Hello Everyone,

RSD Drop #1 is in the books and I am happy to report that across the board it was a success for all. That is huge and says a lot for our stores because there was a lot of work to be done to make that a reality. First of all, you have the fact that this RSD was the first of its kind. You add to it that there were going to be issues and/or circumstances that would be specific to individual stores. We come in all shapes and sizes, so this was never going to be a one size fits all solution. However, we got proactive- holding weekly calls leading up to the drops for stores to discuss their plans of action, and most importantly, we got creative. It was so great to see how the stores came up with all sorts of ways to make the day safe but still fun and keeping the spirit and excitement of RSD alive and well. It was also really amazing to feel that sense of community echoed through the sharing of those ideas with others.

For CIMS, our stores ran the full range of scenarios and each crafted their own unique approach to the day. We had a few stores that out of either choice or necessity only did online RSD sales, we had some that booked appointments, we had some that had lotteries, some that had order menus. We had some that were large enough and had enough accommodations for social distancing to be able to go with a mostly traditional RSD approach. The one thing that I know was universally kept top of mind for each store as they crafted their plan for the day, was making their staff and customers feel safe- which was also one of our main goals when we decided to take the drop approach.

It is still too early to be able to do a complete wrap up of 2020 vs. 2019 (that will come after all three drops) and I think we all know this year may just look different because we are living in a completely different world, however I received very successful feedback from the stores which is wonderful news. I don’t have numbers from everyone, but for those that did provide info, the overall average was that sales for RSD Drop 1 were about 45 percent of RSD 2019, which is a very hopeful sign. These events are so important to the success and vitality of our stores so again, thank you to everyone that was a part of it, and hats off to all of the stores for working so hard to keep this event a success and special for their customers and community.

Here are a few snaps from the day and of course the charts.

Thanks,
Andrea

Andrea Paschal
Executive Director
Coalition of Independent Music Stores
ThinkIndie Distribution
3738 4th Terrace North
Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: 205.595.1932 x.208
Fax: 205.595.1938
Email : andrea@cimsmusic.com
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