|
More than the MUSIC - More Than The Music |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Erin Frustaci
|
|
Wednesday, 11 October 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 5
 |
|
erin hooley |
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
Walt Werren stands in his music store, ABCD’s, in Fort Collins. Werren said downloadable music doesn’t really appeal to him because he likes the whole tangible experience of a CD or album. When he really gets into an album, he said he will listen to it for a couple weeks and has no desire for 10,000 songs on an iPod.
|
You’ve seen the scene before in movies like “Empire Records” — the modest independent record store struggles to survive in the shadow of the corporate giant.
This time though, the shadows cast by the chains are even bigger. The Music Town of the film has morphed into the Best Buy and Wal-Mart of today. And there’s a new kid on the block, too — the Internet.
So how do the independent record stores of yesterday survive to see tomorrow?
Walt Werren, owner of ABCD’s in Fort Collins, said he has had to adapt a bit.
“We hang in there,” he said. “We kinda carve out a certain niche.”
Throughout his 19 years in business, he has seen several record stores come and go.
“The pie has gotten smaller,” he said.
One way Werren keeps customers coming in the door is by selling Aggie Theatre and Ticket Web concert tickets. This allows him to limit the amount he spends on advertising. He keeps a tight budget so as not to go in debt. ABCD’s prime Old Town location and longtime clientele also keeps business afloat.
Overall, he says the key is to offer something no one else has.
 |
|
erin hooley |
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
ABCDs in Old Town Fort Collins has been open 19 years.
|
“Big-box stores hammer the top 40 — trendy music that comes and goes. Their key advantage is the price. We can’t get the prices they can.”
The big-box stores buy in high volume and can afford to mark down CD prices.
So, instead, Werren carries music people will continue to listen to after the fads have sailed through, and he beefs up the music DVD section.
 Brian Lucas, spokesperson for Best Buy, said CD sales have declined throughout the industry, but music consumption has not.
“People have more options in terms of how they listen to music, where they get their music and where they listen to their music,” Lucas said.
He said people still line up outside the doors on Tuesdays for new CD releases. At the same time, the store sells iTunes cards, iPods and satellite radio.
Even though chains such as Best Buy can offer lower prices, Lucas said he doesn’t think the independent record stores will ever be a thing of the past.
“Every business has to figure out how to survive in today’s marketplace,” he said. “There are a lot of things we can offer that others can’t and a lot of things other stores can offer that we can’t. Finding that niche is very important no matter how big or small.”
After facing another year of declining figures, Jim Risser, owner of The Finest in Greeley and Fort Collins, decided it was time to diversify. Sure, the store is still a record store, but it’s a record store that sells posters, Bob Marley jigsaw puzzles, Green Day wallets, Led Zeppelin coasters, lunch boxes and beanies, or what he calls “lifestyle products.” His walls are decorated with stuff to sell instead of stuff to look at.
In his 26-year career at The Finest, Risser honestly didn’t think it would ever come to this. The new products have meant extra hours and extra inventory. There is no doubt they sell well, but the store still clings to what it knows best.
Anyone can call with a question about a recording artist. Employees at The Finest not only can answer it, someone on staff has probably seen the artist in concert, even if that concert was in 1969. Someone probably owns the album themselves and knows how to special order it so it will be at the store the next day. And you can still listen to any CD before you buy it.
Mark Cheatham, manager of The Finest in Fort Collins, said they have had to change their marketing strategy a bit and they now emphasize their used CD collection. Cheatham has worked at The Finest since 1981.
“Service is something that never goes out of style,” he said.
Such service keeps people like Josh Stotz, 21, of Fort Collins coming back to the store instead of logging onto a Web site to purchase tunes. The store is down the street from his house and he picks up new or used music twice a month — around payday.
“They sell vinyl, which is awesome,” Stotz said.
Because he doesn’t have access to the Internet, he doesn’t use iTunes or any other similar service. However, even if he did have access, Stotz said he would rather buy the actual album.
“I’m not a big fan of iTunes,” he said. “I like the sleeves. Besides, it’s easy to lose stuff on the computer. Plus, you can’t get the same sound of vinyl with iTunes.”
Sam Larson, 25, of Fort Collins is a struggling musician. He has played in various bands for the last 10 years and is the bass player of Patchwork Blue and Club of Fools.
From a band’s prospective, Larson said file sharing is a double-edged sword. It’s bad for a band because no one makes money if people copy the album instead of purchasing it. On the other hand, it’s good because it means more distribution of the album and more exposure for the band. Web sites like Myspace.com have exploded with band pages, which also give local musicians more exposure.
“File sharing is here to stay, fortunately or unfortunately,” he said.
And so, only the record stores that adapt will survive.
Unlike the “Empire Records” solution, a big fundraising party won’t save the day.
Though it may be an uphill battle, the record store clerks, managers and owners continue to fight. Despite hard times, Cheatham couldn’t see himself working anywhere else. He belongs in the record store. It’s his passion and place.
“People who work here live for the music. You don’t find that at Best Buy,” Cheatham said.
Writer Dan England contributed to this article.
|
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
| |
