After Bromo, the chain was acquired by Disney. Not Mickey Mouse, but Shamrock Holdings, the investment firm run by nephew Roy Junior and his Brain Trust. Confident suits who assumed music retail would be easier to boss than the cartoon animators and amusement ride specialists from magic kingdom.
Gestapo of the Brain Trust was Gull. Even a rumor that he was within a hundred miles of the store launched a hurricane of dusting, general housekeeping convulsions, and mopping. Charles flipped into tizzy land. Gestapo Brain never appeared to actually "do" anything. Making subordinates afraid was probably enough.
Overblown concerns that the Brainiacs would command us to don dish sized mouse ears never materialized. There were, however, strange orders for immediate changes from time to time from the Mansion.
Best known was the cassette shift.
Cassettes could no longer be placed horizontally. Vertical was the new look. Easier to tell what potential clients were regarding if they had to twist their heads sideways. That was my guess. No actual reason was ever given, but one does not question the gods. Besides, they were the Brain Trust.
The chain was simply an afterthought.
These geniuses held the chain three years, maybe more, maybe less. Accomplished nothing on our level. Maybe we were simply a cash cow for those handsome salaries. Did they improve the chain, increase market share, make an impact in the music industry? No. They did jack. Until they sold off the chain, and then they did something horrible.
They sold the entire wad, from stores to DCs to offices, to another group that knew jack -- absolutely nothing -- about music.
Blockbuster Video.
Then the Brain Trust had one less distraction, for the Magic Kingdom was in trouble.
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