What's in store for independent music retailers?

Thursday, February 22, 2007

By Terry Kirby

Here, in this temple to the romance of rock'n'roll, I would swap a batch of second-rate stuff, sent by record companies vainly hoping for mention in the weekly newspaper for which I then worked, for a voucher to spend in the shop. And name me a record reviewer that hasn't done something similar at some point.

I can still remember the excitement as I mingled with punks looking for the latest Throbbing Gristle EP or hairy prog-rockers thumbing through the second-hand Genesis albums. Here, overlooked by posters advertising long forgotten gigs, I indulged my own tastes: the early Clash and Buzzcocks singles, Iggy Pop, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and anything on the Stiff Records label; oddities like Bowie's German version of "Heroes". It was a rich period, not only of punk and post-punk creativity, but in the birth of small independent labels, picture sleeves, coloured vinyl, the re-invention of the EP and the discovery of the 12-inch single.

In a world before Borders and HMV, I grew up with small, independent record shops. The first record I ever owned was Cliff Richard's "Living Doll", bought by my dad from Greenfields on the Stratford Road in Birmingham; I still remember the 45s stuck to its windows. Then there was the joy when Virgin Records opened their first, impossibly hip shop in Birmingham, little realising that it was the beginning of the end for all the others.

I still have all my vinyl, of course, (even the odd Throbbing Gristle EP) although all my music listening now is on CD or through iTunes. Sadly, Greenfields went many years ago and Reddingtons Rare Records is also no more. Amid much local mourning and after four decades in the business, last summer, Danny Reddington finally closed its doors, no longer able to survive in a rapidly changing music buying climate that has already forced the closure of many similar shops and threatens to wipe out the rest.

While few older music fans will shed a tear as the big players struggle to survive the download revolution, they will mourn the demise of the small, independent, specialist shops like Reddingtons. "It is incredibly sad,'' says Paul Rees, editor of Q Magazine and once a fellow devotee of Reddingtons, "that a whole generation of music fans are growing up denied the pleasure of flipping through racks of dusty albums, hoping to find some treasure.'' It is a generation, Rees says, that simply does not see the point of owning and handling a piece of vinyl - or even a CD.

The demise of the independent sector has been rapid, brutal and in inverse proportion to the rise of downloading and the digital revolution. Several small operators, such as Reddingtons, have chosen to give into the inevitable and move their business online. Others, such as revered jazz specialists Mole Jazz in King's Cross, London, Defunkt in Glasgow, Wood Music in Islington, London and Decoy Records in Manchester have gone completely. Elsewhere in London, indie specialists Rough Trade endure in Notting Hill and Covent Garden, although Reckless Records has closed two shops to concentrate on its Soho base. Bristol has lost all three of its independent shops while Spillers Records in Cardiff, the oldest record store in the world, is one of many facing an uncertain future, squeezed by high rents, unsympathetic landlords and/or reduced profit margins, and may close next month if a buyer cannot be found.

In Croydon, Beanos, which has been going since 1975 and once claimed to be the largest second-hand store in Europe, announced its closure last July, embarking on a six-month final sale of more than one million items. However, owner Dave Lashmar, now believes he might be able to struggle on by occupying just one floor of the large building they own in the town centre, renting the remainder out to sympathetic market-stall traders. "The decline started about three or four years ago,'' says Dave. "We kept going, but the browsers have just not returned.'' Beanos has been hit hardest by back catalogue discounting in big stores such as HMV.

"It is what I call the Eric Clapton problem, ' explained Lashmar. "Here is an artist with a big back catalogue of albums that used to sell quite well second-hand. Now, you can get new Clapton CDs for as little as £4.99.''

At the same time, prices for rarities, after rising for several years following the demise of vinyl, have now levelled or dropped for a variety of reasons: firstly, anyone with potentially valuable records for sale can now ascertain their value online. Second, why bother with a middleman when you can just sell them yourself on eBay? Furthermore, there are now more such records coming onto the market, as people either convert their vinyl to CD, because they are now so cheap, or digitalise it all anyway, keeping their music library on computer.

