If we just sold new vinyl and CDs we'd be closed by now

Of course no shop just sells vinyl and CDs these days. Many sell tickets but that hasn’t saved some. Others sell second hand and even with the higher margins that offers and the opportunity to sell rarities online they either still close down or else move online completely. Few embrace the sale of posters and badges the way we have and I have to say it is the posters that not only sell well but add to the whole feel of the shop. With our new vinyl racks again I have to say I have never been happier with both the look of the shop and the stock we have.

However though hopefully we should have a decent 5 weeks for the Festival and just after even though the students will have returned I’m sure that business in the shop itself won’t be enough come mid September. I’m a great believer in letting ideas grow organically and since we moved to the Grassmarket ways forward have presented themselves to the point were many are now close to being brought to fruition if I can connect up with the right people. Some of the ideas are potentially great for Scottish music but hard to make money from. On the plus side they are perfect for sponsorship if again the right sponsors can be found.

All these ideas are well beyond the planning stage and could be executed quite quickly and effectively given the right circumstances. As soon as we moved I started looking at possibly celebrating our best selling artists in the last 25 years since we were one of only three shops to stock “Tigermilk”. Unsurprisingly Belle and Sebastian are our best selling artist of all time and between all the shops we have had and over all the albums and singles we have sold over 20,000 units. The top three is completed by Mogwai and Biffy Clyro. Anyway I now have tentative agreements to press up exclusive vinyl for at least half the bands in our top 10 and I have other ideas I hope will be successful for all the bands. I also have backers prepared to cover costs if there is any shortfall after the titles are presold. 

Of course this would mean us working closely with the very labels that currently sometimes lose us customers. As I said I have no wish to fall out with labels and if something like this can redress the balance a little then we are all happy ! I can not stress how important it is we move quickly with these ideas as time is simply not on our side. I should have more concrete announcements shortly.