Direction Distributors Limited

Direction Distributors Limited was a New Zealand company created in 1968 by Kerry Thomas and Guy Morris (2) as the parent for the Direction Records record store. The first store was in central Auckland, opening its doors around 1970 and it soon had half a dozen branches. In 1974 Direction launched a record label, picking up the rights to offshore labels including Casablanca, Capricorn, ECM, CTI and Virgin Records. They also launched two magazines, a surf mag (Tracks) and a music mag (Hot Licks). However, rising debt and a refusal by the major companies to supply stock (as a reaction to the label) forced Direction to cease trading in 1976, closing the stores and folding both the label and the magazines, although the company survived until 1988. Guy Morris would reappear in the Record Warehouse chain in 1979 and passed away in the 2000s. Kerry Thomas passed away in Australia around the same time.