
What It Takes for an Independent Record Store to Survive Now - pmcpinto
http://pitchfork.com/features/article/9927-what-it-takes-for-an-independent-record-store-to-survive-now/
======
noobermin
So, I pass by Used Kids and the "High Street" they mention everyday. A little
bit of back story that was hinted at here. Essentially, High Street borders
Ohio State, and developers are looking to cash in and build more apartments
for the growing university. Recently, about four or so blocks the near
southern corner called "the Gateway" was demolished...along with a number of
lower income houses...in order to build large apartments specifically geared
towards students. I was assuming the end of Used Kids (and all the shops along
that block) is related to this development. I am not sure if they have the
same owners, but after seeing Used Kids and the other record shop (which often
played music on the street...added a nice flair) I assumed this is what was
happening when it was sectioned off by concrete dividers.

Minwage and rent and demand ain't the only issue, it's developers feeding a
growing university which is eating that neighborhood alive. My paycheck comes
from that university and I am for OSU's advancement, but I can't deny the
reality of what is happening.

~~~
justin66
In case anyone's curious about the "public-private partnership" that's been
working on these renovations for the last couple of decades:
[http://campuspartners.osu.edu/who-we-are/](http://campuspartners.osu.edu/who-
we-are/)

Plenty that's been razed really deserved to be destroyed, but the way the good
and the bad is all being replaced by the generic is pretty depressing.

------
icantdrive55
I worked at a Rainbow Records in the 90's, after graduating with a useless BA
degree in Business, and recovering from a nervous breakdown. Rainbow records
was not nearly as big as Tower Records, but big for the Bay Area.

I saw the writing on the wall. This was slightly before Napster, and
downloading. Cd's were a big deal. The business just seemed destined to close.

I look back, and it was one of my better jobs. It only paid minimum wage, but
the people, and friendships I cultivated were priceless. There was one
employee who gave me a bad time, but I still liked her. She would berate me,
in a joking manner, but I honestly didn't care. I missed her on her days off.
She used to remember holidays, and buy employees gift baskets/little gifts. I
was always the last person she would give a gift to, and it was always the
same verbs banter. Me, "Now I know you don't want to give me this? Her, "Well,
I couldn't just leave you out?". She would walk away, with that punk rock
hair, look back at me, and say, "Stop looking at my ass." Me, "Sorry, but you
just have good genes--meaning I like your denim--Levis? She would laugh, and
think about a come back. I really hope she's happy now-

I look back, and don't know what could have saved that store. I couldn't
imagine opening any store these days, especially around here.

(I do like the idea of a nonprofit business model for used record stores, and
book stores. I think there's a few nostalgic guys who might donate a store to
the right group of people? I would--if I was a landlord.)

------
greggman
I went to Ameoba in LA 2 years ago. It had been a awhile since I was in a
record store.

It seemed sooooo dated. No way to listen to the CDs to see if I want one. No
way to check reviews like if I wanted to see which of 5 albums I should
consider. Plus I don't even own a CD player at the moment. My laptop doesn't
have one so I'd have to ask someone to rip it.

I used to love records stores and some of my favorite music is stuff I
discovered at the store but it feels like snail mail to email at this point.
Sure album covers and liner notes are awesome but I've been online since 2003
with Rhapsody and other stuff since and just being able to play any album and
then look at the influences lists and follow those totally killed doing it at
the store for me.

In Japan there are a couple of CD stores where all the CDs are open and there
are 20-30 CD players for you to listen to them in. It's fun as nostalgia but
even then it's not as convenient as online.

It all feels like from another era like a livery or something.

~~~
toyg
Any brick&mortar in the age of the internet cannot compete on convenience,
that's inevitable; but they can compete on atmosphere, community and
discovery.

Bookshops have much in common with record stores, and have disappeared at a
similar rate under pressure from Amazon and ebooks. The few survivors don't
fight on convenience: they stock very limited catalogue, but attract patrons
with events, community-building, specialist focus and so on. In some cases,
what was a bookshop with a cafe attached is now a cafe with a bookshop
attached. It can work, if you concentrate on the differentiators only an
offline experience can give you.

~~~
cr1895
Sometimes records aren't as fungible as books, i.e., a particular record is
going to have a certain rarity, condition, and (obviously) location, whereas a
book is a book and it doesn't really matter which specific copy of that book
it is. In this case a brick and mortar record store can sell online (such as
is often done through discogs) and not really compete with other online music
sales.

~~~
toyg
_> it doesn't really matter which specific copy of that book it is_

Heathen! Sacrilege! That is absolutely _not true_ \-- books have (or rather
suffer, in most cases) revisions, cuts, changes, translations... Even
something as direct as Stephen King's work can change significantly from
edition to edition. And of course, books suffer the ravages of elements as
much as records, which can reduce the enjoyment of illustrations, typography,
notes and so on.

