Survival(!) of an independent classical CD shop!

[johnb]

Over the weekend I made one of my rare visits to Bath and saw, with great sadness, the empty shop which used to be the home of Bath Campact Discs.

Crammed into a small shop, over flowing with CDs, this was by far the best classical CD retailer in the region. The staff were always knowledgeable and helpful but they had no online ordering facility.

I also feel guilty, knowing that my use of Amazon, etc has helped the shop's demise.

(It is always possible that they have moved to another premises but their website is down, so it seems unlikely.)

Edit 28/08/12:
Apologies - I jumped to the wrong conclusion. The shop has moved across the road to smaller premises.

[french frank]

I also feel guilty, knowing that my use of Amazon, etc has helped the shop's demise.

The ease with which you can order on Amazon is an awful temptation, isn't it?

However, my brother said a couple of weeks ago that he'd like the Naxos boxed set of Haydn concertos for his birthday - on his Amazon wish list. But! I ordered them by phone (at Providence Music, declaration of interest: preserving independent shops) and they emailed me two days later to say they were in. Then of course I go into tahn ... and browse ... Much more fun really.

[handsomefortune]

worryingly, if bath can't hack it...what chance the rest?

the feeling of losing a fave shop is pretty dramatic.....and sadness lingers, which takes me by surprise each time ...... (it's as though 'they' have got a list of the ones i like ..and get rid!)

i guess this is a particularly stark reminder of the downside of tinternet and is quite scarey....for those used to small, specialist shops & pleasant, helpful humans with similar interests.

[Petrushka]

Harold Moores in Great Marlborough Street must be amongst the last of a dying breed but glad to report that they appeared to be doing brisk business when I was there 10 days ago.

I visited Bath Compact Discs just once back in the late 1980s and it is sad to see them go.

[VodkaDilc]

I have never used Amazon and don't intend to start now. As a replacement for the much-missed Woods in Bognor, I have found Presto Classical In Leamington very quick and reasonably priced. Shouldn't we all be trying to support small businesses before they've all gone?

[umslopogaas]

I would like to put in a good word for Audio Destination in Tiverton, Devon. They are a hi-fi shop, not a record shop, but they will order any CD that is in print and generally seem to get them in two or three days. They also have new and second-hand vinyl. I have fallen into the habit of selecting a few likely titles every month from the latest Gramophone, then ordering them up from Audio Destination.

[mangerton]

I have never used Amazon and don't intend to start now. As a replacement for the much-missed Woods in Bognor, I have found Presto Classical In Leamington very quick and reasonably priced. Shouldn't we all be trying to support small businesses before they've all gone?

Indeed we should, but sadly it's already too late where I live. Virgin used to be quite good, but it closed. All there is now is HMV, which is a disgrace. Nipper will be turning in his grave.

[VodkaDilc]

Indeed we should, but sadly it's already too late where I live. Virgin used to be quite good, but it closed. All there is now is HMV, which is a disgrace. Nipper will be turning in his grave.

But there ARE independent online CD shops, like Presto Classical.

[Petrushka]

Shouldn't we all be trying to support small businesses before they've all gone?

In an ideal world we would but sadly this is the unavoidable march of progress and businesses stand or fall accordingly. It's a harsh and unsentimental world out there and it doesn't look like changing anytime soon.

[mangerton]

But there ARE independent online CD shops, like Presto Classical.

Yes, that is true, and I do use them, and Linn. But the browsing experience mentioned by ff is no longer available here. Edinburgh or Aberdeen are the nearest - 60 or 70 miles respectively.

[Ferretfancy]

I visit the Lake District fairly regularly, and in Windermere there is just a single music shop with a very limited range of classical CDs. As far as I know, it's the only retailer for miles around, even places like Kendal have nothing. Faced with this what are local customers to do? The only way to buy is by going online.

I do use Amazon occasionally, usually for older titles on CD like Living Stereo, but there is no real substitute for going into a well stocked shop for a browse when you can still sometimes find the unexpected. The idea that music should only be available for download fills me with gloom.

[ahinton]

When last I was in Bath (where I lived for almost a quarter century), Bath Compact Discs had indeed gone - to the other side of Broad Street! So if it really has now gone, that would be very sad but I wonder if it really has. I'll see what I can find out. In the meantime, there's this

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/New-look-Bath-classical-CD-shop-crosses-road/story-15365139-detail/story.html

which might seem rather odd given that Bath is hardly in Devon, but at least it documents the move earlier this year.

This suggests that it was still around less than four months ago

http://www.epigram.org.uk/2012/05/record-store-day-past-present-and-future/

Anyone here from or near Bath?...

[Resurrection Man]

I have never used Amazon and don't intend to start now. As a replacement for the much-missed Woods in Bognor, I have found Presto Classical In Leamington very quick and reasonably priced. Shouldn't we all be trying to support small businesses before they've all gone?

Another vote to use Presto. Very good service and keen pricing. I prefer their search function as well !

[cloughie]

Many of the users of these boards feast on the recommendations of the Bargains threads - we probably also use Bath Compact Discs and other independents if in the area(s) but I suspect many of us have contributed to the success of BCD while it lasted but also to its demise.

[Richard Tarleton]

At the risk of sounding a discordant note, as I said on an earlier thread I did find the business of removing CDs from their jewel cases (for security reasons) as at BCD and storing them behind the counter in paper envelopes annoying - don't know if they continue(d) to do that. Same as used to happen with LPs. One CD I tried to buy there had been misplaced, they couldn't find it. It meant any CD you bought had been handled at least twice, exposed to dust, etc.

I visited an interesting CD shop in Southwold in May which seemed to have a more robust business model - can't remember what it's called and the name on my credit card bill is not much help. It had an eclectic and very browsable classical CD section, but also sold lots of other stuff - books, cards, all sorts of things. There was clearly a specialist lurking behind the CD selection but a more generalist business mind behind the rest of it - there's a Darwinian lesson in there somewhere I suspect.