kirsten Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 I heard that Fred looked into selling downloads from the website a few years ago and they were all set to go ahead with it, but Raymond wasn't keen so it never happened. I don't know how big a difference having the ability to download from them would have made to profits, but it's sad to think that decisions like this might be one of the reasons people have had to lose their jobs.I believe there's a large collection of out of print stock and vinyl in the shop that would be perfect for online sales.Absolutely. Even if they set up an ebay account for the shop, they could make a decent amount. Not sure if it'd be too little too late at this point, but still worth a go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 It looks like it hasn't been updated in a few years either. Check out the "History" section.One Up are still moving forwards with the music of today from the new metal sounds of Limp Biskit to Badly Drawn Boy and Cold Play.That made me laugh more than it should have done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 I was going to also ask why people are 'so much busier these days'.As for One Up, yes, I'm buying more vinyl now than I have done for years. To get a nice record and mp3 downloads from the card inside is a great thing. CDs though - nope...can't stand them any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 As much as I'd like to hold onto the romantic idea that every town in the world should have an independent record store, it's just not realistic nowadays and I find it hard to muster much sympathy for any business that goes down the pan because they're not moving with the times.In the days of virgin megastores and HMV, the record store was up against it. It managed to survive by being that friendly face in the community and building up a loyal customer base. When those customers start staying at home and downloading instead of buying you've gotta try combat that in new and inventive ways. That's just business and in most other areas of activity there wouldn't be this sentimentality. I feel terrible for the folks who have lost/are losing their jobs because of the move towards online music but it's things like not bothering to update your website that mean record stores will struggle - you can't rely on aging CD/Vinyl enthusiasts, you gotta do something to bring in the young 'uns who have cash to splash. I'd be interested to see how gig ticket sales have changed over the years. I'd bet they have been steady over time, maybe even increasing. Anyone have any idea? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Yeah exactly, as much as we all love the shop, to see the fact they have never moved with the times kinda dimishes the sympathy. Its incredible that they dont have an online store selling MP3's, vinal and rare albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroopy121 Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 ... in most other areas of activity there wouldn't be this sentimentality...Citation.xx 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ca_gere Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Yeah exactly, as much as we all love the shop, to see the fact they have never moved with the times kinda dimishes the sympathy. Its incredible that they dont have an online store selling MP3's, vinal and rare albums.Yup, although maybe selling mp3s etc online isn't the answer... I dunno, i'm not in the business but i'm sure there's something they could latch onto and at least showing signs of keeping up would be a start (i.e. online presence). As people are more exposed to and have easy access to buy, well...literally everything that exists in the world ever, the desire for niche increases. You still want to find that something different, that noone else has and I think record stores could fill that void somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 I buy new stuff from One Up every so often and 2nd hand stuff a fair bit but I really don’t think the current strategy of pleading with folk to support the shop by coming in to buy stuff is going to be a long-term solution and I can’t help but think the inevitable is just being delayed. The rent for that shop must be crippling due to prime location and a move into a smaller, less central premises would maybe be some form of solution if they wanted to continue but perhaps they can’t be bothered with the hassle for possibly the same end result. A lot of what I buy is back-catalogue so I tend to obtain second hand on Amazon, as it is inevitably cheaper than buying new (if it is actually an item you can still readily get new, which it often isn’t). I would prefer One Up to survive in some form as I have been buying there for a long time and it would be a shame to see the last independent shop in the area disappear but on consideration my music purchasing life would not be drastically affected by its demise. I’m a bit old fashioned in that I prefer having something physical and don’t really use downloads, although I have started to buy downloads on Amazon for hard to get items where it is a far cheaper alternative than buying a 2nd-hand CD for £50+...however, I can totally understand a world where younger folk look to download due to limited funds or whatever. In my younger days the limited funds meant my music collection was limited accordingly, consisting primarily of 7” singles, taped copies of albums off mates and a few key albums that I got for birthday/Xmas, it was only when I started working and had a bit more cash that my collecting really took off. I am also reading that ‘Last Shop Standing’ book at the moment and I’m a bit disappointed in it, was expecting more of an in-depth analysis into the decline of the record industry but it’s more of an anecdotal thing of one man’s experiences through the years and discussion on various independent record shops around the country. There are a few mentions of the various contributing factors to the industry decline scattered throughout and one thing that the author stresses is the need to diversify to survive as an independent record shop, which One Up seems to have failed to do. I actually looked up their website earlier to call them about reserving me a GY!BE LP and had a wee chuckle at the lack of even opening time info along with the hideously out of date ‘current’ music offerings. Pretty sure forum members who were employees in the past tried to get them onboard with an online presence and met a stupendous lack of interest. The book also contains a list of independent record shops that have already closed in the front, I noted Cavern Records in Aberdeen is listed but it was open when I passed the other day, what’s the script with that, did it change hands or something? