Big box retailer Best Buy is teaming up with regionalcd.net to stock their stores with local music. It looks like a coup for bands with strong Myspace followings to get wider distribution for their music, with artists receiving a cut of every disc sold, although initially stores will carry few copies, letting demand dictate future inventory.
There is a catch though, as this deal looks like another nail in the coffin for independent record stores. Best Buy already uses cd's as a loss-leader, pricing them well below list prices, in an attempt to get customers through the door and two steps closer to the higher profit-margined items like appliances and electronics. Independent record stores can't keep up with these tactics and this is just another blow to their bottom line. [CMJ]
Independent music fans don't shop at corporations like Best Buy, hence the fact they are independent music fans. I can't see this having much of an effect.