "classic" artists ever put in best buy new release area?

Mostly it seems to be 20 something bands/artist, like ashley angel parker, or nickleback etc

[garybeck]

5. yes

I'm trying to remember what else was there in the new releases. I think Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen were there. Hardly 20 something bands.

[Atman]

13. Any drek Eric Clapton puts out always makes it to the New Releases, too

Okay, okay, Clapton is God. But he's a tired god, run out of new licks or any semblence of creativity. He's spent. He makes Phil Collins look like a genius these days. Claptons now releases his music Direct To Elevator.

[Zen Democrat]

21. In defense of Clapton -- The Cream Reunion was dynamite.

Clapton never sounded better. My opinion is that Cream needs to re-form and put out some truly "Fresh Cream".

As for Neil Young --- I bought it from ITunes. I seldom go to Best Buy since I found out they give all their political contributions to the Repukes.

And I switched from Borders to Barnes & Noble upon discovering that B&N gives all their political contributions to the Dems.

[T Wolf]

24. Took a drive with the windows down one nice Sunday a couple of weeks ago

and listened to Cream's greatest. It still stuns me how three guys could produce so much great sound. Kinda like Led Zep. Amazing.

[Gabi Hayes]

32. Pressed Rat and Warthog closed down their shop.

They didn't want to, it was all they had got.

[Atman]

4. I have no doubt they are

Remember, CVS drug stores, which always carries Rolling Stone magazine front and center in its mag racks, even if the cover is adorned with a photograph of a naked Christine Aguillara or pseudo-child-porn pic of Brittney topless in pigtails, didn't even put the "Worst President In History" issue on the shelf. Not even the back shelf. So I'm not surprised in the slightest that you couldn't find the NY CD. (BTW...I'm going to the first show on Neil's reunion tour with CSNY in Philly! WOO HOO!!)

[emulatorloo]

6. it was easy to find "Rock Against Bush" compilation at my Worst Buy

but never easy to find new releases by Neil Young's contemporaries. . .must dig for Brian Wilson, David Crosby/Graham Nash, Van Morrison, etc etc

[babylonsister]

8. I had the same experience w/the RS mag here in TX. Could not

find it anywhere! Finally wound up ordering it on e-bay. :eyes: Censorship is alive and well.

[acmejack]

25. It was out front in all three places I was in today here in Austin

Didn't have any trouble at all finding it! Plentiful and prominent.

[babylonsister]

26. Ah, Austin vs. Houston. Apples vs. oranges. I did

receive the one from ebay and did find one at the military commissary of all places. I never did see it at HEB or Kroger's. :shrug:

[IndyOp]

9. The CVS in my little town had the "Worst Pres" Rolling Stone in front -

of all the other mags in its usual place. So it doesn't seem to be a corporate order. Maybe that week's sold out before you got there?

:shrug:

[Atman]

10. I highly doubt it

I was there on the usual magazine delivery day. RS never sells out there. I find it very difficult to believe this particular issue was gone on day one, when instead they usually have returns to deal with two weeks later.

[IndyOp]

23. I doubt it too. Sounds like it was a managerial-level decision... (n/t)

:hi:

[LostinVA]

29. That's probably exactly what happened

That happened to us all the time with a popular magazine issue. Sometimes the vendor even shorted us, because B&N and Borders were the preferred customers -- for real. That would show up as a MAJOR blip at home office, and would be commented upon and investigated, and people would be fired.

My sister bought it in her RW military town in Oklahoma.

[LeftHander]

7. Go to real "record" store...

and "independent" reseller and you will find NY album front and center.

"Beast" Buy sells TV's...and electronics crap. I've never considered them a place that I wanted to buy a CD.

[garybeck]

18. I was just checking it out, not there to buy the CD.

I had to get some computer hardware.

[LeftHander]

34. sry I was a bit harsh....you know if it picks up speed selling...

Any business that likes money and profit will marquee it...and for Beast Buy it probably puts stuff out front that is tipped as being hot sellers.

And the demographic of people that Buy CD's at Best Buy is probably skewded younger....CDs are more of a loss leader for BB...

[H2O Man]

11. I went to a local

K-Mart. (I know, I know.) They were "out" of the CD. The guy said they had only had a few copies delivered, and they were gone in a short time. He said the next shipment was a week away.

[vi5]

12. Contrary to what we'd all like to believe....

Something being # whatever on Amazon isn't exactly a rock solid harbinger of actual overall album sales and popularity. Neil Young hasn't had a "hit" record in a while and at Best Buy most of his conteomporaries (people who started making music in the 60's) are in the catalog rack rather than upfront. I wouldn't put much thought into it.

