The retailer’s head of music, new media and events Jan Mehmet said the site, Urbanamplified.com, will offer European customers in the countries where it has operations about 800 albums or about 8,000 tracks.
He added that the type of music available was “quite difficult to pigeonhole. Essentially, it’s good music that doesn’t get the attention of the mainstream media”.
Urban Outfitters will increase the number of titles to 1,200 in the long term and, Mehmet said, the emphasis will be on album sales rather than individual tracks. Downloads cost£1 for a single or£8 for an album.
The retailer is also testing a download kiosk facility in its Oxford Street store that will be available in other shops next year. Urban Outfitters will launch Urbanamplified.com in the US in the first half of next year.
If the initiative is successful, other fashion retailers could follow suit, potentially adding to the woes of music retailers.
Urban Outfitters opened its 12th European store last week, in Antwerp. An outlet is set to open in Belfast in the spring. Sales at the group soared 23 per cent to US$379.3 million (£182.7 million) in the three months to October 31.
No comments yet