Indie Record Shops Learning To Adapt
from the it's-a-different-world dept
Over the past few years, we've talked about ways that musicians and record labels can (and have) adapted to the changing music marketplace, but the case of brick-and-mortar music retailers is an one. The big players: Tower, Wherehouse and Virgin Music have mostly all disappeared. Music sales in big box retailers (Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc.) remain narrowly focused on top hits and don't get much shelf-space (Best Buy recently announced plans to cut music inventory by half). However, smaller, indie record shops have been learning to adapt. More than five years ago, we wrote about some indie shops recognizing that they needed to become more of a destination, rather than a "record store." And over the years, we've seen more and more and more stories of smaller record stores learning to adapt.The latest, sent in by Dave W looks at a bunch of shops in the UK that appear to have realized that they need to completely change -- including one that's really focused on being a destination for people to hang out and buy coffee... while hearing music (often live music) and then selling only special physical goods: limited edition box sets and vinyl. And, apparently for some of these shops, business is better than before. Despite the disappearance of regular CD sales, they've more than made it up selling other music-related goods. It's about recognizing that people still do want physical goods, but they view it as a souvenir, to show support for the musicians, rather than buying "the music" itself. The music, to them, is free. But that doesn't mean they won't pay for goods of value. And retailers can absolutely support that new market as well.
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Filed Under: adapting, markets, music industry, record stores
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Absolutely!
I personally believe indie record shops (in popular music towns) have a long & sustainable "shelf-life"...assuming they're willing to adapt. I think many of the things mentioned above are dead on.
I've heard Starbucks termed as the '21st Century Library" before. Why can't record stores be the equivalent for all the hipsters?
It's all about the experience, and that's why turning the shops into a "destination" of sorts is absolutely the way to go.
We need record stores...and they need us!
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I'm showing my age here but...
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I'm showing my age here but...
The whole concept (and the fact the albums were cheaper than at HMV) made it a place to be seen as well as a retail outlet.
Who today has the kind of vision to take a risk like that?
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and trading second hand CDs & vinyl which you can preview prior to purchase.
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Correct title is "Indie Record Shop Learning to Adapt".
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The funny part? That was mostly back when there were plenty of record stores, before people started widespread "infringing" online, which pretty much killed the business for most of these places. In my city here, there use to be probably 30+ really good indie record stores. Slowly but surely they have been picked off, first when people moved from vinyl to CD, and again when people moved from CD to online. Now I think there is only 2, and they seem to to end up catering mostly to punk rock fans and fans of truly obscure music. Otherwise, they would be totally dead.
I guess they are only good when the set loooooots of t-shirts.
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It's free, idiots... just put 'Tinkerbell' or 'I
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The point is, make something up, or be ignored.
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Correct title is "Indie Record Shop Learning to Adapt".
Nope. We linked to multiple different stories about multiple different stores. And, even if you limit it to the most recent story, that one covers the story of 3 different record stores.
So what's the problem with the plural thing, again?
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It's all about creating an experience for the consumer
Limited editions etc are cool and important, but it will be wise for shops to create a more intimate vibe, offer a cup of coffee, a nice chat about the importance of this or that band, and argue for hours which one is the best - Blond on Blond or Blood On The Tracks etc.
Create the personal experience that cannot be achieved online is the secret, and I think it'll be wise for most shops to enable people to listen in the store, buy the cd or vinyl, but have a sync cables of all sorts, to get the music on the consumer's mp3 player, before he leaves the store, so he'll be able to carve his hunger until he gets home.
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Destinations of Interest also include...
-C
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It's like he can see into my mind...
This puts into words exactly what I've always thought about live music. When I buy a CD of a band it's not to listen to the music - I can get that online. It's to show that *I was there*, and to spread a little love (and lucre) to the band.
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I realize that there are a few hardcore oldsters out there who want to buy vinyl, but please! That market is not enough to support more than the odd shop. T-shirts? Posters? Tickets? All can be bought more easily and conveniently online. All that leaves is the snotty punk behind the counter who sneers at you when you buy a Hannah Montana CD because it's not hip enough for his minimum wage tastes. And the last thing I want to do is listen to a couple of burnouts brag loudly and obviously about the merits of Dylan albums so that all within earshot can be apprised of their "knowledge".
This is a dying industry, and all the "look how they're changing!" stories won't alter the fact that they will be all but gone within the next decade. Sorry, hippies. You'll have to find another place to buy your incense...maybe online?
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We'll ignore college towns that have a decent hippie population too.
HELLO world! Welcome to the internet age! Brick and mortar shops in general are dieing left and right.
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Location, Location, Location
Those indie music stores may be doing fine with their new ideas these days but they will only work where you have a lot of poeple with widely diverse taste in music. I live in what you call the middle of nowhere and if its not country, rap/hip hop, or gospel its not played (hell even the radio station in my area only play those three genres plus a bit of classical and NPR). Yeah there are a few people in this area who don't fall into that category but not enough to sustain a store like Mike is talking about here.
Well at least there is online (well considering that broadband is still not commonplace in rural areas perhaps not...).
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On a slightly different matter....
Recently they did away with their 'cozy coffee area', replacing it with a smaller, harsher, coffee seller with fewer high hard backed chairs, a more cafeteria feel.
They replaced some of their staff with what I can only suppose are cheaper, less informed people.
They no longer let you order books and have then delivered to the store, you have to go to Borders.com.
Predictably, at least to most of the readers here, people stopped 'hanging out' there. They stopped asking the staff their opinions about different books, and many went to Amazon.com instead of Borders.com as Amazon's prices are usually 10% to 15% cheaper.
The local Borders used to do a fairly thriving business. Since these changes they've had such a drop off of customers that they've let go staff, and reduced the inventory to about half of what it was.
They were a popular destination, now they are a more expensive Walmart.
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How is this bad?
When I want to listen to a song, where can it be found? Online downloads, of the DRM acceptable variety rarely have what I am looking for. Music stores never do. Often the only place to find it is to download it. Perhaps the music industry should consider this and make every single song available for download online before suing anyone.
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Delivery of Music
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