SAVE OUR RECORD SHOPS: Martian Records, Exeter, Exmouth, Weston Super Mare and Taunton
As part of our Save Our Record Shops feature, and with National Record Store Day coming up later this month, we’ve collected some info on some of the best record stores in the region…
Martian Records
Exeter 01392 496531 / Taunton 01823 330978 / Exmouth 01395 225981 / Weston Super Mare 01934 645964 // martian.info@gmail.com
How long has your shop been open?
We’ve been in the Exeter shop for 16 years, but as a company we’ve just had our 21st birthday!
Do you specialise in any particular kind of music?
A lot of people think of us as a rock shop but we sell all the new releases and lots of other specialist music like jazz, blues, reggae and folk. We also sell DVDs, posters and probably the largest selection of t-shirts the South West.
What has been the most memorable thing that has happened in the shop over the years?
We’ve had all the top celebs in our shop over the years, Josie Lawrence, Cannon and Ball and the other bloke from the Style Council who’s not Paul Weller!
How have the changes in the music industry (downloading etc) affected your shop?
Despite what’s reported in the media, legal downloads only make up a comparatively small fraction of music sales, most downloads are chart/pop based and we find customers who buy specialist music still prefer a to own a physical CD, and then put a copy on their PC or mp3 player. As for illegal downloading, the major record labels have been slow to react to the problem. CDs in the UK were too expensive for too long. However ,over the last few years the big labels have reduced their prices making it easier for independent stores to stay competitive. These days it doesn’t take long for CDs and DVDs to drop to under a fiver which is a pretty fair price.
Has your clientele or the music/products you sell changed since downloading became more popular?
For us the biggest change has not come from downloads, but from the supermarkets, who have had a massive impact on all independent shops. Sometimes they sell chart CDs and DVDs at below the cost price which has pretty much destroyed the pop chart as it used to be. It may seem great for the consumer in the short term but has had serious repercussions for smaller music retailers around the UK with around 300 hundred shops in 2008. The supermarkets are only concerned with shifting as many units as possible so only generally just stock the top 40, Independent shops like ours stock over 5000 titles so are the main avenue for independent bands to gain exposure.
How have you tried to address the changes that you have witnessed in the industry – what are you doing that’s new?
Our main strength has been to stay flexible and tailor our individual shops to their particular locations. We are always looking at new ways to give customers as much choice and value as possible and we stock a lot of titles that the larger shops don’t stock. A big part of our business is in pre-owned stock and we’ve just launched a new customer loyalty card. Also on 17 April it’s Record Store Day when independent shops all over Europe and America will be selling exclusive limited releases not available in the chain stores or on the Internet.
Where do you see things going in the next four or five years? Will you still be open as a shop?
We will still be here! We have four shops, and despite new pressures on us and the economy in general we have a positive outlook for the future. Shopping all around the country has become more and more homogenized, so it’s even more important for independent shops to show what makes them unique.
