Ep. 90 Kevin Winnick (Tower Sidelines)

2500 DelMonte Street: The Oral History of Tower Records

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Kevin Winnick was working in Washington DC for a small chain of pop culture/entertainment-themed stores called Another Universe when he got a call from a headhunter saying a large company was looking to hire someone who could identify trends and had experience as a buyer. Though content where he was, Kevin took the interview and before long found himself dressed in a nice shirt and tie while George Scarlett sat at his desk, bare feet plopped on his desk.

From the moment Kevin joined Tower he felt like an outsider. From the get-go he was ordering and shipping products to the stores he thought were on board, but was often met with resistance.

Initially, Kevin was brought in as a “trend spotter”, but as the years passed it appeared Kevin was in charge of it, if it wasn’t audio, video, or a book. The Sidelines department eventually grew to include blank tape, accessories, electronics, candy, and soda…you name it, he ordered it for the store. And yes, those “Planet of the Apes” cookie jars.

In this week’s episode, we discuss Kevin’s somewhat tumultuous journey at Tower and hear in detail about what he was proud of and what could have gone better.