LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - The avalanche of upcoming
releases from stars like Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Janet Jackson could make for one of the biggest fourth quarters in
quite some time. But is it an embarrassment of poorly
strategized riches, as some retailers claim?
At first glance, it sounds like a great problem to have. Album sales are down 5.5% from last year and dropping, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and a bigger-than-usual fourth quarter could offset some of those losses.
From September through the end of the year, albums expected to join the platinum parade are due from Clay Aiken, Alan Jackson, Ludacris, Beck, Evanescence, Jet, My Chemical Romance, Keith Urban and the Killers.
There will also be plenty of big releases for the older demos from the likes of Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Sting, the Who, Meat Loaf and Bob Seger.
Most merchants, however, feel the release schedule is so strong that some titles may get lost in the shuffle; for years now, retail executives have lamented that the majors wait until the fourth quarter to release their big projects.
"The release schedule is great, but where are we going to
put it all?" asks Ron Lund, senior VP of product management and
logistics at Handleman Co. "With all the competition from other
forms of entertainment, I don't want any records to get left
behind, but people only have so much money."
