The decline of the record shop.
Discussion
Just heard that the last independent record store in Bury, near me, "Vibes" is closing down after nearly forty years....thirty years ago,... on a Saturday afternoon this shop used to be literally packed out with record buyers...the owner lived well, (New Porsche Turbo every year or so, lived in a lovely house etc.)...
Sign of the times.....
Interesting piece here:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12164531
A big HMV opened last year, but even that is now threatened with closure.
Sign of the times.....
Interesting piece here:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12164531
A big HMV opened last year, but even that is now threatened with closure.
- Mods, can you kindly leave this in the lounge for discussion and not move to music....Thanks*
Wacky Racer said:
Just heard that the last independent record store in Bury, near me, "Vibes" is closing down after nearly forty years....thirty years ago,... on a Saturday afternoon this shop used to be literally packed out with record buyers...
When did you last buy something from there?People always seem to mourn the passing of record shops, but very few of these people have actually kept spending money in them, so it isn't surprising.
Nostalgia means people don't want them to close, but nostalgia doesn't pay their bills.
- I say this as a smug guy who still buys records!
Nostalgia means people don't want them to close, but nostalgia doesn't pay their bills.
- I say this as a smug guy who still buys records!
http://vimeo.com/1546186 you might like watching this or not like!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record-Rama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record-Rama
A lot of discussion along these lines on last week's HMV thread. Local independent record shops need to offer something over and above the internet suppliers to keep customers loyal. This is why I think HMV are dead/dying - they are too generic and don't offer anything over the internet.
If a local store can offer a great shopping experience, good staff knowledge, and a personal service then they have a chance. Of course, there needs to be a core number of potential customers locally too.
If a local store can offer a great shopping experience, good staff knowledge, and a personal service then they have a chance. Of course, there needs to be a core number of potential customers locally too.
When I was younger I really wanted to own my own CD/record shop. But I wouldn't dare open my own shop now not unless I had a seriously different style of shop that the big corporate places wouldn't be able to contend with or want to contend with.
Our local one also closed a while ago =[ damn shame, used to catch the bus into town most weekends to spend my hard earned pocket money on CD's.
Our local one also closed a while ago =[ damn shame, used to catch the bus into town most weekends to spend my hard earned pocket money on CD's.
Mr E said:
Wacky Racer said:
Just heard that the last independent record store in Bury, near me, "Vibes" is closing down after nearly forty years....thirty years ago,... on a Saturday afternoon this shop used to be literally packed out with record buyers...
When did you last buy something from there?
I can't believe this! I absolutely love shopping in Vibes, it always had/or could get the obscure things you wanted but for a long time its been clear the stock has been dropping more and more, and there just isn't anybody in there. Its a real shame but sadly its a fact of modern life that people would now rather buy (or steal) all their music off the internet.
I do like browsing HMV but I rarely buy anything there as I know that I'm overpaying compared to places like Amazon. I suspect I'm not the only one.
Haven't set foot in an independent record shop for many years, partly because there's hardly any left and partly because I no longer buy vinyl (which would be the only reason for going to one).
Haven't set foot in an independent record shop for many years, partly because there's hardly any left and partly because I no longer buy vinyl (which would be the only reason for going to one).
ewenm said:
A lot of discussion along these lines on last week's HMV thread. Local independent record shops need to offer something over and above the internet suppliers to keep customers loyal. This is why I think HMV are dead/dying - they are too generic and don't offer anything over the internet.
If a local store can offer a great shopping experience, good staff knowledge, and a personal service then they have a chance. Of course, there needs to be a core number of potential customers locally too.
I don't think even that would be enough. Not only is shopping easier thesedays (and generally cheaper online), so is 'finding out about stuff'. People can hear about a band - new or long-standing - and click into MySpace or Amazon for excerpts or even whole tracks to corroborate the recommendation of a friend or the music media.If a local store can offer a great shopping experience, good staff knowledge, and a personal service then they have a chance. Of course, there needs to be a core number of potential customers locally too.
alolympic said:
People always seem to mourn the passing of record shops, but very few of these people have actually kept spending money in them, so it isn't surprising.
Nostalgia means people don't want them to close, but nostalgia doesn't pay their bills.
- I say this as a smug guy who still buys records!
Same here. Nostalgia means people don't want them to close, but nostalgia doesn't pay their bills.
- I say this as a smug guy who still buys records!
But are we talking record shops, or CD shops? Decent record shops, where you can buy LPs and singles, are pretty hard to find these days. Personally, I have to use eBay or Tradera (in Sweden) to find the rarest stuff I want to buy, or else wait until the big record fairs (the small ones vary in quality...). It's a shame, but demand for vinyl is relatively low.
Edited by SGirl on Wednesday 12th January 12:12
SGirl said:
soad said:
Who buys records (vinyl) or even CD's these days?!
Not many. Sure, some do but it's on the decline.
With younger peeps it's all about digital downloads.
I still do buy CD's now and again though
Instant gratification over sound quality. Sad. Not many. Sure, some do but it's on the decline.
With younger peeps it's all about digital downloads.
I still do buy CD's now and again though
It's a generation thing, younger people who have only ever known MP3s and digital downloads are less likely to ever step foot in an independent record shop. This group also happen to make up the largest demographic of the record buying public, so it's no wonder shops are closing.
Hell online I can choose my favourite tracks and get recommendations based on them, and they are generally reasonably accurate in choosing stuff I already own but hadn't flagged in their systems, this applies to Amazon recommendations & iTunes Genius which I use reasonably regularly.
