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June 30, 2009

North Country retailers see surge in Michael Jackson sales

By MICHELLE BESAW

PLATTSBURGH — Finding Michael Jackson CDs here is more difficult these days.

After the pop icon's unexpected death last week, his music has been flying out of local entertainment stores.

Target's shelves were cleared of Jackson's "Number Ones" album in just days, said George Bourey, the entertainment specialist there.

To prepare for the anticipated sales spike, corporate sent a message to each location the day Jackson was pronounced dead. Stores received extra copies of the 25th-anniversary "Thriller" album with bonus DVD to fill an end cap.

Copies remain on the shelves but have been selling, Bourey said.

Customers have even bought the artist's DVDs.

In fact, Bourey said, four DVDs of Jackson's "Number Ones" had "sat there" for a while but were gone shortly after the icon's death.

Bourey, who has been at the Plattsburgh Target since it opened last year, said he assumed this was the quickest they've sold Jackson's music.

Christos Christou, who oversees the entertainment department at Target, agrees.

"All I know is my friends have changed their ring-back tone to Michael Jackson songs."

Nancy Duniho, owner of Corner-Stone Bookshop on Margaret Street, said she's had a few customers stop in and call about Michael Jackson and Jackson Five vinyl records. But she said she was all out. Most of those customers, she said, were college age.

FYE had a quick fan response to Jackson's death.

Within hours of news reports, people came into the store and started calling, asking associates to hold any Jackson CDs there, Store Manager Michael Pearsall said.

"It was kind of a rush."

Sony Records sent out extra copies of Jackson's albums.

And even now, nearly a week after the King of Pop's death, customers are still going in asking for albums.

"Good thing is we can mix and burn CDs," Pearsall said.

The entertainment store is sold out of all Jackson CDs except "Thriller."

"Even all the used stuff is sold out," Pearsall said. "Normally, we keep (his music) in stock, but nothing compared to now."

He said customers have ranged in age from fans in their 50s to one 7-year-old girl who requested the pop star's CD.

Pearsall, who is a Jackson fan, has been an FYE employee for 20 years.

"I haven't seen an icon die who's sold this many albums right away."

E-mail Michelle Besaw at: mbesaw@pressrepublican.com

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