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Post by socalboy on Mar 13, 2007 17:27:12 GMT
Oksana:
Yes, I heard precisely the same so I will definitely let you know.
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Post by Stephany on Mar 13, 2007 20:38:26 GMT
If it turns out to be true, I'll definitely purchase the CD.  |
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Post by socalboy on Mar 13, 2007 22:05:50 GMT
Well, I just returned from Walmart and Target (another huge U.S. retailer), and the first thing I did was to check my calendar to make sure that today is March 13, 2007. Can anyone confirm that for me?
I apologize in advance, both for the length of this post, and for my naiveté. If I’m overreacting please tell me so. Most of you have been members here far longer than I and probably can slough this stuff off. I’m not there yet.
Walmart
After scouring the CD shelves, the new release section, a display poster listing upcoming release dates, and finding no sign of Celtic Treasure, I walked over to a Walmart employee who was in fact stocking the music shelves. I asked him about the album. He had a stocking list which he checked. The album was not on it. He had never heard of it and had no idea when it might arrive, if at all. He checked with someone else. Same story. He checked the computer, same story. While he was checking, I noted prominently displayed albums from Il Divo, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, and of course Celtic Woman. Some were in the pop section, some in adult contemporary, some under “soundtracks” and some in multiple locations. Finally, after spending nearly half an hour rummaging through every CD, I found a single copy of Odyssey. I placed it on the top display shelf in front of a new rap album. Betcha it sells by tomorrow.
Target
I had high hopes. After all, Caite found a review of Celtic Treasure on Target.com. Unfortunately, cyberspace apparently does not equate to shelf space. My experience at Target was almost a repeat of Walmart. After studying all the displays and the CD racks and finding nothing of Celtic Treasure, I consulted with the clerk. Another list checked, another album missing - completely. He checked under Celtic, under Treasure, under Westenra and under Hayley. No mention of any upcoming release date. In fact no mention of the album at all. Maybe I should have asked him to check under Charlotte Church.
I actually don’t find any of this very funny. It’s not so much that the albums weren’t in stores on their release date. That can potentially be explained. But why were they missing from the lists of two giant retailers? Why were they missing from the upcoming release display banners?
When I got back in my car to return to work, it just so happened that the Celtic Woman CD in my car stereo landed on Scarborough Fair. I know Hayley was telling me that everything is going to be all right. Her voice could tame a drunken sailor.
And that’s why I’m so irritated. She deserves so much better. If, as some believe, the future of music distribution in the U.S. revolves around these giant retailers, then it’s not a pretty picture. My personal opinion is that almost everything will be distributed electronically, so who knows? I also recognize that this is just one day’s experience for one person. Elsewhere, Bob reported a poster for Celtic Treasure at Borders. So all is not lost – except for Hayley’s album at Walmart and Target.
I may be reading far too much into what Hayley’s been saying recently, but I thought I detected a hint of her own frustration with respect to the U.S. market. If so, I can well understand it. Somewhere in this process there’s a great big disconnect. Right now, I will say nothing more on the subject. Again, I may be overreacting, but I’ll need some convincing.
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Post by roger on Mar 13, 2007 22:41:50 GMT
Hi socalboy,
I don't think you're overreacting at all. This is very disappointing news and very frustrating for anyone who wanted to buy the album. It also makes a farce of any promo that is happening stateside. Hayley's money is being spent to promote an album that you cannot easily buy. I hope the situation is quickly resolved for everyone's sake.
Roger
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Post by meagan on Mar 13, 2007 22:50:24 GMT
I just bought Celtic Treasure at Borders and there was a big poster of Hayley next to her cds. Celtic Treasure was also next to a big poster of Celtic Woman (without Hayley on it  ) with their cds. I didn't even go to Targer or Walmart because I figured they wouldn't have it. I really wish that Hayley's cds would get better promotion in the US so more people could hear about her! |
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Dave
Administrator
HWI Admin
Posts: 7,700
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Post by Dave on Mar 13, 2007 23:08:18 GMT
Hi socalboy, thanks for the detailed report on your hunt for the Celtic Treasure... which seems to be buried far deeper then you expected!
To help me to understand what's happening here and what could happen in the future, can you (or meagan or anyone) tell me if the US chain stores like Walmart and Target display CDs in their own "sales" charts, like in the UK? If so, how many do they have, top 50, 100, 200? If not, how are the CD displays arranged?
Cheers, Dave
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Post by socalboy on Mar 13, 2007 23:13:14 GMT
I just bought Celtic Treasure at Borders and there was a big poster of Hayley next to her cds. Celtic Treasure was also next to a big poster of Celtic Woman (without Hayley on it  ) with their cds. I didn't even go to Targer or Walmart because I figured they wouldn't have it. I really wish that Hayley's cds would get better promotion in the US so more people could hear about her! That's two Hayley sightings at Borders now, so Hooray for that. I probably would have selected Borders too, but I wanted to check out the big guys and I wanted to get the extra bonus track that Walmart promoted. Borders has about 460 stores in the U.S. Walmart has approximately 3400 and Target 1400, and both say clearly that music is a big part of their recent and future growth. Tower records has just shut down, and Virgin is contracting. So the significance of the major retailers in U.S. music distribution is unmistakable. However, it’s obvious they’re not doing it nearly as well as Borders. |
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Post by toronado on Mar 13, 2007 23:16:31 GMT
Everything at Wal-Mart and Target is generally very haphazardly displayed, and I don't think they do any kind of sales rankings. You have to remember cd sales comprise about 1% of their sales receipts. I was at Barnes and Noble today in pretty rural Wisconsin and they had a pretty large Hayley display with Celtic Treasure and the rest of her CDs available.
