Digital: Online music retail entities that distribute digital music products to consumers, typically by way of digital download or license. Examples include Apple iTunes and Amazon MP3s.
Physical: Vinyls were pressed and shipped to physical brick and mortar stores or warehouses. Examples include Walmart, Target, and Barnes and Noble.
Store Strata
The store strata represents the class of retailer that a product sale was reported.
E-commerce: Online retailers with an insignificant or absent physical store presence. Examples include Amazon, Music Direct, and Single Music.
Mass Merchant: A multi-channel retail entity that sells a wide variety of products to the public. Mass Merchants provide one-stop shopping convenience for consumers by stocking a wide range of products—including physical album products—under one roof. Examples include Target and Walmart.
Independent: A physical retail entity where physical album product inventory is the main force of value to the consumer. These retailers individually control their stock, store policies, and which promotions they participate in.
Direct to Consumer: Products purchased directly from music labels without the involvement of a separate retail entity. Examples include Fame House, Bandcamp, WMG, and Music Today.
Venue: Touring or on-the-road sales occurring at traditional venue locations that host performances, like atVenu.
Non-Traditional Retail: A retail entity that focuses on other consumer categories but may sell physical album products within its product array. Examples include Dollar General, Urban Outfitters, and pharmacies.
Purchase Method
The purchase method attribute represents the way the consumer purchased the product.
Online: Amazon (amazon.com, Apple (iTunes), etc.
Storefront: Walmart, Target, Barnes and Noble, etc.