FEATURE:
A Wonderful Blast from the Past…
IMAGE CREDIT: Our Price
The Online Return of the Iconic Our Price
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THERE are signs of reversal and return…
PHOTO CREDIT: Alax Matias/Pexels
to a time that we thought had past. I mean, in the early-‘00s, few people would have predicted record shops would survive long. Also, when digital music started to take more of a hold and charge, it was understandable that physical music formats would prove less popular. Not only have compact discs and cassettes survived and continue to rise (slightly) in sale. We have a booming vinyl market and chains like HMV remain strong. The flagship HMV store on London’s Oxford Street was resurrected and reopened last year. It does seem there are leaves and shoots when it comes to returning – in a small way – to the prosperity of physical music and record shops in the 1990s. Another happy piece of news highlights how Our Price have returned. They will start online, though there is hope that stores will reopen soon. NME report how there the chain is back in business. It is a positive sign that their online presence could return to the high street:
“The classic UK music shop Our Price is set to relaunch later this month.
Our Price was a popular chain of record stores across the UK and Ireland, which launched in the early ‘70s and became a famous presence on high streets across the country up until the early ‘00s.
Founded in 1971 by Gary Nesbitt, Edward Stollins and Mike Isaacs, the first branch was located on London’s Finchley Road and, for the first five years, the six stores were branded The Tape Revolution and concentrated on selling CDs and eight-track tapes.
From 1976 onwards, the chain was rebranded as Our Price Records, in response to higher demand for vinyl records, then rebranded once again as Our Price Music in 1988, before landing on Our Price in 1993. By this point, over 300 branches had been opened across the UK and Ireland.
Despite having branches in locations such as Kings Road, Chelsea and being named as the second-largest retailer of records and tapes in the ‘80s – with Woolworths benign the first – the business was put under threat by the expansion of HMV.
PHOTO CREDIT: Our Price
After a plethora of issues, the business gradually declined, and closed its final branch in 2004. However, it has now confirmed that it will be relaunching, and set to open its doors again next week.
“For two decades Our Price has held a special place in the heart of many. Today, we’re thrilled to announce we’re making a comeback! Get ready to discover the value and excitement you loved about Our Price as we gear up for a grand re-launch on the 30th April 2024,” reads a post on the store’s website.
Similarly, the shop posted an update on Facebook, building anticipation for the return – two decades after it closed.
“Countdown’s ticking and we’re pumped. And (if I’m honest) pretty jittery. We’re a crew of musos, DJs and enthusiasts reviving a beloved brand,” it began. “We’re not exactly swimming in cash, so no flashy launch. We’re doing things organically, adding new lines every month. For us, it’s all about good vibes and keeping it personal.”
It continued: “Also (and this isn’t PR speak) we want you to be part of the journey. Tell us what you’re into. We want to hear from you. Drop us a line once the site is live telling us what you want from Our Price.
“For day 1 we’ve got about 20,000 vinyl, some very cool tees, and the beginnings of what will ultimately be a carefully curated range of hi-fi and audio equipment. It’s going to be great.”
You can sign up to the store via the official website ahead of its launch on April 30. Those who sign up are offered “free shipping and all the pre-orders, product updates and comp news”.
News of the brand’s comeback comes after it was reported last December that sales of vinyl records in the UK had hit their highest level since 1990.
It marked the 16th consecutive year of rising sales, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which also added that the vinyl market had increased more than four times as fast with an 11.7 per cent rise to 5.9 million units in 2023”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Vlada Karpovich/Pexels
Our Price was a big part of my childhood and teenage years. Alongside HMV, I would get singles and albums here. Whilst I mainly bought physical music, there were also posters and other bits of music merchandise. At a time when there was not Internet options to order music, these shops were invaluable. One could say they lack purpose and place now. As physical music survives and thrives, Our Price prepares to relaunch. Today (30th April), we will see a once-iconic and legendary name come back. This new success story shows that there is a place for independent and chain stores. It is not only vinyl sales that is responsible for Our Price coming back. Physical music has found a new generation and renewed purpose. I am excited to see how that develops and grows. We end April welcoming back Our Price. One cannot rule out the possibility of its branches appearing on the high street. I wonder whether cassettes albums will play a part. Whether singles will make a comeback. If once-dissolved chains can come back, it does mean there will be questions around expansion and survival. How will Our Price differ from HMV. I feel a lot of music lovers would like to see a mix of multiple physical music formats together with merchandise and electronics. Giving customers options and the likes of Our Price being able to co-exist with independent chains. You can go to Our Price’s website here. Rejoice in the fact that we have another reason to cheer. Think back a few years or so when there was fear that the pandemic was going to threaten the existence and possibility of many record stores. Now, in 2024, we are in a healthy position.
Even though there is a long way to go until we return to the golden days of years past, I think we will see further improvement. The hope that we see waves of people visit Our Price and ensure that they are trading for many years to come. If the website is a success and flourishes, it will lead to a call for stores to open. For people like me who relied on them and would often discover new albums that would stay with me for years, it is a chance for music lovers older and young to have the same experience. Not to take anything away from the Internet, though there is something different about browsing and shopping on the high street. Going into a branch of Our Price and seeing what is in stock. I think it is important now more than ever that we encourage as many people to come into music stores. If you know Our Price or are new to them, go and check out the website today. It is the start of an exciting and promising new path. I think that we will slowly start to see chains return. That would give options regarding layout and stock. Maybe getting ahead of myself, it is good that sites like What Hi-Fi? are sharing the news. It is amazing to think how the industry has seen this revival and growth post-pandemic. The lust and demand for physical music many felt would never happen. I am so pleased. It is very early days, though there is every reason to suggest Our Price will be back in force and have a real stake and physical presence on the high street. Today, online, we wish Our Price all the best. It is very much…
PHOTO CREDIT: Our Price
A welcome return!