FOPP

[Bleep]

Fopp was the musical equivalent of Tesco. They made aggressive attacks in several British Cities like Bristol to flush out independent musical retailers with their pricing strategies. Now they're fucked, and I say good riddance.

[mockney piers]

We actually used to use a stanley knife. It worked, but did the record no favours at all. Still, it was only Rattle & Hum, so no loss to the world there.

[MadWorld74]

Fopp are the best. I won't hear a bad word against them. Mr MW74 boutgh a 60's vintage record player off Ebay for a tenner!! It's called the Elizabethan. Orange and cream leather with carry handle. It's very cool. MP get yourself one...

[david_carnell]

macroban Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The organic material used to play records was the

> thorn needle.

>

> They could be purchased at Follet's record store

> at the bottom of Lordship Lane.

I'm presuming this place no longer exists? Can you recommend the nearest decent store....i.e. not HMV/Virgin etc

[Bleep]

In Central London, Rough Trade (who also have a new shop on Brick Lane) and Sister Ray are your best bets for new vinyl.

[mockney piers]

There are loads and loads of second hand CD vinyl places up in camden, mostly on chalk farm road.

Granted most of the stock is terrible, but you do unearth some real gems occasionally.

[MadWorld74]

where can you get a slipmat for a vintage record player? or does it not matter what type you have?

[Asset]

I wouldn't think it matters, they are all the same size. most record shops will sell a slipmat. doin' some scratchin'?

[Bleep]

I'd suggest you try one of the various Hi-Fi shops on Tottenham Court Road for Slipmats.

[the_record_spot]

Sadly missed - bought loads of albums and CDs from Fopp over the years, in Edinburgh mainly, but more recently in London. Big mitskae was to take on Music Zone and the idea that they were here to drive out the independents in a patent nonsense given they were pretty much independent in spirit themselves and more aligned to challenging HMV and Virgin.

As for the suggestion they only ever stocked mainstream stuff, this is slightly off the mark as well. It depends how obscure you want to go, but they had good coverage across the genres and sensibly priced. Maybe their smaller stores held smaller stock levels (understandably) but the niche shops will always be different. Doesn't necessarily make them better and it's all a question of taste anyway. Beanos left me stone cold - overpriced for the most part (certainly for the stuff I was interested in). No surprise they went to the wall - I hear they're still going but with more independent traders using the space?

Fopp for me were a brilliant shop - sad to say, they shot themselves in the foot by aiming to high and the poster who mentioned they should've stuck to more off high street locations was bang on. What on earth they were doing in Tottenham Court Road, Camden, Edinburgh's Rose Street, et al, all high rent locations when the smart money would've kept them in clover a little further afield.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Welcome to the forum record_spot

I'd love to have been the manager who, post music-zone deal, was privvy to the extent of the debts and other problems inherited.... poor soul

[the_record_spot]

Hi Sean, thanks for the welcome. A thankless task and no mistake I'm sure. Always felt their website could've been better too. Never really felt they took enough advantage of that one. Either way, history now. I'm now championing Avalanche in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Bit of a swine to get to if you're in London admittedly, but great shops! London-wise, it's a tough call - the Record Exchange would be high on the list but they always stick those damn price stickers on that are a swine to remove!!

Ah well, long live the record fairs....!

[macroban]

I see that HMV have bought the "Fopp" name and the six Fopp stores that were trading profitably. The other 76 Fopp stores must have been running at a loss.

The quarter ending 30 June HMV shop sales are reported as down 20%.

It seems unlikely that there will ever be a record store in East Dulwich to replace Follets.

[mockney piers]

I'm pretty certain that I was personally preventing the Camden branch from operating at a loss, so no idea why they haven't been bought.

Perhaps they've chosen branches where HMV had no presence or their own branches were struggling.

[macroban]

I see that ChoicesUK has now gone into administration too.

Much larger that FOPP.