| Founded | 1956 in Massillon, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Fate | Merger to Trans World Entertainment |
Camelot Music was a mall-based American retailer of prerecorded music and accessories and was one of the largest music retailers in the United States based on store count.[1] Camelot specialized in the sales of prerecorded music, especially vinyl LP, 45-rpm records, cassette tapes, CDs, and video/music accessories.
As of May 31, 1998, the company operated 455 stores in 37 states nationwide under two brand names: Camelot Music and The Wall. Camelot Music consisted of 305 stores with the majority being based in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States, while The Wall had 150 stores located primarily in the Mid Atlantic and Northeast regions of the country. Industrial experts' assessment ranked the company as the third largest amongst specialty retailer store of recorded music.[1]
In late 1998, the Camelot Music group was acquired by Trans World Entertainment,[2][3][4] which later consolidated all of its mall-based music stores under the brand name FYE, including the remaining Camelot and The Wall locations.
In January 2020, Ancaster, ON-based Sunrise Records announced and subsequently finalized their purchase of the 206 store FYE music retailer from Trans World Entertainment for $10 million. Doug Putman, [5]the owner and CEO of the Canadian company stated he plans to continue the FYE name for the present US stores. Putman recently purchased the 100 store HMV entertainment group and plans to open the Sunrise Records branded chain in all 70 Canadian leases now under the HMV banner. Camelot Music stores will continue to be named FYE.