Rough Trade Invests In A Traditional Storefront

The majority of established music businesses have only become embittered by internet downloading, fighting an uphill battle with technology, staring miserably at dwindling numbers and enumerating dollars lost in fewer and fewer transactions. Well, the executives at Rough Trade have decided to throw aside their shields of wood and fight fire with fire with a colossal 5,000 square ft. East London storefront bent on building fervor and excitement for music rather than selling plastic. When it opens in two months, it will be the largest music-only shop in the UK, dwarfing their original stores in Covent Garden and Portobello Road.

In an interview with The Independent, the director of Rough Trade stores Stephen Godfroy was quoted, "we are looking to make an official announcement in the next few weeks. Our aim is to deliver something we feel has been missing in this country for far too long - an environment that celebrates music as an exciting art form, not just another commercial commodity - but on a scale that is a departure from the traditional perception of an independent record shop. The music industry seems to have a lot of doom and gloom about it at the moment, despite people's passion for music being as strong as ever. We certainly hope to put some smiles back on faces with something that reflects the true public appetite for exciting new music." Amen.