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NEWS: Suncoast Anime Update




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Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 4463
Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:39 pm Reply with quote
Is there any way to link to this article or is it paper only?
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Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
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Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 4:50 pm Reply with quote
Not sure if this is where ANN got it from, but here is something a bit longer for anyone interested.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15604
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:06 pm Reply with quote
What's the definition of insanity again? Rolling Eyes
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Dargonxtc



Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 4463
Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 6:39 pm Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
What's the definition of insanity again? Rolling Eyes

Yeah I know right, I guess the only good thing is if it does work out better this time around is that more anime will be out on shelves for the masses. IF

But really most people who buy anime already got there sources pretty scoped out. I guess trying anyway they can to get new people hooked. Which is of course good business, but it also might be bad business to trust the same people again. So I would say your definition of insainity theory holds true here.
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jsevakis
Former ANN Editor in Chief


Joined: 28 Jul 2003
Posts: 1685
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:46 pm Reply with quote
Dargonxtc wrote:
I guess trying anyway they can to get new people hooked. Which is of course good business, but it also might be bad business to trust the same people again. So I would say your definition of insainity theory holds true here.


It's insane, but regretably, that's how the video business works. Mind you, this isn't the same company as Musicland was, this is a completely different company (with a completely different past of paying their bills) that bought out the individual store locations when Musicland went under.

Suncoast and Sam Goody together counted for a good 1/3 of anime being sold in this country. Avoiding it because you MIGHT lose money means that a good percentage of an already niche market never even knows your product exists. Even if you don't get paid, losing that shelf space is shooting yourself in the foot before you even start selling.

Of course, we could go back to the 1992-era mail order-only days, but somehow I doubt any companies could convince anime fans to pay $39.99 for a 2-episode DVD anymore.


Last edited by jsevakis on Tue May 23, 2006 11:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
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LordRobin



Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 354
Location: Akron, OH
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 10:44 pm Reply with quote
So Suncoast is now owned by the folks who own FYE, huh? Here in Akron, OH, the local mall (a busy, healthy one) lost both its Suncoast and its FYE. So I can't say I'm too impressed with the new synergy.

Actually, now that I think of it, that leaves the mall with no video store and no music store. But the reason is pretty obvious -- it would be the Best Buy just up the road. (And I guess the Wal-Mart, too.)

------RM
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cyrax777



Joined: 05 Mar 2003
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Location: the desert
PostPosted: Tue May 23, 2006 11:34 pm Reply with quote
LordRobin wrote:
So Suncoast is now owned by the folks who own FYE, huh? Here in Akron, OH, the local mall (a busy, healthy one) lost both its Suncoast and its FYE. So I can't say I'm too impressed with the new synergy.



thats sad it used to be even the dead mallls would have a Suncoast. Hell for the longest time Suncoast was one of a handfull of Stored in one of the mallls here untill Suncoast started cuttting back on the number of stores a couple years ago and that one went away.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 6:35 am Reply with quote
At least it shows it wasn't anime what brought them down rather bad business practice managerially at head office. If Trans World can see a profit from anime inclusion that can only mean anime will continue to be on the shelves somewhere. You're still way ahead of us in the UK there mate.
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Examinee 623



Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 29
PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:52 am Reply with quote
If there was ever a bad place to buy anime, FYE is it. Chances are if go there, you'll end up paying at least $10 - $12 more for some DVD than if you bought it at Best Buy or Wal-Mart.

DVDs aren't just it either. Look around their video game department and see how they get lazy and never reprice their older video games. You can pick up a used copy of Lupin III on PS2 for about $17.99 at an EB or Gamestop, but the same game in used condition costs $29.99 at FYE.

Summary: FYE is teh suck.
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Shwiggie



Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Posts: 66
Location: MS
PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 11:09 am Reply with quote
I used to go to Suncoast a lot, until I started buying online. But even then I'd go there and see what looked interesting to me, and I'd still buy stuff there despite the higher prices. The sales people knew me and what I liked, and it was a nice experience. In comparison, FYE is more like a warehouse media store.

