counter trends and cultural hubs-rough trade plans a record store (51.516194024429446 , -0.2042555809020996)
It’s sometimes just as important to follow and act on counter-trends, as it is to follow trends.
One great example is the decision by Rough Trade to open a 5,000 sq ft record store in London, just months’ after Tower Records went out of business and the music industry is in a downward spiral.
While many people will buy records online, the more they do, the more they will crave the physical environment of a record store, especially one that celebrates music.
Like going to see a movie in a theater or browsing a bookstore, there is something about buying music in a store, that online just can’t replicate
"We are looking to make an official announcement in the next few weeks. Our aim is to deliver something we feel has been missing in this country for far too long - an environment that celebrates music as an exciting art form, not just another commercial commodity - but on a scale that is a departure from the traditional perception of an independent record shop.
"The music industry seems to have a lot of doom and gloom about it at the moment, despite people's passion for music being as strong as ever. We certainly hope to put some smiles back on faces with something that reflects the true public appetite for exciting new music."
Steven Godfroy-Rough Trade- quoted in The Independent newspaper
Rough Trade intends to combine a performance space with the record store making it more of a cultural hub for the independent music scene. It’s a microcosm of the passion of Indy music and a rallying cry against the commercialization and commoditization of the industry.
Amoeba Music in San Francisco is the model for Rough Trade’s new venture.
