NEW YORK (Hypebot) – Since its inception Sounsdscan, the dominant retail music sales measurement service in the U.S. has classified a number of small to mid-size independent music retailers along with the larger chains like Best Buy and Fye. That changed January 1st with the classification of 21 smaller chain retailer and their 213 locations. Sales from these stores will now be counted alongside other indie retailers, rather than with the larger chains. Included in the shift are:
Says NARM President Jim Donio, "We know that independent retailers have been hoping to make this change for quite some time. In fact, NARM invited Nielsen SoundScan to meet with our Board of Directors in late-2008, and this was a key point of discussion. We are pleased that this has now come to fruition."
Adds Mike Fratt, GM of Homers and member of the NARM Board Of Directors, "I am thrilled to see a reclassification of Soundscan accounts to better reflect what is truly considered the 'indie' sector. This change is a win-win for indie stores and their trading partners."