Danny Reddington, whose specialty was always vintage rock'n'roll and pop, continues to trade online, with a warehouse containing more than 100,000 records, but remembers the old days with relish: "Everyone came to Reddington's. It was like a club." He agrees with Dave Lashmar: "There is still a market for Beatles, Stones or Elvis rarities, but it's the rest that is suffering. Not long ago, I was offered a Johnny Burnette 10-inch, which I knew would have been worth about £1,000. I checked and discovered the price had dropped to £800. The shops can't control the market anymore.'' So much for my picture sleeve of Bowie's "Helden" then - although Danny says my white vinyl pressing of the Beatles White Album might still net £200. While my retirement nest egg might have suffered, it's the livelihoods of people like Reddington and Lashmar that have been undermined.

Other shops struggle on. Gordon Gibson, 50, owner of Preston's Action Records, is pessimistic about the future: "The magic of coming into a shop on a Saturday morning to buy the new releases has gone. People find stuff on the internet and download it. We will keep on going - I've got a mortgage and employ eight people here, so there's no way I can retire early on it.''

At Jumbo Records in Leeds, Hunter Smith, the owner, says that his business benefits by selling tickets for gigs, which draws the browsers in: "I think many shops will struggle on until their leases come up for renewal, then they close down. We get a lot of record company reps coming in telling us exactly that. The labels are really worried about the demise of the independents.''

Over at Columbia Records London office, Jim Fletcher, the marketing manager, was so concerned about the potential demise of Spillers he asked all Colombia artists - including Dylan and Springsteen - to sign an online petition. The campaign to keep the shop open is also backed by the Manic Street Preachers, two of whom, Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield, were once regulars. Says Fletcher: "Independent record shops are very important places for people to hear about new bands and to find independent record labels. It's about meeting people and having stuff recommended to you.''

He believes the demise of independent record shops is akin to the disappearances of the small bookshop and argues that the way forward might be for them to ape the strategy of majors such as Borders and independent chain Fopps, which introduced cafés into their shops, to broaden their appeal and encourage people to browse and socialise.

In the meantime, part of the history of popular music is vanishing. But all is not lost - in Birmingham, this autumn, the Alexandra Theatre is due to host a week-long celebration of the city's most loved record shop. Ian Sandys, a theatrical entrepreneur who specialises in productions with local cultural and historical themes, plans to invite contributions, live or recorded, from many former customers of Reddingtons, including well known figures from the Brum music scene like Roy Wood, Robert Plant and Black Sabbath. He said: "I was astonished at the reaction when Reddingtons was closed. People remember such shops because they bought music there that was important to them and marked special points in their life. We want to celebrate that with their memories.'' I might even offer a few of my own.

On the record: Four survivors

Rough Trade

One of the rash of independent stores that were founded in the Seventies boom (pictured right) and once home of the Rough Trade label, now a separate enterprise. Very good for imports and all types of indie music.

130 Talbot Road, London W11 (020-7229 8541) and 16 Neals Yard, Covent Garden, WC2 (020-7240 0105) www.roughtrade.com

Steel Wheels

Opened in 1983, this Newcastle treasure claims to have the biggest record collectors' store outside London with a huge selection across all genres. Patronised in the past by Noel Gallagher and others.

60-68 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (0191-261 6671). www.steel-wheels.co.uk

Underground Solu'shn

Specialising in dance music and club equipment for the Edinburgh area, the staff are usually DJs themselves in local venues, each with different tastes from jazz to house, so their depth of knowledge is unrivalled.

9 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh (0131-226 2242); www.undergroundsolushn.com

King Bee

Huge stock of new and old records on CD and vinyl, but specialising in hard to find indie, punk, reggae, jazz and blues. They have a vast selection of rare Northern Soul records and pop classics from the Fifties and Sixties.

519 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton, Manchester (0161-860 4762). www.kingbeerecords.co.uk