| Founded | 1976 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Geoff Travis |
| Headquarters | London ,UK |
| Divisions | Rough Trade Records (withBeggars Group, co-ownership through brand licensing only) |
Rough Trade is a retail chain of record shops in the United Kingdom and the United States with headquarters inLondon.
The first Rough Trade shop was opened in 1976 byGeoff Travis in theLadbroke Grove district ofWest London. Travis reportedly took the name from the Canadianart punk/new wave bandRough Trade.[1] In 1978, the shop spawnedRough Trade Records, which later became the label of bands fromThe Smiths toThe Libertines. In 1982, the two separated and the shop remains an independent entity from the label, although links between the two are strong. At the same time, the shop moved from its original location on Kensington Park Road round the corner to Talbot Road. In 1988, a shop opened inNeal's Yard,Covent Garden.[2] At various times there were also shops inSan Francisco (on Grant St., then Sixth Street, thenHaight Street and finally 3rd and Townsend Streets),Tokyo andParis. They were eventually closed following the rise of music sales on the Internet. Rough Trade replaced these stores with anonline music store.[citation needed]
In 2007, the chain began to grow again, opening Rough Trade East in Dray Walk,Brick Lane, in east London.[3] There are now 7 shops worldwide with 5 shops in the UK,[4] one in New York City, USA, and one in Berlin, Germany.[5]
The Beggars Group retains control of the company. Its trading company ownership name Rough Trade Retail (UK) Limited is owned byXL Recordings andMatthieu Pigasse with directors including XL owners from the widerBeggars Group[6] causing some[who?] to question its independence.Martin Mills, the original founder of Beggars is another notable director.
Its dominance in the record shop market is sometimes resented by other shops who think it makes an unfair market, e.g. they have less access to limited editions which Rough Trade can develop with its links to record labels.[7]
The store was the first Rough Trade shop and opened at 202 Kensington Park Road in 1976.[8] It later moved to 130 Talbot Road where it continues to trade today.[9]
TheCovent Garden shop opened in 1988 and was located in the basement of Slam City Skates inNeal's Yard. It closed down shortly before Rough Trade East opened in 2007.[2]
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In July 2007, Rough Trade opened a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) shop inBrick Lane.[10] The shop, called "Rough Trade East", is located in the formerTruman's Brewery in a courtyard off Brick Lane and puts on music gigs with a stage, allowing for an audience of 300.[11] Gig ticketing is usually the cost of entry with the purchase of a full price album, either bought ahead from the shop to gain a ticket or bought online via theDICE platform, where the customer picks up the record at the door.[12][11]
The shop sells some chart titles, music from bands without distribution deals with a quarter of the merchandise isvinyl.[13] Every item, vinyl and CD, has a written description to encourage browsing and discovery. Designed byDavid Adjaye the shop has afair trade café and a "snug" area withiMacs, sofas and desks.[14]
In the first half of 2007, CD sales had fallen by 10 percent and in the month of the shop opening the UK music chainFopp went into administration. Stephen Godfroy, the store director, said, "I don't think music belongs on the high street as the high street exists at the moment", and that retailers, not the consumers, are to blame for the decline in sales.[15] In September 2007, sales in Rough Trade East had exceeded expectations by 20 percent. Stephen Godfroy explained that "You've got to create an environment where people want to spend time. It's got to be complementary to modern lifestyles, distinctive and competitive on pricing and have confidence in recommending exciting new products and not rely on chart product."[10]
In April 2012, it was announced that Rough Trade would be opening a store in theWilliamsburg neighbourhood of Brooklyn, in partnership withBowery Presents. The store, including a performance space and a coffee counter, was initially scheduled to open in late 2012.[16] The store opened on 25 November 2013, becoming the biggest record store in New York City.[17]
The Brooklyn store closed in March 2021, moving to a new, smaller location at30 Rockefeller Plaza in June.[18] In January 2025, it was announced that Rough Trade would be opening a second store at Rockefeller Center located below the current store. The smaller existing store at street level will be renamed Rough Trade Above while the new location, which will be called Rough Trade Below, will occupy 4,000 square feet and feature a large selection of merch, audio hardware, new and used CDs and vinyl records, movies, collectibles and more. The expansion will "increase the capacity for in-store events from several dozen to a couple of hundred spectators". Rough Trade Below, which will be located in front of the47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station, is scheduled to open in spring 2025.[19][20]
Rough Trade opened a store on Broad Street inNottingham'sLace Market area in 2014. The store has a bar and performance area on the first floor.[21][2]
The opening of the shop in Nottingham was thought to threaten existing independent shops, with the struggling Music Exchange shop closing 18 months later.[7]
In 2024, Rough Trade opened its first shop in the north of England, inLiverpool, where it is situated in the Hanover Street district of theLiverpool One shopping complex.[22]
Musically, Rough Trade Shops' own music releases often follow thepost-punk genre, but carry items through a range of genres, mostly within the alternative or underground scenes. Recently the shop has released several compilation albums, each focusing on an individual genre such asindie-pop,electronica,country, singer songwriter,rock and roll andpost-punk. Every January since 2003, it has released a compilation putting together the best (in the opinion of the shops' staff) of the previous year's music entitledCounter Culture.[23] In 2007, there was also the release ofCounter Culture 76, reflecting the music of year the shop opened. It also released a 4-CD box set for its 25th anniversary in 2001, and a special collection of songs chosen by customers was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary in 2006.[citation needed]
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