[garybeck]

17. I don't think that's true

Harvest Moon was a big seller and it still gets tons of air time. to imply Neil Young is not currently popular is just false. he still sells out shows, gets specials on MTV, etc. He is an icon.

by the way, Barry Manilow's album had a full sized poster in the window at my local Fye's store. He's not exactly 'current pop'

[vi5]

19. Wasn't Harvest Moon 10 years ago?

He's popular, as are a lot of boomer rockers. But having a "hit" nowadays means more than driving album sales. A hit nowadays means a younger artist whose face is plastered on MTV, whose record has tie-ins with other products, who get teens to the store to buy tons of other records by the hot new bands. My point is Best Buy and similar stores make more money placing emphasis on younger skewing bands than they do older skewing ones. There are exceptions but I just don't think in this case it's anything nefarious as the original poster implied. As someone else in here pointed out, the Rock Against Bush compilation was featured prominently in every Best Buy I was in when that album was out. Not because of some political stand, but because that record had a bunch of teen appealing mall punk bands on it.

Also a lot of times placement is based off of record label co-op advertising dollars.

[nolabels]

14. Common sense tell you there are more than just just store managers........

the pull for the (R)'s. I would also like to guess that them people in love with (R)'s often do things that might be contrary to the store being able make a profit just for political reasons. Come on people, it's not rocket science. I think it's kind of cool as long as word gets out. Nothing makes people want to buy something or check it out more than scarcity and a illicitness that make some want to hide it.

[cleodog]

15. barnes and noble

I bought mine at Barnes and Noble. It was in the new release area. Go to Barnes and Noble.

[LostinVA]

30. B&N is a true blue company

[newyawker99]

36. Hi cleodog!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[onenote]

16. hard to say -- but I doubt its a corporate policy

I went into my local Best Buy looking for both the new Neil Young and the new Springsteen. I couldn't find either. When I asked, I was told that they both had sold out. FWIW, there was a slot in the new release display for each of them.

I doubt its being "backshelved" for political reasons. Hell, Best Buy is offering a special promotion for the Dixie Chicks new release, with free shipping, and exclusive streams on the best buy website. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?type=category&id=pcmcat91000050000

Best Buy is in business to sell as much product as it can. If you think Neil's new release is being backshelved, I'd send an email or letter to Best Buy corporate complaining. If its happening, my bet its the local manager and he would get read the riot act if customers started complaining that product they want is being kept from them to the point that they are going to take their business elsewhere.

[Initech]

20. I noticed this - Best Buy nor Circuit City had them

They didnt even have the new disc mentioned on their website or in the weekly advertisements. I had to go to Tower Records to get it.

[warrens]

22. It was an unscheduled release

Buyers generally put in big orders way in advance. This one caught them by surprise and they had to take the money out of other orders or delay weekly catalog reorders to get a supply. Rush releases often don't have enough stock for a few weeks to supply all the demand. So every store gets a few until production catches up.

[LostinVA]

31. Beat me to it

I was a book buyer for a large retail chain, and that's exactly what happens. Sometimes you get caught by surprise, and EVERYTHING runs out immediately, or doesn't even get any. LIke sleeper books. And magazine issues like the Rolling Stone. Some buyers at B&N or wherever were smart, but in a larger than usual order, thus the vendor shorted other customers. Happened to me every week for five years. There is censorship in the US, but this isn't it. It's frigging retail supply and demand!

[mmonk]

27. Bought Prairie Wind as a Mother's Day gift

at Borders but couldn't find Living With War anywhere.

[LostinVA]

28. I guarantee they've sold down, and filled the endcap with something

else. That's happened before to me with cds and dvds that have sold better than the buyers thought they would. It's what we did in the bookstore I managed (but with books). No way they would be "hiding" the #4 cd. They would have their asses fired by Corporate.

Did you ask the manager?

[lies and propaganda]

33. songa called "Its time to Impeach the President"

definitely makes me feel you are right in your assertion.

[Roland99]

35. Probably some Freeper did it

[ProfessorGAC]

38. Irrelevant

Neil has his fan base. He's not suddenly going to be competing with the "Diva" crowd for sales. He's sell his 8 or 9 hundred thousand copies like always. He'll be happy. THe company will be happy. The fans will be happy. And those fans are going to find that album even if they have to dive into a swimming pool to get it.

This is much ado about nothing.
The Professor