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Post by socalboy on Mar 13, 2007 23:38:47 GMT
Dave:
I believe Toronado is right. I saw no evidence of any rankings. Their displays are a mess, Walmart worse than Target. Josh Groban and Andrea Bocelli are in the adult contemporary racks, and Il Divo is under something called “soundtracks” as was the lone cd of Odyssey I found. There was a separate “Celtic” category, but Celtic Woman was in the pop/rock section.
Borders and Barnes and Noble are about it now. Knowledgeable people like Meagan and Toronado who set out to find Celtic Treasure know where they are likely to find it. But for Hayley to grow her U.S. audience she’s going to need additional discovery and impulse buying. The kind that Walmart and Target are promoting, but apparently not delivering.
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Post by toronado on Mar 13, 2007 23:44:59 GMT
Actually, I must admit that I ordered mine from Amazon, and I lucked out by doing so as well, because I received the CD yesterday instead of today. But since I'm on spring break I have been going around to various different stores to see how they're promoting Hayley just out of simple curiosity.
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Post by socalboy on Mar 13, 2007 23:52:40 GMT
Actually, I must admit that I ordered mine from Amazon, and I lucked out by doing so as well, because I received the CD yesterday instead of today. But since I'm on spring break I have been going around to various different stores to see how they're promoting Hayley just out of simple curiosity. That's a very good thing. Keep us posted on what you find. I would never encourage anyone to enter a Walmart when they don't have to, but if your curiosity is sufficiently piqued and you find yourself there, I would love to compare notes. |
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Post by kmsmith8 on Mar 14, 2007 0:22:14 GMT
I found something interesting on Wal-mart's website. Celtic Treasure is on it with an exclusive track (Mummer's Dance), but Wal-mart is out of stock. Either Hayley fans have been clicking away on Wal-mart's site or Wal-mart isn't just not stocking the CD in the stores. I am leaning towards the latter. Here is a link to the site (with a clip of Mummer's Dance, it sounds like the version from the UK release of Pure): www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5662711Katie |
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Post by socalboy on Mar 14, 2007 0:28:09 GMT
I found something interesting on Wal-mart's website. Celtic Treasure is on it with an exclusive track (Mummer's Dance), but Wal-mart is out of stock. Either Hayley fans have been clicking away on Wal-mart's site or Wal-mart isn't just not stocking the CD in the stores. I am leaning towards the latter. Here is a link to the site (with a clip of Mummer's Dance, it sounds like the version from the UK release of Pure): www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5662711Katie Katie: A very interesting speculation. You may well be right, and the promotion is exclusively for their website purchases. But why out of stock? Why no cds in stores when CW, Groban, Bocelli and everyone else is there? This just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. |
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Post by kmsmith8 on Mar 14, 2007 0:34:43 GMT
Just found something else. If you look up an item on BestBuy.com (a large electronics/entertainment store in the United States) you can check availability of the item at Best Buy stores near you. I typed in my zip code and only 1 of the 6 stores that came up had it stocked (to my knowledge the one that stocked it is the largest one). While 1 is better than none, I live in an urban area (Chicago suburb) where all of the stores get tons of foot traffic. I'm not sure why the CD is not stocked in all of the stores.
Whevenever I am in a Target, Wal-mart, etc. I always look for Hayley's CD. I have never seen one of Hayley's CDs in Target. All of the Wal-marts I have been to usually have 1 copy of Odyssey hidden in a random place (I usually unhide it). The only large chain that I have seen with many of Hayley's CDs is Meijer. I haven't been there in a while, but last time I was there they had more than one copy of both Treasure and Pure. I am going to try and get there this weekend to see if they have Celtic Treasure.
Katie
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Post by roger on Mar 14, 2007 0:38:48 GMT
Hi Katie, I think you're right. 'The Mummer's Dance' does sound like the version which appeared on Pure. It wasn't on either of the UK editions though; it was on the Australian and New Zealand Special Editions. Regardless of which edition it appeared on, it was recorded nearly four years ago and it seems strange to include it on a current album, even if it is only as a bonus track from one source. It is a fine track and another example of Hayley versatility. It is definitely more suitable for Treasure than it would have been for Odyssey so it may prove to be a good marketing ploy. Let's hope so!  Roger |
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) with their cds. I didn't even go to Targer or Walmart because I figured they wouldn't have it. I really wish that Hayley's cds would get better promotion in the US so more people could hear about her! 