There is no longer a Suncoast in my area, but the FYE remains. And if the anime stock improves, I'll stop by there more often. But it won't be the same. I guess I'll continue my 2006 trend of buying more comics and manga than DVDs.
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furuba lover



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 2
Location: San Diego, CA
PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 11:47 am Reply with quote
In my opinion, I don't like buying anime at mall stores like Suncoast because they make it so expensive to buy ($29.99 is too much for a 4 episode dvd...for example) that you might as well go to Best Buy or Walmart to see if they have it at $19.99 and lower. Or better yet, search online for better deals.... I think I have it lucky though. Since I work at a comic book shop, I could buy the dvds at a much cheaper rate.
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jgreen



Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 1325
Location: St. Louis, MO
PostPosted: Wed May 24, 2006 3:37 pm Reply with quote
Yeah, FYE isn't going anywhere. Their parent company, Trans World, is owner of FYE, Saturday Matinee, Strawberries, Coconuts, Streetside Records, Wherehouse Music, and probably more, and has gobbled up Camelot Music, Tape World, CD World, Record Town, Musicland, Sam Goody, Suncoast, etc. etc. Their prices tend to be pretty crappy (usually MSRP and not a penny under), but they have TONS of sales (items are sometimes just as cheap as Best Buy the week of release but go up dramatically soon after) and they like to do mail-in rebates which, if you cash them in correctly, make it even cheaper.

I was working at Streetside Records when it was gobbled up by Trans World, and the transition wasn't all that fun, but the company has been carrying anime since well before it became popular, so they at least get points for that.
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tekwych



Joined: 18 Mar 2005
Posts: 75
Location: New Mexico
PostPosted: Mon May 29, 2006 1:40 pm Reply with quote
A Trans World exec told me that Suncoast's DVD sales program and the Replay customer rewards program were two of the main reasons for the purchase. Expect to see FYE become more like Suncoast than the other way around.

That said The regional rep has told me that all ADV advance orders and special orders are canceled. It appears that ADV and Trans World were not able to come to an agreement. Hopefully they will learn to play nice together soon. B&M retail needs a strong Anime presence in malls almost as much as Anime needs to be seen on retail shelves.
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Shorty22



Joined: 09 Aug 2003
Posts: 504
PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 3:37 am Reply with quote
jgreen wrote:
Yeah, FYE isn't going anywhere. Their parent company, Trans World, is owner of FYE, has gobbled up Camelot Music, etc.


Hey, that's what happened here. Our Camelot Music store in the mall was turned into a FYE a few years ago. I didn't realize they had been bought out, since the store looks exactly the same to me, I'd just thought they had changed their name. I didn't go there before and I still don't. Their anime selection is practically nonexistant in my store.

I miss my Suncoast. It closed this past September with the rest of the mall due to weather/circumstances and then didn't open back up when the rest of the mall did. Their stuff eventually disappeared. The calendar depot that pops up around December/January used the area as a mini warehouse and now there's a sports jersey/hat store there. It looks SO weird seeing it like that, because they didn't change anything. I got manga and sale priced DVDs from them, but mainly I kept picking up their anime merchandise when I found something interesting to me. Ah well. I've moved almost solely online now for purchases.
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Umbra_JigokuOni



Joined: 28 Feb 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Jigoku
PostPosted: Tue May 30, 2006 6:31 am Reply with quote
What suprised me was that both the Suncoast stores stayed open in my area. It's not really a heavily populated area and there are even Best Buy and Wal-mart stores right up the road from the malls they're in. I worked at one of the Suncoasts and though we were pretty busy at the end of the week and on weekends, the beginning of the week was almost completely dead.

The Trans World aquisition of Musicland doesn't effect me much though, since, like shorty22 I've been doing most of my shopping online. I'd rather pay a few extra bucks on shipping than fill my tank up to go to the store anyway.
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