Record Bar
The Record Bar is a former U.S. retail music/entertainment store chain founded in Durham, NC. The company eventually grew from a single location to 180 stores. One of the largest music retailing chains, it was located primarily in the Southeastern United States. From 1960 until the late 1980s the owners of Record Bar were the Bergman family of Durham, NC. In the mid-to-late 1980s Record Bar began opening large new stores and remodeled Record Bar stores under the Tracks name, to better reflect the changes taking place in retail music merchandising (e.g.- large freestanding "super" stores like Peaches and Tower).
In October 1989 the company was sold to Super Club N.V., a Brussels, Belgium video distribution company, by Barrie and his partners for $92 million. At that time the Record Bar operated 167 stores in the southeastern United States and middle Atlantic states. In the early 1990s Super Club sold Record Bar, Turtle's Records & Tapes and its other U.S. music and video rental acquisitions to Blockbuster Video. Blockbuster converted its music retail outlets to Blockbuster Music stores, ending the Record Bar chain. As of 2007, no entity using the Record Bar name had a previous affiliation with the Durham NC based chain.
After selling Record Bar, Barrie Bergman and John Hansen purchased Bare Escentuals which was bankrupt. This four store skin care company was consolidated into two stores. Mineral makeup became the focus instead of body lotions. Featured on QVC and twenty-four stores later, Bare Escentuals was rescued from economic ruin and recapitalized for over $200 million 14 years later.
The following is a chronological history of the company.
On September 24, Harry and Bertha Bergman purchase the Record Bar, a single 800 sq ft (74 m2). store in Durham, NC. Gross sales for the first year total $125,000.
The Bergmans enlarge the Durham store to 3,300 sq ft (310 m2). to accommodate the growing selection of records.
On August 11, Barrie Bergman marries Arlene Macklin of Chapel Hill, NC and together they open Record Bar's second location, on Henderson St. in downtown Chapel Hill.
The Beatles release their first American LP, Meet the Beatles. Barrie comments: "It didn't just change our business-it changed the world."
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