Tower closing in the UK

Citing a story in the London Observer, Gramaphone web site is reporting that that Tower is withdrawing from the UK market and closing or selling all its stores, This includes the Piccadilly stire which is being sold to Virgin. Sad...but not totally unexpected.

Knowing Tower they won't have a grand sale but sell the stock to Virgin. I can't imagine that generosity and care of the cutomer will hit them even at this late stage.

The classical section certainly has been shrinking over the last few months. I'll have to keep an eye on it!

There was also a letter in this months Gramophone magazine quoting someone at the BBC as saying words to the effect of 'if you want high quality radio, use an FM tuner, not a DAB one'!! Someone else at the BBC denied this was official policy, but whatever they are saying officially, it appears to be true.

to be re-employed by Virgin at a higher rate. Generosity never was Tower's attraction. No mention of any 'grand sales' in Piccadilly (well, yet)

However, I found their prices to be lower than Virgin or Borders megastores.

Huh? Even if one can argue that 'generosity and care of the customer' (whatever that means)would have been good for profits, once they've decided to close they owe nothing to anyone other than their stockholders.

Why is it sad? I visited a Tower store once (Piccadilly Circus) and escaped rapidly in the direction of the nearest MDC - or, maybe, Farringdon. I also visited a Virgin store once (Southampton) and that was a terrible experience that I have no wish whatsoever to repeat.

'Sad' describes the disappearance, years ago, of shops like Henry Stave, Record Hunter and the original Gramophone Exchange.

However, I found their prices to be lower than Virgin or Borders megastores.>>

Interesting - I found them consistently higher than HMV, and the rock CDs my son buys were consistently cheaper in Virgin. I don't shop in Borders - their stock and prices are simply not competitive. I don't think generosity and care for the customer are in any way nebulous or inappropriate. As other posters have indicated, they like good service from happy professional staff, and they respond to schemes which appear to offer them discounts like the loyalty card at MDC.

While I haven't bought anything there in years, I am sort of disappointed, it was always good for a wander through on the way out from Piccadilly Tube if nothing else. I never really looked through the classical section that intently, but as a film music fan, the selection of soundtracks was always pretty impressive, especially when it came to very obscure things that I don't recall seeing anywhere else. Mind you, they were always so expensive that I never bought them, sort of figured that one day I'd be rich enough to go through and pick up what I wanted. Just have to hope that Virgin really do take on all the new stock, maybe they'll mark down some of the stuff that's gathering dust?!

following letters to be typed in

Russ Solomon (Tower's original honcho) was occasionally asked why he paid such low wages. His standard reply was, 'I pay you people exactly what you're worth, minus what I know you're stealing from me!'

Although only an annual visitor, I shall miss them, partly for their Japanese imports (usually overpriced, but interesting to see, at least), partly for their selection (better overall than anywhere else in London, at least until recently), and partly because they have more extensive shopping hours than anywhere else in London. I doubt Virgin will maintain these advantages - anyone know for sure?