WOW HD

WOW HD is an online retail brand focused primarily on physical copies of prerecorded music and video. The business began operating in the United Kingdom in 2000 under the name CD WOW!, positioning itself as a lower-priced alternative to high-street retailers. Its early model depended in part on selling legitimate CDs and DVDs sourced for markets outside the United Kingdom and Europe. Because those products were often priced differently in their original markets, the retailer was able to offer some titles at prices substantially below prevailing UK retail levels. The pricing and sourcing model brought the company into conflict with the British Phonographic Industry, the UK recording-industry trade association. In 2004, the BPI took legal action against Music Trading On-Line (HK) Ltd, the then owner of CD WOW!, arguing that the sale of certain imported recordings breached restrictions under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The recordings were not alleged to be counterfeit; the dispute concerned whether products licensed for distribution in other territories could be sold in the UK and wider European markets. The resulting High Court proceedings led to an agreement restricting the sale of titles that were not licensed for Europe. In 2007, the former owners were ordered to pay £41 million in damages after the court found that the 2004 agreement had been breached. Ownership and the brand's digital storefront changed several times during the following decade. Stomp Pty. Ltd. acquired CD WOW! in September 2007. The retailer subsequently introduced redesigned websites for the UK, Ireland and United States, consolidated parts of its web presence under the cdwow.com domain, and expanded its international online storefront infrastructure. In 2008, the business also introduced a Netherlands-facing domain and experimented with adjacent categories such as cosmetics and fragrances through the WOW Woman website. In September 2010, ownership moved to Elan Media Partners, an Australian company that had acquired Stomp. On 20 February 2012, the CD WOW! name was changed to WOW HD. The rebrand retained the retailer's association with physical entertainment products while presenting it as a broader online shopping brand. By the middle of 2015, WOW HD was owned by DirectToU, LLC, an operator also associated with DeepDiscount.com and the All Your Music marketplace business. The store has supported several payment routes, including direct credit- or debit-card checkout, PayPal and Google Checkout. Its business has therefore combined a specialist physical-media assortment with cross-border e-commerce, multi-market websites and marketplace distribution. Publicly available reference material does not establish current headquarters, current executives, present ownership beyond the reported DirectToU ownership, or whether all historic websites and services remain active.

WOW HD traces its origins to CD WOW!, an online retailer that began operating in the United Kingdom in 2000. Its original proposition was to sell CDs and DVDs at prices lower than those commonly available from high-street retailers. The company used international sourcing to obtain legitimate recordings that had been licensed for sale in markets outside the UK and Europe. Differences in regional wholesale and retail pricing enabled the business to advertise substantial savings to British consumers. This model became the subject of a major legal dispute with the British Phonographic Industry. In 2004, the BPI, acting for members of the UK recording industry, brought proceedings in the High Court against Music Trading On-Line (HK) Ltd, the former owner of CD WOW!. The BPI argued that the retailer's sale of recordings licensed for other territories damaged UK and European markets and contravened provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The central issue was territorial authorization: the products were described as legal recordings, but the relevant licenses did not necessarily cover their resale in the UK or Europe. The 2004 proceedings resulted in an agreement under which CD WOW! was not to sell titles lacking European distribution authorization. The dispute continued when the former owners were accused of breaching that agreement. On 29 May 2007, the High Court ordered them to pay £41 million in damages to the BPI. This case was an important episode in the debate over parallel imports, territorial copyright licensing and online price competition in the British recorded-music market. Corporate ownership changed soon afterward. Stomp Pty. Ltd. acquired CD WOW! on 1 September 2007. During 2008, the retailer refreshed its online presence for the UK, Ireland and United States, moved from cd-wow.com toward cdwow.com as a principal domain, and introduced a broader front end across its web properties. A Netherlands domain was added later that year. The company also tested category diversification by selling cosmetics and perfumes through the WOW Woman site. In September 2010, ownership transferred to Elan Media Partners, an Australian company that had acquired Stomp. On 20 February 2012, the CD WOW! name was replaced by WOW HD. The new name suggested a broader entertainment and retail proposition than the original CD-focused identity, although the business continued to be associated primarily with physical music and video. By mid-2015, WOW HD was owned by DirectToU, LLC. DirectToU was also associated with DeepDiscount.com and the All Your Music seller operating through Amazon Marketplace and eBay. This ownership connected WOW HD with a wider group of discount-oriented physical-media retail and marketplace operations. The retailer has offered several payment methods, including card payment through its own checkout, PayPal and Google Checkout. Its historical operating model combined direct e-commerce storefronts, international websites and physical-product distribution. Available reference material does not provide a verified current executive roster, headquarters address, financial statements, or a definitive statement about the brand's present operating status. The supplied website is retained as the brand's historical or referenced web address rather than treated as proof of current activity.

• 2015

  DirectToU ownership reported

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  By mid-2015, WOW HD is reported to be owned by DirectToU, LLC.

• 2012

  Rebrand from CD WOW! to WOW HD

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  The business changes its name to WOW HD on 20 February.

• 2010

  Elan Media Partners takes ownership

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  Ownership moves to Elan Media Partners following its acquisition of Stomp.

• 2008

  International website redesign and category expansion

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  The retailer refreshes sites in several markets, adds a Netherlands presence and experiments with cosmetics and fragrances.

• 2007

  Stomp acquisition and damages judgment

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  Stomp Pty. Ltd. acquires CD WOW! in September; in May, the former owners are ordered to pay £41 million in damages to the BPI.

• 2004

  BPI legal action over territorial licensing

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  The British Phonographic Industry brings High Court proceedings concerning the sale of recordings licensed for markets outside the UK and Europe.

• 2000

  CD WOW! begins operating in the United Kingdom

  [1]WOW HDen.wikipedia.org

  The retailer starts trading online under the CD WOW! name, selling CDs and DVDs at prices intended to undercut high-street retailers.

A cross-border online specialist retailer offering physical music and video products, historically differentiated by low prices and international sourcing.

• Recorded music · 2000

  Physical music

  The retailer's core assortment consisted of physical recorded-music products, especially CDs. Historically, WOW HD and its predecessor used international sourcing to offer titles at competitive prices, including recordings originally licensed for particular overseas markets.

• Home entertainment · 2000

  Physical video

  DVDs and other physical video releases formed the second major part of the store's entertainment assortment. The available reference material identifies video as a principal category but does not provide a complete catalogue or confirm the current availability of particular formats.

• Beauty and personal care · 2008

  WOW Woman

  During a 2008 expansion, the business offered cosmetics and perfumes through the WOW Woman web property. This represented an attempt to extend the online retail model beyond music and video, although the available material does not establish the duration or present status of the category.

• 2012

  Rebrand from CD WOW! to WOW HDStrategy

  Background

  The retailer had developed from a CD-focused discount store into a broader online seller of physical entertainment products and other categories.

  Action taken

  On 20 February 2012, the company changed its trading name from CD WOW! to WOW HD.

  Aftermath

  The rebrand preserved the retailer's online entertainment identity while moving away from a name centered specifically on compact discs.

  Source

• 2008

  Expand the web platform and add non-entertainment categoriesStrategy

  Background

  After ownership changed to Stomp, CD WOW! sought to refresh its international online storefronts and broaden the range beyond its established physical music and video business.

  Action taken

  The company redesigned sites serving the UK, Ireland and United States, added a Netherlands-facing domain and introduced cosmetics and fragrances through WOW Woman.

  Aftermath

  The sources document the expansion but do not establish its commercial results or whether the additional categories continued.

  Source

1. 1WOW HDen.wikipedia.org