Really, they are the same thing. The difference is that the experience of
reading a book through digital media has only recently caught up with analog
(and barely) thanks to eInk, whereas music was hit earlier by MP3s. Bookshops
have just not adapted to the changing landscape as much as record shops.

~~~
cr1895
You're right; I was thinking the same after I posted. There certainly is a
parallel. I suppose I've never given thought to whichever edition of a book
I've read.

------
noonespecial
Minimum wage and rent (high in the very places we most want such stores to
exist) seem to set a lower bound on performance below which such things simply
can't exist today.

Perhaps if one operated as a non-profit or a co-op so people who loved this
stuff could realistically volunteer and keep it going?

~~~
dalke
Yes, if there were no expenses then that would change things.

However, some factors mentioned which you omitted were, paying the network of
basement pickers to find a supply, paying for new stock, and government
subsidized street parking. Those also affect the lower bound.

You also left out paying for employee health insurance. Perhaps if there were
single payer health care then more small companies like this could keep on
going?

I'm pretty sure that only people who love music and records work at a record
store already. You need a lot of volunteers to replace a full-time staff
position. A lot of volunteers means more management overhead and more time
spent on consensus building.

------
techsupporter
Meanwhile, there are two record stores almost directly across the street from
each other in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle (and two more in the U
District, as I recall). After reading this article--actually, I finished
reading this article on the bus towards Ballard--I went over to visit them
both. Happily, both had quite a few people inside and almost everyone bought
at least one record.

According to The Stranger, one of those stores, Sonic Boom Records, recently
sold to a longtime customer[0] and "is on solid ground having year over year
record breaking sales figures at [their] Ballard location." Hopefully they
continue. (Though I did take a quick glance at property records and neither
store is in owned space.)

0 - [http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2016/07/11/24331367/sonic-
bo...](http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2016/07/11/24331367/sonic-boom-records-
changes-ownership-will-remain-open)

~~~
doublerebel
Sure, but other Sonic Boom locations are long closed, and we lost the
excellent Platinum Records too. Even our timewarp land of DJs and hipsters is
in no way immune to the record store downturn.

------
daodedickinson
A minimum wage hike just killed the main one near UC Berkeley.

------
hughperkins
on a related note, i went into a brick and mortar shop to buy earphones the
other day. turns out they wont let you try them, for various reasons. in the
end, i looked on the internet for reviews, and bought some headphones on
amazon instead, and they are perfect, awesome. so, the brick and mortar
electronic equipment store adds what value?

~~~
reustle
To be fair, that is kind of a jerk move. They can't resell them as new, and I
guess they have to either now sell them as used, or return them to the
manufacturer somehow? If you want to try something on and they won't let you,
but want to support them, go to Best Buy / Bic Camera or whatever you have
locally.

~~~
sanderjd
This is basically the crux of this issue. If businesses want to be businesses
instead of charities, their business model has to create some sort of win-win
where they provide value that people are willing to pay money for above the
cost of providing that value. Your parent comment gave an example of that not
happening. One potential place the brick-and-mortar could have provided value
is in the realm of trying something for yourself before buying - not having
that capability seems to be the only major weakness of internet retail - but
apparently that wasn't part of their business model. Now if businesses want to
rely more on their patrons _support_ to counterbalance a weak business model,
they are free to do so, but it changes lots of calculations. It seems far more
likely to work for independent record stores, which have opportunities to
build a closer relationship with their customers, than for places like Best
Buy.

~~~
germinalphrase
Additionally - curation. I do to specialty shops because I want to have a
conversation with a knowledgable salesperson about what I intend to do and
what will best serve that need. Sure, many products don't need this level of
personal interaction (for example, the headphone example) - but if I were, for
instance, starting up an interest in white water kayaking then I would
certainly want someone to talk through my goals, gear, etc.

~~~
cr1895
>Additionally - curation. I do to specialty shops because I want to have a
conversation with a knowledgable salesperson

This is why I'm happy to pay a premium at my local record shop. I love talking
with the owner and he's always introducing me to good music. I know he prices
high but I also know that it's quality, and usually the conversation makes it
worthwhile.

------
sotojuan
Sorta off topic Other Music closed/is closing? Wow, I thought its location
(close to NYU in a fairly "hip" area of Manhattan) would keep it in business.
I remember visiting it often in my freshman year of college when I was really
into music—it was rarely empty. NYC rents may be though, but I thought they
were doing fine.

~~~
Analemma_
I assume it's the rent. If it's in the "hip area of Manhattan", as you say,
the rent is presumably astronomical. In some places rents are going up by
three-digit percentages once a long-term lease is up, so the fact that it was
doing well a few years ago sadly doesn't mean much.

