Where have Worthing's music shops gone?
WHEN national music retailer Fopp went into liquidation last month, Worthing town centre found itself without a single commercial record store.
The closure came just months after the company purchased 67 Music Zone shops, including Worthing's branch in the Montague Centre, when poor sales forced Music Zone into administration.
This store had in turn been purchased from MVC in January, 2006, who also ceased trading a year later.
After this domino-like succession of music industry casualties, the future of the Worthing store seems uncertain.
Though the British Phonographic Industry says just three per cent of music sale revenue currently comes from internet downloads, it seems there has been a definite decline in business for high street music stores.
HMV recently reported its annual profits had more than halved in the last two years, with the other market leader, Virgin, also reportedly looking to sell some of its outlets.
Worthing town centre manager Sharon Clarke said of the Montague Centre store: "Worthing was always performing well for the companies, but the problems were at a national level. The unit is not currently on the market, but HMV is looking at buying some of the more profitable stores Music Zone had previously owned – whether this will include Worthing, I do not know."
Mrs Clarke believed the rapid development of music technology was polarising the market.
She explained: "I think music is still very important, but technology is taking over and stores will only do well if they move with the times, such as providing tracks you can download directly onto your iPod instore, rather than purchasing CDs. At the other end of the spectrum however, we have a growth of individual record stores catering for alternative tastes and selling vinyl."
Independent's chart success
ONE independent store doing well is Random Rules, in Warwick Lane, Worthing, which has been highly successful among alternative music fans since opening in October, 2006.
Owner Steve Hampshire said: "We're doing really well, and selling lots of vinyl, as well as CDs. Record-buyers are mainly nostalgic, older people, but there are a few budding DJs.
"We provide for a lot of really strange tastes, though since Music Zone closed, I have also had an increase in customers buying chart hits."
Steve, 27, has worked previously at Brighton's branches of Fopp and HMV, but has more faith in his independent venture.
"I don't think there's much future in buying mainstream CDs," he said.
However, Steve Crompton, owner of Music Mania, in West Buildings, for the past seven years, feared independent record shops would suffer the same fate as the commercial companies.
He said: "We're a dying breed. Business is going to the internet and the supermarkets – between them, they're killing us."
Confirming this is Darren Laine, a vinyl supplier, who was forced to close his Worthing store, Revolutions Records, three years ago, and take his business onto the internet.
He said: "In Worthing, you could have the greatest LPs in the world hanging outside and people wouldn't buy them. I personally don't believe the market is there any more."
WH Smith employee Sam Cannon has found an increase in business since the closure of Music Zone.
However, with the high street store only stocking the current album chart, a compilation chart and a "value chart" of sale items, there is little supplied for customers wanting a choice of eras and musical genres.
Tom Evans, 15, from High Salvington, said: "Worthing definitely needs another commercial record store."
What do you think?
Has music retail come to an end?
Is the internet the future?
What happy memories do you have of trawling through record shops to find a hidden gem?
Let us know, comment in the space below.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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