It is sad that proper record shops/music outlets are becoming few and far between but you can't deny that this has come as a suprise, even my step mum has figured out I-Tunes and she is largely hopeless with anything like phones/laptops etc. What i miss most is proper music shops with nothing other than CDs/records including second hand ones. There was a shop near my home (Kanes records, Stoud) that used to operate on 2 floors one of which was purely second hand CDs - there were thousands all carfully indexed and organised by genre, now 10 years later the shop operates on 1 floor and has at most 300 Cds on sale new an used.
The likes of HMV have been trying their best to diversify there offerings somewhat but this annoys me, if my local HMV had more Cds id buy more from them but the number of cds in store is dropping rapidly and are being replaced with acres of T-s
ts, dozens of copies of the same DVDs, computer games and accessories (there is a GAME shop 2 doors up as well) and a million Apple accessories.
I find the best places for CDs these days are CEX and charity shops - in fact charity shops can often yield some very well priced CDs!
The likes of HMV have been trying their best to diversify there offerings somewhat but this annoys me, if my local HMV had more Cds id buy more from them but the number of cds in store is dropping rapidly and are being replaced with acres of T-s
ts, dozens of copies of the same DVDs, computer games and accessories (there is a GAME shop 2 doors up as well) and a million Apple accessories.I find the best places for CDs these days are CEX and charity shops - in fact charity shops can often yield some very well priced CDs!
I thought that HMV might do ok, given that they were the last music retailer on the high street, following the loss of Zavvi/virgin, Borders and others. But recent news isn't good, and if you go in any of the stores it is all T Shirts, discount books, and MP3 players (do they manage to sell many of those?) with CDs relegated to basements or small sections in the corner.
I used to love browsing the record shops, new and second hand. Berwick Street in London was a favourite. I bought hundreds of CDs, and with the movement to MP3 I staunchly kept buying CDs, unwilling to end my collection and preferring the physical product. Nowadays I don't care and purchase more albums on MP3 than I do on CD. The CDs I do buy go straight onto the computer, ipod etc and the actual CDs don't ever get listened to! I suspect many others are the same, so the CD is essentially dead. They seem to be massively discounted just to shift them. A few years ago you'd be shocked to see recent release CDs at £3-5, but it is now common.
So music shops have the problem of a declining physical media AND massive erosion of that declining market to online retailers. HMV are screwed because DVDs and games will go the same way eventually.
I used to love browsing the record shops, new and second hand. Berwick Street in London was a favourite. I bought hundreds of CDs, and with the movement to MP3 I staunchly kept buying CDs, unwilling to end my collection and preferring the physical product. Nowadays I don't care and purchase more albums on MP3 than I do on CD. The CDs I do buy go straight onto the computer, ipod etc and the actual CDs don't ever get listened to! I suspect many others are the same, so the CD is essentially dead. They seem to be massively discounted just to shift them. A few years ago you'd be shocked to see recent release CDs at £3-5, but it is now common.
So music shops have the problem of a declining physical media AND massive erosion of that declining market to online retailers. HMV are screwed because DVDs and games will go the same way eventually.
I spent three years working part-time in a small independant record shop when I was a student.
I have to say that it was the most fun I have had whilst working, and met really interesting people.
Rather than simply be a checkout op like you get at HMV et al, it was a place where the local DJs used to come, have a listen to the new releases, and take on board any recommendations from the staff (we got to know particluar DJ's genres and tastes)
I also remember certain releases shifting by the bucketload!
Bear in mind that back then only the record sleeves were on display - customer brough the sleeve to the counter, and we gave out either an album from stock, and returned the sleeve to the display, or we found the actual record that went in that sleeve... much different to today!
I remember when Frankie Goes to Hollywood released "Welcome to the Pleasuredomw" we started the Saturday with a pile behind the counter perhaps 200 copies high - and had to get more brought from the backroom store by lunchtime
The chap who owned the store with his brother used to tell everyone that when The Beatles released "Love Me Do" - they shifted a week's worth of stock every day for around two weeks before it began to tail off.
That shop closed down in the 90s due to health and safety problems with the building, and the fact that the owner opened several other stores in nearby towns and overstretched himself (I think!)
Anyone from Derby who remembers "Siren Records" or "Oasis Records" will know the shop I am talking about!
I have to say that it was the most fun I have had whilst working, and met really interesting people.
Rather than simply be a checkout op like you get at HMV et al, it was a place where the local DJs used to come, have a listen to the new releases, and take on board any recommendations from the staff (we got to know particluar DJ's genres and tastes)
I also remember certain releases shifting by the bucketload!
Bear in mind that back then only the record sleeves were on display - customer brough the sleeve to the counter, and we gave out either an album from stock, and returned the sleeve to the display, or we found the actual record that went in that sleeve... much different to today!
I remember when Frankie Goes to Hollywood released "Welcome to the Pleasuredomw" we started the Saturday with a pile behind the counter perhaps 200 copies high - and had to get more brought from the backroom store by lunchtime
The chap who owned the store with his brother used to tell everyone that when The Beatles released "Love Me Do" - they shifted a week's worth of stock every day for around two weeks before it began to tail off.
That shop closed down in the 90s due to health and safety problems with the building, and the fact that the owner opened several other stores in nearby towns and overstretched himself (I think!)
Anyone from Derby who remembers "Siren Records" or "Oasis Records" will know the shop I am talking about!
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