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Do they still buy 2nd hand stuff? That should be cut out if they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted October 16, 2012 Report Share Posted October 16, 2012 Do they still buy 2nd hand stuff? That should be cut out if they are.They are very picky about it now, I think. They didn't want any of my totally rad punk rock stuff, but picked out a few of the more commercial releases and gave me about £20 for about 10 CDs, out of about 200. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 They are very picky about it now, I think. They didn't want any of my totally rad punk rock stuff, but picked out a few of the more commercial releases and gave me about £20 for about 10 CDs, out of about 200.2 quid a cd? thats still super good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maud 'dib Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 I've nae been to One-Up for years. It was a bit of a Mecca for me when I was a student/Living out in the sticks. I used to totter in and buy all those records NME used to bang on about. Thanks to that I bought without hearing* the likes of Big Black, Killdozer, etc etc. I'm now old, skint and grumpy. I only buy the occasional CD now, apart from stuff from bandcamp (mostly local) and it's better for me to get cd's from play.com or whatever. It's different now- the internet has essentially killed the likes of one-up, which is a shame from my nostalgic point of view, but as other folk have said it is a business: sink or swim.I'm in no position to give business advice, but the last few times I went into one-up I hit the second hand section- looking for as much Megadeth as I could lay my dirty furtive digits on- maybe they could have made more of the 2nd hand hard to get section- I also got 11:11 by Come from that section- I tote's WHOOPED when that happened, and would have probably paid more than 2.99 for the CD.Fuck knows. I have nae idea.*that's what changed. Music is right easy to get hold of now. I had to buy records and then really work at listening to them, I hated the Jesus Lizard to begin with- but eventually it clicked. Kid's nowadays etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 If only they had more space to play with they could do a lot more, a better live stage, no more free gigs. Maybe a coffee bit. They could redo their site and have better download or online shopping service. More vinyl perhaps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 I think the main point is that whatever they could or could not be doing it should have been done/ tried years ago. Way too late now. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJimF Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 If only they had more space to play with they could do a lot more, a better live stage, no more free gigs. Maybe a coffee bit. They could redo their site and have better download or online shopping service. More vinyl perhaps...Look what happened to HMV when they went down that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Look what happened to HMV when they went down that route.what? theyre still standing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJimF Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Just, and only after selling off most of the live venues they bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 One Up did actually look into the coffee shop idea, but when they costed it (equipment, staff training, refitting the premises etc...) they felt it was too big a gamble to justify. Plus, it's a pretty saturated market in town, with a costa coffee or starbucks pretty much on every street corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Ace-ic we're talking about downloads when you buy vinyl. They should start that and get them vinyls selt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfer_Rosa Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 Ace-ic we're talking about downloads when you buy vinyl. They should start that and get them vinyls selt.It's up to the record labels, not the shops themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 One Up did actually look into the coffee shop idea, but when they costed it (equipment, staff training, refitting the premises etc...) they felt it was too big a gamble to justify. Plus, it's a pretty saturated market in town, with a costa coffee or starbucks pretty much on every street corner.See, I think that would have been a gamble worth taking. A lot of people like the idea of smaller independent coffee shops rather than the big chains and they would have had a unique selling point with the combo of record shop and coffee shop - IF they had also thought about other changes alongside it. That shop has a lot of empty space really. They could have done a reshuffle and turned the downstairs into a coffee shop. Folk who came in for a coffee may well end up browsing on the way in/out. Play some decent music, folk may well enjoy and buy.I get the impression they have had a bit of a reluctance to invest much money that will not be guaranteed a return. That's fair enough but as others have said you can't just sit and do nothing and expect to appeal to the record buying public to save the business, just isn't going to work out in the modern record industry. They have pretty much sat still for the past 4 years since the whole retail industry started taking a hit and record shops increasingly so.Sure, the coffee shop idea may not have worked out but it could also have revived their business somewhat. Not taking that chance looks likely to have guaranteed eventual closure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Ace-ic we're talking about downloads when you buy vinyl. They should start that and get them vinyls selt.The whole vinyl market has just become a scam in itself. Since there was this whole resurgence in popularity of vinyl the price to get hold of it is just ridiculous. When it started dying, a new vinyl album was way less than a tenner, now everything seems to be in the region of 20 quid if not more, crazy prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 It's normally cheaper direct from bands, which brings us back to how record shops are dying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Correct, the reasons for bands selling their own product is driven by other industry issues and is understandable but that has contributed to record shop decline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 The whole vinyl market has just become a scam in itself. Since there was this whole resurgence in popularity of vinyl the price to get hold of it is just ridiculous. When it started dying, a new vinyl album was way less than a tenner, now everything seems to be in the region of 20 quid if not more, crazy prices.Aye. Alot of US labels used to sell CDs for $10 and LPs for $8. Now alot of them have doubled the price of the LP since they're not shifting anywhere near the same amount of CDs as they used to. I suppose in 5 years time we could all be sat here debating "are record labels a thing of the past" with how easy it is to do your own recordings and put out your own records 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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