If you were old enough to buy music while CDs were the primary form of consumption, you probably strolled through the Best Buy music section at least a couple of times. As of July 1st, the CD section, which has grown increasingly smaller in recent years, no longer exists in the store.
We knew this was coming. It was first reported that Best Buy would stop sales of compact discs back in February. According to Billboard, CD sales were down 18.5% in North America last year, and Best Buy, once the most powerful music merchandiser in the U.S. was only bringing in approximately $40 million annually from CD sales. The store will continue to sell vinyl for at least the next two years, as part of an agreement they have with vendors. There will likely be an increase in turntables in the music section in the near future.
Target, another major CD destination, has yet to pull the plug on the format, but the store has been hinting at some major changes. Earlier this year it was reported that Target was looking to put its CDs on consignment, meaning they'd only have to pay labels for copies that actually sold. Target is known for including exclusive bonus tracks on select releases. Nicki Minaj's upcoming album Queen is expected to have Target bonus tracks on copies sold at the store.
RIP Best Buy's CD section. Let us know some of the CDs you remember buying in the comments below.