Here in NC there have been several recent closings of prominent local music stores. A lot of the people in the area are in an outcry about it. The loss of a local store, history, customer service, good recomendations. . . blah, blah, blah. If these people were so concerned why didn't they go there and buy something. Many of them admitted to the fact that they hadn't been there in years.

So, is the industry playing out the same story as some of it's stars. Money stops coming in but they don't adapt and curb the flow going out. I know they are fighting others for their survival, but I just don't see where they are trying to change themselves. What do you think they need to do to survive?

I see some local stores changing and joining used CD online networks. That has seemed to work for some.

yeah it's the same thing in my neck of the woods. it's 'reprehensible' that a local store is closing because of the evil chain stores. but like you say, i don't see where they're re-inventing themselves.

i really think what mom&pop stores need to do to distinguish themselves from the chain stores is to focus on special orders, 1 on 1 customer contact. bring in the internet, and truly diversify the store, stop making it look like every other record store out there. incorporate a cafe style area. plop in a few laptops where patrons can browse for new music and order it through the store AT NO EXTRA CHARGE. i really think leaving a markup on the selections kept in stock but keeping the special orders at cost will help maintain a solid client base. there are still plenty of people out there who don't have credit cards or bad credit and who might not otherwise be able to get their hands on less common music.

let the consumer decide how much they want to put down on the order (with a reasonable minimum, 25% maybe) and inform them you won't hold their order for more than a few business days before putting it for sale with a markup for needing to take up space on a shelf. you'd quickly learn what the tastes are for your area and should be able to keep a decent stock of stuff similar to what people are ordering.

Considering the majority of mainstream music is sold by Wal-Mart and/or the internet....there are going to be less and less brick and mortar stores.


And let's be honest the percentage of those working in the stores that have any clue is getting smaller with every passing day.

I remind everyone of the not finished story from a three years ago about some poor snook being told Jandek was like Robert Johnson.

With the internet people also don't have to be sales tax in the U.S and you can find pretty much anything you want without leaving your living room. Shouout to Grasshoppa Seba.

Personally, I avoid stores of any kind as much as possible. Just too much hassle.

I would honestly spend a good time at that store. Concepts like this will probably pop up one day. They`ll make more money on the buns and coffee but providing customers with knowledge, tangible music and special orders, it would be very good for everyone.

In Oslo we actually had a unique situation. We had a respected chain with good selections and prices, but now the selection has become much worse after replacing many CDs with DVDs. I quit going after that, and try to order online. Unless they get creative like panbient suggests, I won`t be going back.

I had several stores throughout the years around here that had a very knowledgeable staff. One even became a regular hangout for a group of us after hours. We had free and unrestrained access to the racks and would hang out till well into the evening. Opening at midnight for the new releases. It was such a great store and made great money because of the manager that had cultivated a group of music lovers that would come in. He would give us deals, let us listen to stuff, and special order stuff with no money upfront. Stores like that are worth saving the music industry. The community it created and the years it operated were golden.

That one died not from lack of money, but because the owner sent the manager who had cultivated our group packing for the stupid reason of turning over his most profitable store to his friend. We boycotted the store and it went under within the year.

Doesn't your friend and one time RM poster and Satchmo "fan" manage a music story down there?

that's exactly my logic H. cover the operating costs of running the music side of things with the profit from coffee and snacks. but like satchmo says, finding someone with a clue in a record store is just as rare as finding something that isn't already on a department store shelf.

i think the DVD situation is here to stay. it's not really a cd store anymore so much as a media store. if it's on a plastic disc they sell it there.

the real question is - who still cares to buy a music cd? especially at $20-$30 a pop.

That was his store and he was the manager they fired. It actually turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him job wise. He now teaches music full time out of his house.

Anyhoo, the few brick and mortar music stores I still will go into are like that store. The owners know have a major clue and I am generally left alone. I can go in before or after they open/close.

Although, a impromptu knowledge dropping will still usually occur if I go when it's open.

To me that's what is killing them. Not the internet, not the crappy music they promote. The fact that they continue on this path of charging that much money for a product that costs half that to produce, package, ship, and pay royalties on.