Music store hoping for a vinyl revival in Southend

Full marks for trying, however, if vinyl could be played by every one who had a CD player you'd have a chance, trouble is it's a specialist area these days, and whilst this seller is passionate about records of this type, it is very much a has been.

many still have and have now brought a turn table, as they own (Me included) piles of albums and 12 inchers (Ooo errr) from the 70's80's90's and singles. Carmel records westcliff has been around since the ice age, was'nt there another vinyl shop that opened up and then closed down again in Southend last year.?

Was that Record Mart? or how about the old Pie shop? both very established, yet went under...

Good news and good luck mate. I'll pop in and have a butcher's soon.

Another full marks for trying, but your right it is a specialist area and turnover is the key in making a success of it..... i hope it works out though, vinyl is not just about nostalgia, it's truly superior to CD in some respects...

True you can't perfect your scratching skills on a CD or Laptop.

Good luck, but I'm not sure experience working for a record label translates to experience running a shop.

If he has done his market research and formulated a business plan and it all points to a going concern, good luck to him.....Otherwise hard luck but he should have been more sensible.

Good luck richard onslow

Went there on opening day (my son and I are actually shown in the photo looking through the vinyl!). Great selection of new and old records. We came away with a dozen albums and singles. I hope it proves successful for Richard Onslow, we'll be returning soon!

they were the days..... choon !

Wow, seems like a right old gang of Mary Portas's are operating on here. I bow to your superior knowledge of high street trading. For the record, the shop is a breath of fresh air and much needed. Vinyl sales are very strong at the moment and people bore of trawling discogs for their vinyl. There's nothing like finding that perfect record and travelling to London for your fix down Berwick Street or Notting Hill gets monotonous. Expect to see people coming to Southend from East London as well to buy their vinyl too. It's a day out remember!

I think key to him getting enough turnover will be to sell the records online as well. That opens up a much larger client base.

Think a generation is realising their missing out and tired of MP3 Cherry Picking Downloads. They are discovering a world of the tactile experience of vinyl. It's not just the music but the artwork too on those covers. Good Luck guys in a new-old emerging market. Soon maybe the full length concept album will maybe make a comeback .Who knows? A younger generation will drive it, not the hard nosed music promoters as they did in the 1950s and early 1960's.

Thank you, though no need to bow, having been around the music scene for over 40 years, I do know my stuff, and whilst Your mentioned London locations are worth a visit, they do suffer greatly inflated prices, which might lend you to think there's a goldmine, to be made in vinyl sales, not so. High end record decks are that for the very reason, how far do you thing your average South Essex boy will go, to meet those speciality decks ? as for the romantic retro idea, of going back to the good old days, remember vinyl, whilst iconic, is also a redundant stepping stone, on the path to music deliverance.

As the article states, vinyl sales are currently on a high compared to previous years which is a great sign. You only have to go down to London and visit places like Camden to see how popular Vinyl shops still are. The DJ and music scene in Southend is incredibly popular and there are many DJs that perform in some of the bars and clubs around town that still use vinyl. This will provide them with a local store rather than having to visit London or use the internet to buy new editions. Plus it's always great to have a new, independent store supporting the local economy!

Good luck to him, but I don't think it will work. I hope I'm wrong. Didn't there used to be a similar shop between Southchurch Road and Warrior Square ?

You can't skin up on a download.....

There are numerous record shops in Southend and Leigh all selling vinyl which is very popular and a growing market. There is Leigh Record Exchange, Rock n Roll in Southchurch, Carmel in Westcliff, Record museum in Southend, South, and another in Hamlet Court Road. People are now starting to realise that the quality of digital music is far inferior to analogue and that they have been missing out on the whole experience of actually sitting down and listening to music properly.

If they wanted a goldmine they would've opened a coffee house. That said though, I doubt Rough Trade are scratching around for pennies down the back of the sofa to pay their electric bills...