Another independent Brighton record store set to close (From The Argus)
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Another independent Brighton record store set to close
3:50pm Thursday 13th December 2012 in News By Anna Roberts, Crime reporter
David Minns, owner of Borderline
Another independent record store is set to close in Brighton.
Brighton music fans are concerned that Borderline records in Gardner Street is following other independent record shops in losing the battle against online downloads and will soon close its doors.
The shop, which has been running since 1987, has been put up for lease at a rent of £22,500 a year.
Owner David Minns said yesterday (December 12) that it was struggling to cope with the decline of the record industry, combined with rising business rates.
But he added that he hoped to keep the Borderline business going from a smaller outlet or as a mail order firm.
He said: “There are no plans to completely demise Borderline. But it is the end of that shop. It is tragic because we have been there 25 years and my first job in 1964 was just up the road.
“A lot of people are having a hard time at the moment, not just in the music industry.
“For small businesses times are changing a lot and the record industry is a business with very small margins.
“The last year in particular has been very hard for us.”
Musical demise
Mr Minns appeared in a film documenting the demise of independent record shops last month.
Last Shop Standing documented the disappearance of more than 2,000 independent record shops in Britain. By 2009 there were just 169 left.
Brighton institution Rounder Records, in Brighton Square, switched off its turntables for the last time earlier this year.
Despite the decline in the number of independent record shops, two of the county’s leading independent record shops said they were still doing well.
George Ginn, 82, owner of the Record Album in Terminus Road, Brighton, has been in business since 1962 and said he hoped to stay open in 2014.
'Very hard'
But he admitted that business has been getting harder.
He said: “I like to think it is not the quantity of customers but the quality.
“I think I have managed to hang on because I stock very specialist things, but it has been very hard.”
Derry Watkins, joint owner of Resident, in Kensington Gardens, which was recently voted the best independent record shop for the second year running, said he was saddened by Bordeline’s closure.
He added: “We are still doing as well as ever and are expecting to do our best year of business this year.
“But we certainly do not delight in other shops closing.
“We want people to keep seeing Brighton as a destination for record shopping.
“We hope to still be here for a long time and keep giving our customers what they want.”
Talking point: How often have you shopped in independent record shops? What fond memories do you have of Borderline? Share your views below or email letters@theargus.co.uk
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Comments(27)
sussexram40
says...
4:25pm Thu 13 Dec 12
Record shops are closing down because most people download music off the internet now. People just don't bother going into record shops anymore.
Shop keepers need to recognise trends and adapt to survive. Maybe the shop should move into computer games and x box accessories or try and become an off licence. Seems a lot of demand for booze and computer games.
Hovite
says...
4:35pm Thu 13 Dec 12
brightonline wrote:Exactly my thought when clicking on the link.
Why is Brighton and Hove mayor, Bill Randall, serving in the shop?! Great lookelikee!
Bananaskinboy
says...
4:38pm Thu 13 Dec 12
sussexram40
says...
4:41pm Thu 13 Dec 12
banargustrolls
says...
4:45pm Thu 13 Dec 12
SicklySeagull
says...
4:56pm Thu 13 Dec 12
The chances are it will become a coffee shop which of course are rare in the centre of Brighton.
John Steed
says...
5:03pm Thu 13 Dec 12
one of the great things about the north laines and other areas of brighton was its diversity of specialist/niche retailers, vynal, like hi-fi is specialist and like pub's a shrinking market but god help us when all we have left is multinational chains, alcoshops and kebab/pizza/chicken shops run by a multi culturals.
sussexram40
says...
5:12pm Thu 13 Dec 12
thucydides
says...
5:27pm Thu 13 Dec 12
sussexram40
says...
5:50pm Thu 13 Dec 12
mustaphaLeeko
says...
6:09pm Thu 13 Dec 12
Why is he there if he can't afford the rent?
There are still quite a few places well under £10k a year.
Sounds more like free advertising from The Argus for him!
Sussex jim
says...
7:20pm Thu 13 Dec 12
These days of course I have everything on CD. I buy CD's and rip the tracks I want onto computer, and then compile my own CD's. Yes, I know it's illegal- but having purchased the original I feel morally right.
Vinyl never was a good media. It is really frustrating trying to keep a disc free of dust while recording. Still, good luck to the diehard fans and their specialist shops.
sussexram40
says...
7:36pm Thu 13 Dec 12
Can we have some smiley faces to post up on here please Argus?
Flippin Burghers
says...
9:11pm Thu 13 Dec 12
onerob
says...
10:59pm Thu 13 Dec 12
mustaphaLeeko wrote:Sheesh.
