After her keynote address at the Digital Downtown convention last week, J&R co-CEO Rachelle Friedman sat down and did an interview with Dealerscope.com. Find out what she has to say about everything from the importance of Lower Manhattan to what products are top sellers.

Observers continue to lament the decline of the record store. Especially in New York City, the landscape seems a little barren without record retailers in every neighborhood. We suspect it is the same all over America, except for the obligatory chain retailer in the local mall.

A recent blog column by Winchester on TheImproper.com mentions this trend: “I remember when the Coliseum occupied the space where the Time Warner city sits now. With Virgin gone, Tower a memory, Coconuts, FYE and HMV out too, there just remains the terrific J&R down on Park Row, Bleecker Bob’s, House Of Oldies, the Golden Disc, and, Disc O’ Rama.”

We are quite proud of our sizeable music store at 23 Park Row and we are thriving. We still carry LPs and we stock loads of CDs. People still browse to their heart’s content, and notables show up regularly to look over the broad selection (former Mayor Giuliani was a regular in our Opera section). J&R also offers frequent in-store live performances, highlighted by our consistently high-quality broadcast on WBGO-FM once a month. Check out upcoming live events here. We also sponsor the yearly SummerFest and JazzFest free concerts in City Hall Park (look for JazzFest in late August).

So, drop by the J&R music outlet at 23 Park Row in downtown NYC. There are two floors of CDs and one floor of DVDs for you to look over. And, if you can’t make it to our store on Park Row, check out the music section of JR.com. There’s something for every musical taste.

Rachelle Friedman’s Keynote at Downtown Digital

Digital Downtown is a harbinger of all things tech. Held in the lovely Winter Garden lobby at the World Financial Center, tech industry leaders such as Toshiba, LG, Hitachi, Sharp and Pioneer just to name a few were there to show off their wares and what they had in stock for the future.

Digital Downtown was brought to us by North American publishing, Martin Porter and Associates and The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The CEA is perhaps best known for being the organizer of the highly regarded, International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) annually in Las Vegas.

Kicking off the festivities was J&R co-founder and CEO, Rachelle Friedman who delivered a touching keynote speech. She talked about how J&R was able to persevere and bounce back after the horrific terrorist attacks on 9-11. The luminous presence of J&R in downtown Manhattan can make people forget that it was once just a 300 sq ft storefront that sold Vinyl LP’s. J&R has grown tremendously over the years, and while the storefront has ballooned to 300,000 sq ft, the enjoyable shopping experience has remained the same. At its heart, J&R is still and will always be a Mom and Pop shop that delivers a one-stop shopping hub for consumer electronics with customer service and support that is second to none.

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Sunday, May 25th was J&R Day at Yankee Stadium. J&R commemorative umbrellas, with a colorful image of the soon-to-be-departed Yankee Stadium on it, were given out to lucky fans that attended the game.

Before the game, J&R co-CEOs Joe and Rachelle Friedman (pictured above with Yankees’ pitcher Jose Veras) were on hand to kick off the day.

ARLINGTON, VA — J&R Music & Computer World has announced that it will be co-promoting its acclaimed, annual SummerFest & Tech Expo music series this year alongside the launch of Digital Downtown, New York’s Consumer Technology Showcase, which is being organized in association with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, producer of the International CES®. Both events are being held June 12, 13, 14, 2008 within blocks of each other in New York’s Financial District

In addition, Rachelle Friedman, President and Founder of J&R, has been named the welcoming keynote speaker at the CEA Mid-Year Briefing Conference, being held at the American Express Conference Center in the World Financial Center, June 12, 2008

“For 37 years J&R has been a leading proponent of Lower Manhattan and our block-long retail presence has defined consumer technology for members of the financial community,” Friedman says. “We welcome Digital Downtown and CEA to our neighborhood and look forward to working together to build awareness among downtown workers, residents and tourists about the latest consumer technologies.”

Read the rest of the press release here.

On Sunday, May 25th, J&R Music & Computer World celebrates the final year of the legendary Yankees Stadium. The first 18,000 fans, age 21 and over, who attend that game, will receive a FREE J&R Umbrella, which features a commemorative photo tribute to Yankees Stadium. This is sure to be a collector’s item so get your tickets now!

Frank Sinatra Jr and J&R CEO Rachelle Friedman

Frank Sinatra Jr stopped by J&R Express at Macy’s Herald Square on Tuesday, May 13th to promote the new greatest hits set of his father’s music. Sinatra cordially chatted with fans and signed copies of “Nothing But The Best“.

You can see photos from the signing at our Flickr account.

In case you missed it the first time it aired back in early January, the “What’s Age Got to Do with It?” episode of Dr. Phil will be reairing on June 25th. The episode featured tips on how to look younger, feel better and get healthy. And what better way to do all that than with the help of the latest gadgets?

Featured on the show were the 4GB Silver iPod Nano, a Belkin Neoprene Armband for 3G iPod Nano and a Belkin iPod FM Tunebase II, all provided courtesy of J&R.

So just how will these products help you get in shape? Well, you’ll have to tune into Dr. Phil to see!

Check your local listings for the time and station.

If you live in New York City, chances are you’ve been to J&R at least a few times in your life. The stores, encompassing a full block across the street from City Hall, are retail landmarks. And the red and white logo, in use since the the first store opened in 1971, is iconic to New Yorkers. Over the years the J&R logo has popped up everywhere, from Times Square billboards to ads on the subway. So imagine our surprise when an eagle eyed customer sent in this photo, snapped on a bus shelter in Bologna, Italy, of all places! It’s great to know that when people think of NYC, they also think of J&R.

If you are ever out and about and see a J&R logo in an unexpected place, snap a pic and let us know! We’d love to see what you can come up with.

J&R is a magnet for out-of-towners, especially from Europe and South America. There is so much tourist activity in downtown NYC these days that tour buses are as commonplace as taxis. J&R has become a primary destination stop, along with Century 21, South Street Seaport and, of course, Ground Zero. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re from London, England, or London, Ohio.

So, if you’re planning a visit to New York, consider these comments from some important Visitor Guides:

NYPAGES, The Guide To Essential New York called J&R Music and Computer World “the best place in town to shop for computers, electronics, and appliances.” Noting wryly that, “New Yorkers like their discounted prices.” –Page 88, 2008 ed.

Frommer’s New York City 2008 raved that J&R “is the city’s top discount computer, electronics, small appliance, and office-equipment retailer.” Frommer’s suggested that prospective shoppers “peruse the store’s copious catalog or extensive website, both of which make advanced research, and mail-order and comparison shopping, easy.” –Page 331.

Perhaps the most complimentary to J&R was a recent TV broadcast on TF1, one of the largest networks in France. The commentators rave about the prices at J&R. You can see the video here.

Gerry Frank’s 2008-2009 guide suggested that J&R is “where to shop for bargains in New York.”

J&R “still maintains the kind of small business relationships that keeps its prices among the lowest in the city”, according to The Best Things To Do In New York. –Page 263.

“Choosing the right door is the hardest part” quips Access New York City. J&R has “one of the city’s largest selections of computer equipment and electronics.” –Page 22.

J&R has “an incomparable, large selection of quality merchandise, low prices and frequent sales”, claims Living $mart New York City. –Page 202-203.

It’s often said that word of mouth is the best advertising. Judging from the throngs of tourists flocking to J&R, the word is getting around.