London-based Rough Trade Records has announced it will close its two-level, 10,000 square foot shop and live venue on North 9th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this spring. The store, which opened in 2013, will relocate to a yet-to-be-determined location in NYC. The music venue portion of the store will not be part of the relocation.
In a lengthy statement, Rough Trade co-owner Stephen Godfroy attributed the decision to close the store to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Godfrey notes that vinyl sales are “positively booming,” music sales continue to shift online.
“As with so many other retail sectors, sales are diverting online, along with the power and reach of online communities, all of which gives us [the] inspiration to become more and not less accessible, to creatively reassess the junction between online and offline interaction,” Godfroy said. “Regretfully, in order for us to freely respond to these new opportunities, we shall have to bid a heartfelt and fond farewell to our beloved, inaugural US, Williamsburg premises.”
In the meantime, Rough Trade has launched an online survey called New York Loves Music, asking record-buying New Yorkers to share their relationship with music and music services in the city.
The results of the survey will be published along with an update on NYC store relocation plans later in the year.
For a guided tour of Rough Trade NYC’s thousands of slabs of vinyl, CDs and assorted wares, check out our exclusive Secret Shopper video from 2018.