Record Shops On The High Street

While competition from streaming and downloading has seen record shops disappear from the high street, Rough Trade is looking to expand its UK presence outside of London.

The firm, which has two shops in London and one in New York, is opening a new shop in Nottingham in the autumn.

That appears to be the first step in a regional expansion program, boosted by Rough Trade’s recent purchase of a majority share in Rise Music, the Bristol-based independent music retailer with shops in Worcester and Cheltenham.

Former Rise MD Lawrence Montgomery has been put in charge of running Rough Trade’s UK regional operation.

“In response to the limitations of screen-based retail, our stores have become cultural hotspots, particularly for younger, format-savvy generations, who are as likely to play vinyl records to a room full of friends as they are to listen a track on their phone,” said Rough Trade co-owner Stephen Godfroy.