strategically important retail outlets

How do you identify strategically important retail outlets?
There are a number of factors to consider when one is looking for what stores to get product into.

Location

There isn’t any point stocking a store in Brisbane, AUstralia if you are not known in that area. It would be important that your cd is accessible to your fan base. So, getting product into stores in the local area is essential.

Promotion

If a promotion or tour is to be undertaken in a specific area then it would be advisable to make sure that the product is available prior to the promotional activity and for a little while after in that specific area, not restricted to location as there could be demographically targeted marketing.

Positioning

Appropriate niche stores need to be identified and stocked with your cd. These types of stores have the ability to promote your product to their clientle through basic word of mouth. This type of positioning of product is a very simple grass roots marketing ploy (to be cynical about it).

Charting

If charting is important then what charts are you going to push for, remember there has to be enough units on hand to support it. Kmart has it’s own chart as do other affiliate stores. Pick the chart you want to hit and stock those stores that submit sales numbers to those charts.

Reputation

Some stores have reputation for different genres and being seen in one of these stores can increase artist profile. This is a little different from niche store positioning as it is taking into account that the outlet may sell varied product but may be able to set trends.