Following the news that Aberdeen’s One-Up record shop is in severe financial trouble, Edinburgh’s Avalanche shop appears to be heading in a similar direction.
The shop, once part of a chain of five outlets that included a Glasgow branch, recently moved from its Cockburn Street premises to a new setup in the seemingly burgeoning Grassmarket community.
However, it appears that the general economic downturn that is engulfing many retailers combined with the parlous state of the music industry has placed Edinburgh’s longest-standing indie under threat.
A statement on the shop’s website also details the more specific problems that shops like Avalanche are facing – namely, bands selling direct to fans rather than routing product via music retailers, something that shop owner Kevin Buckle has frequently blogged about.
The shop is scheduled to close on January 6th next year. Exactly what happens after that is unclear, though it seems that the Avalanche name, which has traded for close on 25 years, will not die outright.
As the blog says: “I hope that by then there will be a plan but at worst I will simply close the shop and concentrate on expanding our online presence and pursuing other opportunities.”