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    2013 - Records Are Dying - Not Here (NYT)

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    jazbo8
    Rough Trade NYC, a 15,000 square foot record store and performance space, is opening in Brooklyn. It aims to cultivate a community space for music lovers at a time when many record stores have closed. The store plans to have a large selection of vinyl and CDs as well as daily concerts. Some question whether the large scale of the venture can be sustained long-term, but the owners believe their model of focusing on the customer experience can make the store successful.

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    2013 - Records Are Dying - Not Here (NYT)

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    jazbo8
    40 views4 pages
    Rough Trade NYC, a 15,000 square foot record store and performance space, is opening in Brooklyn. It aims to cultivate a community space for music lovers at a time when many record stores have closed. The store plans to have a large selection of vinyl and CDs as well as daily concerts. Some question whether the large scale of the venture can be sustained long-term, but the owners believe their model of focusing on the customer experience can make the store successful.

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    Vinyl revival in music

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    Rough Trade NYC, a 15,000 square foot record store and performance space, is opening in Brooklyn. It aims to cultivate a community space for music lovers at a time when many record stores have closed. The store plans to have a large selection of vinyl and CDs as well as daily concerts. Some question whether the large scale of the venture can be sustained long-term, but the owners believe their model of focusing on the customer experience can make the store successful.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    40 views4 pages

    2013 - Records Are Dying - Not Here (NYT)

    Uploaded by

    jazbo8
    Rough Trade NYC, a 15,000 square foot record store and performance space, is opening in Brooklyn. It aims to cultivate a community space for music lovers at a time when many record stores have closed. The store plans to have a large selection of vinyl and CDs as well as daily concerts. Some question whether the large scale of the venture can be sustained long-term, but the owners believe their model of focusing on the customer experience can make the store successful.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    November21,2013

    RecordsAreDying?NotHere
    ByBENSISARIO

    BUZZSAWSwerebuzzing,hammerswerehammering,andaseaofemptydisplayracksawaited
    theirwaresonemorningthisweekinacavernousstorefrontinWilliamsburg,Brooklyn.Itwasa
    typicalsceneofretailconstructionineverywayexceptforwhatwascoming:arecordstore.
    WhenitopensonMonday,RoughTradeNYCabranchoftheLondonshopthathasbeenan
    independenttastemakersince1976willbethebiggestrecordstoreinNewYorkCity,an
    ambitiousbetonCDsandvinylatatimewhenthousandsofothermusicretailershaveclosed,and
    themusicindustryoveralllookstoalargelydigitalfuture.
    Wefeelwevegotamodelthatworks,saidStephenGodfroy,acoownerofthestore.Thisisa
    placewhereyouwillactuallywanttospendtime.
    RoughTradeNYC,onanotquitepostindustrialblockofNorthNinthStreet,neartheEastRiver,
    isthekindofplacethatmostmusicfanshadgivenuphopeforinNewYork:anairy15,000
    squarefoottempletorecordretail,withacoffeecounteranda300personcapacityperformance
    spacewithabarthatwillpresentconcertsalmostdaily.
    Intheplanningforfouryears,RoughTradeNYChastheenthusiasticsupportofrecordlabels,
    whichseevibrantindependentshopslikeitincludingthehangarsizeAmoebaMusicin
    CaliforniaandthesmallbutinfluentialOtherMusicintheEastVillageasnotonlysalesoutlets
    butalsosocialspotsthatcountertheperceptionthattherecordindustryisdying.
    WerealittlejealousofAmoeba,saidDanielGlassofGlassnoteRecords,aneartotheground
    musicexecutiveinNewYorksincethe1970s.Thisisgoingtobeaterrificmomentformusic.It
    remindsmeofwhenToweropenedupatFourthandBroadway.
    Likealmosteverythinginthemusicbusiness,theroleofrecordstoreshasshiftedinthelast
    decade.Oncearetailstaple,withanchorchainsinmallsandmomandpopsaroundeverycollege
    campus,recordshopshavebeendecimatedinmostareas.Towerclosedits89Americanoutletsin
    2006;VirginshutdownitslastMegastoreinNorthAmericain2009;and,inBritainthisyear,the
    oncemightyHMVchainshuttereddozensofstoreswhileinreceivership.
    Meanwhile,shopslikeRoughTradehavequietlythrived,helpedbyaresurgenceofvinylsalesand
    bycultivatingananticorporate,fancenteredattitude.RecordStoreDay,heldeachAprilsince

    MOREINMUSIC

    2008,hasalsofocusedpromotionaleffortsthroughonedayonlyrecordreleases.(RecordStore
    Dayssatelliteevent,BacktoBlackFriday,willbeheldnextFriday.)

