MUMBAI: EMI Music has acquired Europe’s largest independent music merchandise distributor Loudclothing.com from Completely Independent Distribution (CID), and the company will now operate as part of EMI’s global merchandise unit.
EMI Music established its merchandise division in April, 2009, when it began working with US-based promoters Live Nation and AEG Live, acting as one of their retail distributors of their music merchandise.
EMI is now selling music merchandise such as T-shirts and accessories directly to physical and online retailers around the world including over two thousand stores in North America, over a thousand in both Europe and Latin America as well as to outlets in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Loudclothing.com and CID founder Nic Wastell will now lead EMI’s European merchandise operations as vice president merchandising – Europe, reporting to EMI Music’s senior vice president global merchandising Peter Palmer.
EMI Music Services global president and EMI Music chief operating officer for North America & Mexico Ronn Werre said, "Expanding our merchandise capability is a key part of EMI Music’s strategy of providing artists and labels with a range of services that deliver real value. Combining the great team and assets of Loudclothing.com with rights from Live Nation and AEG Live gives EMI a stellar product range and a world class, full-service retail merchandise business that delivers first rate services to consumers, retailers and our artist and business partners."
Nic Wastell said: "We’re very excited to be joining Peter Palmer and his team at EMI. They have successfully built a strong merchandise operation within a major music company, a text book case of how to develop and scale up this capability alongside other music services. With this new partnership we have created a competitive new player in this important market and have the finance and resources to grow and develop our business."
Palmer said: "Our new partners are looking for global retail reach and excellent customer relationships. Our customers want EMI to deliver new products and ideas to drive additional profitable revenue and EMI Music’s sales teams around the world are best placed to deliver this capability."
