Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Virgin Megastore Unplugs in April
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 15, 2009
Modified Jan 15, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 15, 2009
Modified Jan 15, 2009
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photo via Digiart2001's Flickr.
In 2006 Tower Records tumbled, only to be followed by rumors in 2007 of New York's Virgin Megastores being the next to close up shop. Originally the Union Square outpost was supposed to be closing by February of 2009, but now it's confirmed that the Times Square one will actually be shutting down first...or as the NY Post put is: "come April, there'll be one less Virgin in Manhattan."
There are 250 employees who have been getting steady paychecks from the store, and one told the paper, "Management has been telling us that we were going to close for years. We've all been on edge. We're all being fired." Is it time to go all Empire Records on management, yet?
All in all, it's not a huge shocker, as music sales have been on a downward spiral for quite some time. Recently the NY Press put the store on a DeathWatch while noting that "disc sales fell nearly 20 percent, to 362.6 million, the seventh decline in eight years, according to SoundScan's report."
So what will be able to stay afloat in the 60,000-square-foot space? Forever 21, of course! But don't get too excited, The NY Times says not to expect to buy any youth-inspired discount clothing until April 2010. In the meantime, Virgin is having a "sacrificial sale" (as pictured).
Tagged
closing
retail
Times Square
Virgin Megastore
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
A city investigation discovered that when the bus arrived at its destination in Crown Heights, one student was lying in a pool of urine.
By
Jessica Gould
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 1:04 p.m. ET
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
The East River bridges were falling apart until the city implemented a long-term repair plan in the 1990s. Now, officials are forming a new program to keep them standing through the 21st century.
By
Clayton Guse
News
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
The East River bridges were falling apart until the city implemented a long-term repair plan in the 1990s. Now, officials are forming a new program to keep them standing through the 21st century.
By
Clayton Guse
Queens mother charged with murder in death of 5-year-old daughter, NYPD says
By
Ryan Kost
NYC’s whiplash weather continues into weekend with heavy winds, chilly temps, NWS says
By
Monica Melton
Early Addition: Winning an affordable housing lottery is great unless it's not
By
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .