Number 19 closure an end of Town institution, according to shoppers
Monday 27th September 2010, 2:29PM BST.
Number 19 will close down when its stock has been sold. (Picture by Zoe Ash)
GUERNSEY is losing an institution.
That was the opinion of islanders greeted with the news that the independent music store Number 19 is to close.
The Le Pollet shop opened in 1972 and in the early years was a record store, selling vinyl album and singles.
Over a 30-year period it has seen cassettes, video and 8-track come and go before stocking CDs and DVDs, which became its primary sales market.
A spokesman for the shop declined to comment, but said an advert would be appearing in the Guernsey Press later this week.
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As I do most of my shopping online I won’t be a hypocrite and shed crocodile tears at the closure of Number 19. No matter how hard they tried they could never compete against the likes of Amazon and its demise was therefore inevitable.
For a variety of reasons (many pretty obvious) local retailers will never be able to compete financially with the big online suppliers like Amazon. Islanders therefore have a simple choice: Either we accept the higher prices and smaller choice at local retailers or get cheaper deals at the big online stores and watch more and more local businesses disappear.
What we cannot do is shop at Amazon and then complain when “traditional Guernsey” shops like Number 19 shut down and the “bloody foreigners” like HMV take their place. That is hypocrisy – you pays your money, you takes your choice.
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Such a shame, but in this generation you need an internet store. Those that own the properties in town who are requesting such high rents need to rethink their options.
It’s better to have lots of shops for a lower rent, at least it’s rent!
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Well said Paul Le Page. I totally agree, number 19 has hardly any stock and what they do have is much more expensive. You can pop to HMV and buy what you want there and then, and if they dont have what you want they will order it. Why should you have to pay more for somthing just because its a local shop?
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I think you’re right in every respect Paul. I’m sad to see Number 19 go and I’m as responsible as you are for its demise. I think you can add iTunes to Amazon etc as one of the reasons for the shop’s closure. So many of us are downloading these days!
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Paul I fully agree. While I am saddened at the loss of another local shop in the High Street (particularly as I propped it up with a significant weekly spend for a good 10-15 years) I don’t think I’ve even been in for a couple of years now.
The issue is that shopping is now a leisure pursuit. Islanders gladly hop over to Jersey or the UK for a day’s shopping – why don’t we find it so attractive to do it over here?
I really wonder what is going to become of our Town/retail sites and how it is possible for them to diversify?
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I will miss Number 19. So many happy memories, first record I ever bought, Kieran stapling himself to the cash desk, lectures on albums from Dave, playfights between Mikey and James… Sad times. : ( RIP.
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Gutted. Number 19 is great little shop, and I always wondered how long it would last after HMV arrived on the island! Such a shame. I returned to Guernsey this year for (another) holiday there, and I went immediately to No.19 to buy my records. Alot of my music collection has come from that shop. The first album I ever bought was from there.
RIP.
From Dave, in Manchester. Committed to No.19!
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I will always try and buy locally, and do so even when it is more expensive, as I strongly believe in supporting the local businesses. And as a music fan who likes nothing better than browsing through a record store I am sad Number 19 will go but they lost my custom years ago (before HMV in fact) after one too many occasions of them never getting the stuff I ordered or some (not all) of the shop staff being grumpy and unhelpful. I ended up going to Teleskill instead.
As a local store they could have done lots of things that HMV would not do (support local bands, in store performances) but I didn’t see them change their business model once HMV were on the island. And this is at a time when Guernseys music scene is extremely healthy!
Sad to see it go but the writing was on the wall a long time ago.
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One of those stores which will be permanently in my fond teenage memories. However, I, like most here (and most on the island it seems) stopped shopping there some time ago. I do a lot of my music buying on line and actually can’t remember the last time I bought an actual CD. Number 19 should have moved with the times, set up a virtual store, have an internet cafe and their own music download system, have a vintage vinyl/specialist area, music/dj equipment, music clothing/merchandise, support or put local music nights the list can go on. Unfortunately it wasn’t the people of Guernsey that let this store down it was the motivation of making sure that Number 19 are keeping on top of the game whilst remaining true to its roots. I would love to see a local entrepreneur with some real enthusiasm take up where Number 19 left off.
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Bring back Fuzzey’s…or is that showing my age!
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This is a very sad day.. Its culture that’s leaving, which is so important in Guernsey. My first vinyl came from here! Think about the generation of DJ’s in Guernsey that came from this. Peace to all those faces & all staff..
Also Donald Byrd – Domino’s, sold from the collection, much appreciated, thanks Brian!
Tom,Sydney
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When i returned to the island a few years ago i went to number 19 to buy a new Wii. When i found they were charging £100 more than the RRP to take advantages of the “stock shortages” even though HMV had just told me they had several hundred on their shelves i questioned their sales rep.
I told them that HMV was charging almost half what they we’re and was told that they didn;t care and that there were people who wanted to support local stores so they were taking advantage of the fact.
I haven’t bought anything else from them since.
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Its such a shame to loose another independent store,in the case of Number 19 more so,the large Music retailers only sell mainstream for the masses,you wont find such greats as “Shaun Live at The Wolf” or “Shaun Plays Plugged” at the likes of HMV .
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Sorry to say they were too dear for me
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