You might arrange to meet friends there, or even make some new ones. This is the usual ambience with spice getting added by the celebrity events. Organised in sync with the music companies, usually on these occasions stars come and meet their fans and are more than happy with such exposure. On other hand, a personal appearance does a lot of good to the sales charts.

What is on offer
The content is a good mix of well-classified music. That most of this music is targeted at the youth is obvious from the way the place is done up. Storeowners, though, maintain that all age groups are kept in mind. Jazz and classical music usually command a separate corner. But like in all other entertainment forms, content is no longer considered sufficient. The music shops offer a complete buying experience. Music World chain‘s Dilip James defines it: "We provide the customer availability of catalogue titles that conventional shops do not stock."

For the youth, music shops do not pitch themselves against the humble corner store. Rather, they offer an alternative to restaurants. Youngsters hang out, participate in the events, listen to their favourite music or recommended CDs for as long as they want. Not that this is not for the serious buyer. According to Planet M assistant general manager, Apurva, "Many clients come and pick up music worth thousands on a monthly basis. Of course, this is not the fast-moving type of music. The typical buyer of this kind of music does not need the conveniences that we offer." This then means a slow offtake for 75 per cent of the items in stock, which translates into a high working capital outlay.

Utility
Music companies benefit. Straight access to a concentrated sample of the target audience creates an authentic feedback source, something very rare in the disorganised structure of music distribution in the country. In James’ words, "Availability of accurate data and customer feedback provides an insight into actual customer response. This helps their marketing and product plans." Events also mean plenty of exposure for the artiste, which not only translates into sales but also helps in brand-building. Apart from this, the music store could also help reduce piracy.

How they stand against mp3
Given their target market, music stores are the most vulnerable in the entire distribution chain to the mp3 threat. This has been discussed on many platforms, including the MTV-Planet M music forum held earlier this year. But industry sources are not too worried about this, saying that any impact can register only over a decade or so, which is too futuristic to figure in strategies. They also hold that social, technological and security aspects of this issue are too deep-rooted for their impact to be analysed right now.

The future
The economics of such stores are not inspiring right now. Investment is capital-intensive, particularly if real estate is bought and not leased. Cases like Planet M, which have the advantage of prime location at a negligible cost, are exceptional. With even working capital demands being high, no one can talk of break-evens in the medium term. The total idea is to increase the sales value per visitor and induce repeat visits. For this to happen, branding is extremely essential. As Apurva describes it, "Planet M is not so much a foray into music retailing as into retailing. Co-brands help attract traffic, create association and lower the break-even levels. Our events are not profit-oriented, but aimed at awareness and brand-building. We intend to create a retail brand targeted at the youth."

Other possibilities are vending books and greeting cards. Leasing out space to synergistic brands definitely helps the income chart and aids in positioning. But even Planet M does not see payback in under three years. Music World is looking at much longer periods. It plans to establish a 20-point network in the next two years, with a turnover target of around Rs 100 crore per annum.