Retail Track: Charlotte, N.c.'s New Manifest Store Aims For Size, Service

MANIFEST Discs & Tapes opened a 19,000-square-foot superstore May 1 in Charlotte, N.C., with the grand-opening celebration planned for Saturday (12), after press time. In addition to carrying an assortment of music-related lifestyle merchandise, the store offers a full line of music inventory with a wide breadth of selection in all genres, according to Carl Singmaster, president of the Columbia, S.C.-based chain.
The store represents the seventh unit for the chain and also a change in direction regarding size, as the other stores are all in the 3,000- to 8,000-square-foot range. The store carries 60,000 CD titles and 11,000 cassette titles. Also, it has a 16-by-12 foot stage for in-store appearances.
Singmaster acknowledges that the Charlotte market already has a good representation of music merchandisers, but he thinks Manifest can carve out a piece of the market for itself. "All the big boxes are there-several Media Plays, seven or eight Best Buys, Borders-and all the mall guys are there as well," he says. "There are a lot of independents that are good stores but are concentrated on a narrow niche. We thought we would fill the gap and be the cool indie store with the depth of selection in all genres and still sell cool stuff."
Singmaster acknowledges that all the industry talk seems to revolve around the Internet. "But how can we compete with all the players that have established themselves online already?" he asks. "I would not want to pour my funds down that money pit. We still want to make stores exciting, and we think that will get the customers in the store."
Singmaster says that Manifest can compete against the other big boxes in the market, in addition to the online merchants. "We are the indie store with full service. We still have people that go into the bins and help you find things."
By contrast, the chains are afraid to pay a few more clerks $6 an hour to help customers, he says. "The single worst thing about shopping retail at a chain store is after you have made your selections, you have to stand in a long line just to pay them money."
AROUND THE TRACK: The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) has added Easy Street of Seattle, New World Record of Buffalo, N.Y., and Park Avenue of Winter Park, Fla., to its store roster. That brings the CIMS store count to 65.
MAKING TRACKS: Alan Wolsky, divisional credit manager for Universal Music and Video Distribution, is leaving his job and seeking opportunities. He can be reached at 516-579-5855; E-mail alanrobin7 aol.com.