Record Bar
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (music and entertainment) |
| Founded | 1960 in Durham, North Carolina, United States |
| Founder | Harry Bergman and Bertha Bergman |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Fate | Acquired by Super Club N.V. in 1989; later sold to Blockbuster Video and rebranded as Blockbuster Music |
| Headquarters | Durham, North Carolina , United States |
Area served | Southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States |
Key people | Barrie Bergman (owner from 1960s to late 1980s; president and CEO), Bill Golden (vice president of finance) |
| Products | Music and entertainment retail |
Number of employees | Over 1,300 (1982) (1982) |
The Record Bar was an American chain specializing in retail music and entertainment, originating in Durham, North Carolina. From its initial single store, it grew to encompass 180 locations, mainly throughout the southeastern United States. The Bergman family maintained ownership from 1960 until the late 1980s. During the mid to late 1980s, Record Bar adapted its approach by introducing large-format outlets under the Tracks name to rival the newly emerging superstores such as Peaches and Tower.
In October 1989, Barrie Bergman along with his partners sold Record Bar to Super Club N.V., a video distribution company based in Brussels, for $92 million (~$ in ). At that point, Record Bar operated 167 stores across the southeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. In the early 1990s, Super Club divested its American music and video retail holdings—including Record Bar and Turtle's Records & Tapes—to Blockbuster Video. Blockbuster subsequently rebranded these outlets as Blockbuster Music, marking the end of the Record Bar brand. By 2007, no enterprise using the Record Bar name had any connection to the original company.
After selling Record Bar, Barrie Bergman and John Hansen acquired Bare Escentuals, a skincare company that was bankrupt at the time. They consolidated four stores into two and shifted focus toward mineral-based cosmetics. Following exposure on QVC and growth to twenty-four locations, Bare Escentuals was recapitalized at a valuation exceeding $200 million within fourteen years.
1950
Harry Bergman established Musicland in Burlington, North Carolina, which became Record Bar’s second location in 1963 after it was relocated.[1]
1960s
On September 24, 1960, Harry and Bertha Bergman acquired an 800-square-foot Record Bar store in Durham.[2] By 1962, they expanded this outlet to 3,300 square feet to accommodate a wider selection of records.[1] On August 11, 1963, Barrie Bergman wed Arlene Macklin; together they opened Record Bar’s second store in Chapel Hill by moving and renaming the Burlington Musicland location.[3]
The release of Meet the Beatles—the Beatles' American debut album in 1964—had a significant influence on Record Bar’s business direction.
In August 1966, Lane Bergman married Bill Golden, who then joined the company as director of advertising and operations. By September 1967, Record Bar launched its first shopping center store at North Hills Shopping Center in Raleigh.[1] Barrie Bergman observed that this store outperformed previous locations on opening day. Both Barrie and Bill were promoted to vice presidents in 1968. At that time, Barrie had accumulated sixteen years of industry experience by age thirty. In 1969, Rich Gonzalez was hired as assistant manager of the downtown Durham store; by then Record Bar operated five stores throughout North Carolina.
1970s
In 1970, Bill Golden assumed the role of vice president of finance. On September 24 of that year, Record Bar #10 opened at Northgate Mall in Durham, marking ten years since the Bergmans took ownership of the original store. By 1972, annual revenue reached $8 million. In 1973, inventory per location rose to $60,000 while yearly sales exceeded $13 million with twenty additional stores launched. The company’s inaugural convention occurred in Atlanta in 1974 and featured artists such as Frank Zappa and Tammy Wynette. Average store gross receipts increased to $356,000 with total sales hitting $25 million.
In 1975, Barrie received the National Association of Record Merchandisers (NARM) Merchandiser of the Year award. The corporate headquarters expanded operations by launching Classical News and establishing the Connoisseur Club. The second annual convention took place in Los Angeles with attendees including Boz Scaggs and Kris Kristofferson. The Hilton Head Convention in 1976 set a holiday sales target of $5 million and introduced a promotion called "Accessory Explosion." Fleetwood Mac made an in-store appearance at Chapel Hill. In October 1977, Record Bar debuted its superstore format under the Tracks brand in Norfolk, Virginia; at this point it operated seventy-five stores generating $27 million in sales. A new prototype store design was unveiled in Charleston. Barrie was honored as "Personality of the Year" by Music Retailer magazine.
