Tower Records employee
slang for
merchandise on the sales floor that is stored beneath the shelves for easy access. Most record stores have understock space under the notion that if it isn't on the floor, there's no way a customer can find it. The backrooms of record stores are usually cramped places without boxes and boxes of saleable items, anyway.
If you're considering working for a record store, toss out any romantic notions instilled by Empire Records: unless you're working for a small, specialized store, most of your labor hours will be spent sorting through stock in a vain attempt to move merchandise as quickly and painfully as possible while keeping the store organized. It's a fruitless and thankless task, and in chain stores that have to keep up respectable appearances, you won't even be listening to really good music while you work.
All hope is not lost, though. Chain stores (like Tower) typically have high turnover rates and eventually a position will open up wherein you can slowly poison the record buying public with finer tunes, the likes of which they're probably not prepared for.