CD burnining and the state of Independence

Hey everyone. By now many of you may have noticed the sign below posted prominently in the store:

Friends Don’t Let Friends Burn CDs

It might seem like a victimless crime, but burning copies of your CDs for friends and family is not only illegal – and unethical – it is also one of the biggest reasons well over 350 independent record stores went out of business in the first half of 2005 alone. Please - do the right thing.

Western Washington’s Oldest Independent Record Store thanks you!

Typically, I’m very reluctant to get on a soapbox. Nobody likes to hear a business owner lecture their customers – particularly about subjects which directly affect their bottom line. However, nary a day goes by in the store when one of us doesn't overhear a customer say (some variation on): “Oh, don’t buy that – I’ll burn you a copy of mine”. Often they do this at the register! Most of the time it seems like folks don’t even realize what they’re saying in front of us. It is no different then going into the Co-op and saying: “Oh don’t buy those groceries – I’ll steal you some later”. Every time a customer burns a CD for someone else it’s like they are reaching into the till and taking out a twenty (or whatever).

Now, I know that the record industry gouges folks on the cost of CD’s. As an independent record store they are constantly raising their wholesale costs (to small stores like ours) without raising the list price correspondingly. Our margins (the difference between what something costs us and what we charge you) have shrunk considerably in the last two years. Additionally, in an effort to push their most popular (and profitable) artists, they consistently offer huge wholesale discounts to ‘Big Box’ retailers in an effort to move the greatest volume of product. They see independents like us as a nuisance – and raise their prices in an attempt to squeeze us out. The end result of this strategy as that there are fewer and fewer choices at most retail outlets. Try getting most of what we sell at Best Buy, Target or Walmart (those three count for a full 50% of all ‘bricks and mortar’ sales – and this percentage is growing every quarter) and you will be sadly disappointed. The cost to us for carrying the kind of eclectic and quality music we carry is enormous.

We are not the bad guys. We give a huge percentage of our profits back to the local community. We actually lost money last year and still gave away over $5,000 in scholarships, free concerts and movies, and donations to local causes. Additionally we provide free ticket services and advertising to any and all locally produced arts events.

OK – I’ve stepped off my soapbox. I hope you all feel like we are fulfilling our obligation as not just a record store but also as a community resource. We are committed to doing everything we can to avoid becoming the dinosaur that so many other record stores have become. We welcome all feedback and hope that you will let us know whenever you feel we’re not doing the best job possible.