By 1978, soundtrack albums from Grease and Saturday Night Fever contributed to sales climbing to $42 million with two stores surpassing $1 million annually. The company newsletter Off the Record shifted to a monthly publication schedule. The Nashville convention featured performances by AC/DC and the Oak Ridge Boys. A new logo styled like a candy bar was introduced. In 1979, Barrie partnered with Barry Grieff to establish City Lights label based in New York City. That year Barrie became NARM's youngest president; additionally, a national supervisor position was created within the organization. The convention theme that year was "Everybody is a Star".
1980s
Early 1980s
In 1980, Record Bar celebrated the opening of its 100th outlet at Haywood Mall in Greenville, South Carolina. The company's 20th Anniversary Convention adopted the theme "Record Bar Goes Platinum," spotlighting Jackie Brown as the first recipient of the Bertha K. Bergman Award. That year, sales reached $56 million, and blank videotapes were introduced to the product assortment. Despite economic downturn challenges, Record Bar expanded by adding 34 new locations in 1981 and launched Dolphin Records, debuting with Brice Street's Rise Up In The Night. The inaugural Surf-About event took place, while Record World dedicated a special feature to Record Bar. The convention theme that year was "Record Bar Goes to Summer Camp."
By 1982, the company employed over 1,300 individuals across 140 stores. The first employee manual, titled The Inside Straight, was released, and video games became available in-store. A Five-Year Plan was announced alongside the "Summer Summit" Convention, which introduced the first Vendor Day. Holiday season sales set new records. In 1983, Ron Cruickshank was appointed president and CEO as Barrie took on the role of chairman of the board; Mr. B transitioned to chairman emeritus. The Record Bar-Licorice Pizza Manager Exchange program commenced, and Napoleon's Grocery opened its initial Charlotte location. During the Christmas season featuring Michael Jackson's Thriller, sales increased by 14% compared to the previous December.
In 1984, midAMERICA Distributors, Inc., Record Bar’s video distribution division, shipped its inaugural products. A new store design debuted at Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs (#110). Tracks Video launched its first store in Virginia Beach; a second Napoleon's Grocery location opened in Durham. The company surpassed $100 million in sales, with 17 stores each generating over $1 million annually.
1985
Record Bar expanded its footprint to 194 stores by acquiring Licorice Pizza. In September, an 84,000-square-foot distribution center was inaugurated in Durham. Bill Golden became a member of NARM’s board of directors, and the Personal Development Lab was established at company headquarters. Over $400,000 worth of advertising and promotional support was contributed to African relief initiatives.
The inaugural joint convention for Record Bar and Licorice Pizza took place in Hilton Head, South Carolina, featuring performances by Stanley Jordan and John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. A Tony Robbins seminar incorporating a firewalk attracted substantial attention, underscoring Record Bar’s commitment to employee development as a strategic business focus. This convention was subsequently cited in academic studies for its pioneering approach to workforce motivation.
A Halloween "Scratch and Win" campaign marked Record Bar’s first large-scale television advertising effort. However, operational difficulties at the new distribution center—stemming from insufficient IT infrastructure—nearly compromised critical Christmas sales, adversely affecting that year’s financial results.
Later 1980s
Ron Cruickshank stepped down as president and CEO, with Barrie Bergman resuming both positions. In 1986, Licorice Pizza was sold to the Musicland Group.
That same year saw the launch of the third Tracks Music and Video store in Hampton, Virginia, under Michael Vanderslice’s management. This location generated revenues exceeding $1.3 million—more than 50% above average store performance. Encouraged by this success, Tracks expanded by opening larger standalone stores averaging approximately 5,000 square feet that combined video rental and music retail—a significant increase compared to typical mall-based Record Bar outlets averaging around 2,200 square feet.
In 1987, Super Club N.V., a European video distributor that had also acquired Turtles Music and Video, purchased Record Bar. Operations were consolidated in Atlanta, Georgia, resulting in the closure of North Carolina offices—a strategic move aimed at enhancing market presence and optimizing global operations under new ownership.
1993
Super Club N.V. transferred ownership of Record Bar along with its acquired music retail outlets to Blockbuster Video. Subsequently, Blockbuster rebranded these locations under the Blockbuster Music name, retiring the Record Bar brand entirely.