    WithPitch
    SitePlants
    ReadMore

    Ifyoucreateanatmospherethatisconducivetospendingtime,thenpeoplewillbuyarecord,
    whetheritsontheirfirstvisit,ormaybesecondorthird,Mr.Godfroysaid.
    Butsurvivinginthecurrentmarketisnotaseasyasstockingcollectibleproductsandaddinga
    cafe.AlmightyMusicMarketing,acompanythatmaintainsaretaildatabase,saysthatmorethan
    300musicshopshaveopenedsince2009.Yet,inNewYork,anotherbatchhasgonetothevinyl
    graveyardoverthelastyearortwo,amongthemBleeckerBobs,RockitScientist,Tropicaliain
    Furs,GimmeGimmeandBigCity.Still,WilliamsburgandGreenpointaredottedwithstores,
    includingAcademyRecordAnnex,PermanentRecordsandRecordGrouch.
    MikeDreese,afounderofNewburyComics,achainofnearly30musicandpopcultureshopsin
    NewEngland,praisedRoughTradeastherealdealandcreditedtheoriginalLondonstorewith
    supplyingpunkrecordsthathelpedhimestablishhisownbusinessinthelate1970s.Buthenoted
    therisksofaventureonthescaleofRoughTradeNYC.
    Ibelievetheywillhaveariproaringsuccessforayearortwo,Mr.Dreesesaid,butthereal
    questionisthreeorfouryearsout,whathappenstothismarket.
    RoughTradeopeneditsfirstshopjustasLondonspunkscenewasexploding,andthetinystore
    developedarareauthoritytodefinecoolbybeingpickyaboutwhatitstocked.Itsfounder,Geoff
    Travis,soonstartedarecordlabelbythesamename,andthetwobusinessessplitin1982.The
    shopsfortuneshavefluctuatedovertheyears,butithasflourishedsince2007withtheopeningof
    RoughTradeEast,a5,500squarefootbranchinLondonsEastEndthathasacoffeebaranda
    stageforinstoreperformances.Sincethen,Mr.Godfroysaid,RoughTradehashaddoubledigit
    salesgrowtheachyear.
    TomakewhatMr.Godfroycallsadestinationstoreexperience,RoughTradeNYChasgone
    withanindustrialchicdesign,itsinteriorwallslinedwiththemetalfrom16oldshipping
    containers,andmuralsoffashionablealbumcovers(ArcadeFire,theVelvetUnderground)hand
    paintedoverexposedbrick.Concertswilltakeplaceinaspaciousseparateroominback,someof
    themfree(orfreewithapurchase),andothersbookedandsoldbythepowerhouselocalpromoter
    theBoweryPresents.
    Thestorealsoincludeswhatitcallssimplytheroom,acombinationpromotionalzoneand
    rotatingartinstallation.Forthefirstundertakinginthespace,Glassnotewilluse3Dprojectorsto
    recreatethebedroomoftherapperChildishGambino(whoisalsotheactorDonaldGlover,astar
    oftheNBCshowCommunity),inadesignthatMr.Glasslikenedtothealmostuncomfortably
    intimateworkoftheBritishartistTraceyEmin.
    Toucheslikethesecangivebrickandmortarstoresanidentityinamarketthathasbecome
    dominatedbytheInternet,saidMartinMills,chairmanoftheindependentrecordcompany
    BeggarsGroup.

    Asmoreandmorebusinessmovesonlineandalsotothemalls,Mr.Millswroteinanemail,
    thereisanincreasingcountervailinghumandemandforcommunity,forlocalness,fortangible
    beauty,forspecialistknowledge,forrange,forretailexperiencesthatarenotpricedependentbut
    makeyoufeelgood.
    RoughTradeNYCismajorityownedbytheBritishstore,whoseinvestorsalsoincludeBeggars
    throughitsXLlabel.(Makingthingsevenmoreconfusing,theRoughTradelabelstillseparate
    fromthestoresishalfownedbyBeggars.)
    Mr.GodfroydeclinedtorevealtheconstructioncostsofRoughTradeNYC,buthedidsharesome
    ofthehugelyfrustratingexperienceofsettlingonthelocationanddealingwiththe
    complicationsofNewYorkbuildingpermits.RoughTradehadoriginallyhopedtoopenthestore
    twoyearsago,hesaid.
    Ifitissuccessful,though,Mr.GodfroysaidthathehopestheBrooklynstorecanbeanepicenter
    ofchange.
    Thereisawaytoretailmusicinawaythatspopular,viable,profitableandexciting,hesaid.Its
    notrocketscience,itreallyisnt.Youresellingsomethingthatpeoplelove.Youjusthavetodoitin
    awaythatsfaithfultotheartandtothepublic.
    Timewilltellwhetherthatwayincludescoffeeandconcerts.

    SOUNDSFORSALE
    ThenexttwoweeksarebigonesforNewYorkrecordlovers.BesidestheopeningofRoughTrade
    NYConMonday,WFMUsannualrecordfairisreturningafteraoneyearabsence,andBackto
    BlackFriday,oneofthetwoRecordStoreDayeventsoftheyear,iscomingnextFriday.
    TheFairOutsideofeBay,yourbestbetforfindingthat$60tropicliaLPorlimitededitionIron
    MaidenpicturediscisWFMUsRecordFair,whichbenefitsthatfamouslyeclectic,
    noncommercialradiostationbasedinJerseyCity.Thefair,whichhasdozensofdealersaswellas
    liveperformancesandfilmscreenings,wascanceledlastyearinthewakeofHurricaneSandybut
    makesitsreturnthisweekendtotheMetropolitanPavilion,125West18thStreet,inChelsea.For
    moreinformation:wfmu.org/recfair.
    TheShopsRecordStoreDayhasbeensupportingindependentshopseachAprilsince2008with
    onedayonlyrecordsthatleadtolinesaroundtheblockatsomestores.Ithassinceexpandedto
    includeaneventthedayafterThanksgiving.ThisyearwillfeaturespecialreleasesbyBobDylan,
    ElvisCostelloandtheRoots,Nirvana,QueensoftheStoneAgeandNickLowe.Moreinformation,
    includingalistofparticipatingstores,isatrecordstoreday.com.RoughTradeNYCwillcarrysome
    BacktoBlackFridayreleases,butStephenGodfroy,oneoftheownersoftheshop,said,The

    mainthingforusisthatwerejustgladtobeopen.

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