What does he expect in a PRIME location with lots of passing trade, a similar sized shop went earlier this year round the corner from Argos in the city centre, for only £7500 a year.
Why is he there if he can't afford the rent?
There are still quite a few places well under £10k a year.
Sounds more like free advertising from The Argus for him!
Hoarder12345444
says...
11:02pm Thu 13 Dec 12
Old Ladys Gin
says...
6:51am Fri 14 Dec 12
A good quality deck playing vinyl through real HiFi equipment (Not far eastern junk) will always floor any other kind of reproduction - there really is no comparison.
Dicky71
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8:27am Fri 14 Dec 12
Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit
says...
8:30am Fri 14 Dec 12
Jasminetdscott
says...
8:54am Fri 14 Dec 12
I cannot believe that the owner of Resident can be so boastful in such a time, the only reason that they are having their 'best year ever' is because the best record shop to exist, Rounders, shut down.
Dealing with idiots
says...
9:36am Fri 14 Dec 12
sussexram40 wrote:That kind of attitude gets us nowhere and is defeatist in the extreme.
Yes but fact is people want cheap supermarket chains, off licences selling cheap booze, mobile phone shops, catalogue shops and kebabs and burger outlets. That's life in 2012 Britain. We all know where the door is if we don't like it.
Fairfax Sakes
says...
11:28am Fri 14 Dec 12
On the plus side, Im sure there a few squatters who will be more than happy to step in and look after the place...
salty_pete
says...
3:59pm Fri 14 Dec 12
akers/ Heart in Hand. Take it easy, you've earnt it.
col'
says...
6:37pm Fri 14 Dec 12
6:51am Fri 14 Dec 12
Downloaded music will never have the quality and atmosphere of vinyl, never ever.
A good quality deck playing vinyl through real HiFi equipment (Not far eastern junk) will always floor any other kind of reproduction - there really is no comparison.”
No ... Unless the vinyl has a blooming great scratch on it that click clicks through the song.
Also, does anyone still possess all those separates ...Record players, Amplifiers, Wharfedale speakers ?? Not sure they do anymore. Time to jump into the 21st century.
sussexram40
says...
6:48pm Fri 14 Dec 12
toldsloth
says...
10:02am Sat 15 Dec 12
"COL" - I possess "all those separates” and I am firmly in the 21st Century - I buy and play vinyl records. I also have a NAS unit which has my complete CD collection of almost 2000 disks "ripped" into FLAC format for playing through a PC and DAC onto my amp and speakers. I also have copies of all of those digital files as MP3 to use on the iPod. I listen to high resolution 24bit downloads which are amazing sound quality but I can categorically state that my record deck wipes the floor with even the highest quality digital file. There is simply no contest. I will be advertising my CD’s for sale as the format is dying but I would never get rid of my vinyl.
"SUSSEXRAM40" - "I don't wear an anorak or a woolly hat" - I am a professional 45 year old male who loves MUSIC on all formats and has embraced the digital solutions out there but still prefers the vastly superior sound quality offered by vinyl. The ownership experience of vinyl is far more enjoyable than downloading a low resolution MP3 from iTunes which can be dismissed to the ether with the flick of a “delete” key. Apple has popularised the digital music business with the iPhone / iPod and the Store however it only offers low quality downloads which people are wising up to – they actually want high quality sound and many are prepared to pay for the privilege.
"HOARDER12345444" - I think you'll find that YOU are the one whos supporting a bygone era with CD. The format is dying and vinyl is very much on the rise as is high quality digital downloads. I think you'll find yourself in posession of a lot of small silver disks from a bygone era before long :-)
I buy a fair amount of vinyl from Borderline and only recently purchased a £40 copy of the new Donal Fagen album from David. I could have bought it slightly cheaper from the web but I CHOSE TO SUPPORT A LOCAL SPECIALIST BUSINESS - what a shame more people don't make that simple choice and ensure that the variety and attractiveness of The Laines is preserved.
JASMINETDSCOTT - Rounder had a certain "charm" but it was expensive and stock levels were simply not that great. Resident on the other hand is staffed by knowledgeable and friendly staff who operate a business that stocks a good balance of mainstream and more specialist music and has seen the light by converting more of its display space to .......vinyl because they are selling it hand over fist!
At the end of the day, David is trying to keep a much needed business in play in today’s cut-throat marketplace which is driven by cost conscious consumers who are focussing on nothing but the cost and ignoring the fact that unless people support businesses such as this, the diversity and look of areas such as The Laines are going to change for the worse.
brightonline says...
4:12pm Thu 13 Dec 12