Beyond Vinyl, a record store in the John Marley Centre near Denton, Newcastle, is at risk of closing, with owner David McGovern saying he is trying to find a way forward. The shop has faced a difficult few months staying afloat, according to a recent Facebook post that drew attention online.
The post said: "I've spent months trying to work out how we keep Beyond Vinyl going as a physical shop. I think it's time I shared where we're at and what I'm trying to do about it."
Financial struggles and supplier debt
The difficulties include supplier debt from Record Store Day, a day meant to increase profits for independent record stores but which can often lead to crowd surges for only one day a year. Day-to-day costs have also played a large part in why the shop is struggling.
The lack of income from events and ticket sales has been another crippling factor, with the post warning: "If we can't change that, we may have to close the shop. I haven't made that decision, and I'm trying to find a way forward."
Community and grassroots music
While Beyond Vinyl could continue as an online store, that isn't the real loss to the business: "If we lose the physical shop, we lose the space for live performances, signings, meet and greets and all the things that happen when people come together here."
McGovern spoke about his desire to keep going in such a difficult business climate, not just to keep the shop, but to keep the community around it. He said: "It's massive, it's not just a business. I didn't open it expecting to make tons of money out of it. It wasn't about that."
He added: "I've always been into music, I studied music at college, and I ended up in a music shop straight after. I just wanted to offer something different, and having Beyond lets me do that."
He spoke on what the shop has become in the near-decade it's been open: "It's community-based. We've got the record studio label and space there. For me, it's about a community and without a record shop, that community just disappears."
"The space offers people, young and old, no matter where they are in their career, an opportunity to come in and play in a little venue, our record shop."
Future events and support
Speaking on the importance of venues such as Beyond Vinyl, he said: "There are all these little venues that are so important to the real grassroots. And if we lose any of them, that's one less possible place for somebody to really start their music career."
Beyond Vinyl offers 24-week programmes for teens interested in music, sound tech and songwriting. Should the physical store close, that would make running the programme much harder.
McGovern said: "A lot of people find out afterwards that a shop's been struggling and they have to close down, it's usually just a notice goes out the shop's closed, that's it. I'm doing everything I can to try to keep it open, but having events that could support us and also support local artists would be perfect."
He added: "I'm hoping the work we do now and the next couple of months will be supported, and we've got a great support base out there."
The event he's hoping to run would follow the upcoming Blur listening session and band Little Granddad's live performance and signing. The Facebook post called for a big Beyond music event, including live bands, comedy, food, drinks, "and a proper day or night worth buying a ticket for". The event would need people to get behind it and buy tickets, raising enough after costs to help pay down debt and bring new stock into the shop.
The post concluded: "I don't want to just close one day without telling you what's happening. I want to try to keep this place going, and I hope you'll be part of it."
