Idea for saving ROAD Records (1 Viewer)

[GO]

Its a great idea.

Power to the people.

 

[sweetoblivion]

That's just my herbal tea


Seriously though.

If this was done right, it would be fucking awesome. And if it doesn't work out? At least we can say we tried.

One thing though - ORGANISATION.
No pissing about. This iz serius, guyz.

 

[sweetoblivion]

Ok - this is slightly different (in the fact that it's about food rather than music) but it's a co-op model that might be worth reading about:

http://foodcoop.com/

The supermarket is owned entirely by its customers: to shop there you have to belong to the management cooperative. Every customer pledges to work unpaid for three hours a month, running the tills, stocking the shelves, doing the inventory. In return they all have a stake in the company and are able to buy environmentally-sound, organic produce grown locally and for a fraction of the price charged by the big chains. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/04/us-elections-brooklyn-texas-voters)

 

[rettucs]

Count me in.

I don't get the impression that the Road heads are too bothered about continuing. I think that needs to be clarified first.

And if not, would they be still willing to take some part in it. Obviously they know what it takes to run a record shop - so would they manage it if they could get people to work there at either a token wage, or completely voluntary? I'd do the latter if it meant I could sit in there all day listening to music.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

IT would justify Thumped's existence in one fell swoop.

 

[Goodbye]

Like I said on page 1

remember thingsyourmissing?

Great intentions

 

[old]

you still have that massive TYM tattoo on yr back don't you?

I got mine turned into a cat's face with stars for eyes.
Painful but worth it.

 

[Reets]

http://foodcoop.com/

to shop there you have to belong to the management cooperative.

That's the only thing i can see wrong with it, everything else seems great, and sure, if unemployment does reach 20%, there'll be lots of people to volunteer their time (myself included ).

 

[Anthony]

This was tried before. The Garden or something, it was up there by Burdocks. I think these things are doomed. I don't think the collective approach works here. Shops need a boss with vision.
Isn't it written somewhere that they end up as hangouts with people sleeping on the floor after parties, man.

Niall can put me right here but isn't the food co-op a load of separate stalls/traders under one roof.

 

[Divil A Bit]

The way to form a co-op if people were interested is to form a membership base who identify with, form, and agree to a memorandum for the co-op's activities and future activities. Decisions are made by majority agreement etc.

But the in's and out's of running a store on a voluntary basis would need some input from Dave to get started and if someone were willing then to carry on the duties perhaps a wage could be offered depending on available cash. This is purely to give a continuity to the quality of service.

After that, meetings among members can identify other income streams such as a gig in the shop etc. A co-op commitee must have a minimum of 7 members. But there's little to stop ye guys.

Sounds like fun. If a meeting were held in the shop on it's 'last day' it would be visibly easy to see the interest and ideas expressed here for instance. That of course would all need the express permission of Dave and Julie without whom...

 

[rettucs]

Shops need a boss with vision.

thats why it'd be great of one of the Road heads agreed to do this. If, say, Dave managed people in that he told people what to do, how to do it, etc, then I don't see why it couldn't work. And he wouldn't even have to work there anymore - just oversee the logistics. It could work. And if not, well at least we tried.

 

[Divil A Bit]

Anthony, that particular collective was not a co-op with memo and arts etc. It was a group of mainly anarchist minded folk. It didn't do too bad and in fact I saw a gig or two there meself. Free wine!

The food co-op already exists as an outlet in Pearse Street and it does what it says on the tin. BTW a co-op is like any other business such as it makes a profit but it is owned by the members. As far as it being a 'hangout'...what's wrong with that? Pull up a chair!

 

[ernesto]

That's the only thing i can see wrong with it, everything else seems great, and sure, if unemployment does reach 20%, there'll be lots of people to volunteer their time (myself included ).

Tripoli said this to me the other day. yeah, great idea. why dont all of us unemployed bums do a roster and volunteer a few hours a week. between us thered have to be alot of money and time saved for Road.

 

[ann post]

RE: sweet oblivion
in my time in minneapolis i shopped at a co-op run store, was recently discussing it with the oulfella, he compared it to the farmers co-op that grew in irealnd, (somone correct this, my understand is vague) - but apparently it grew out of the necessity for the farmers to bulk buy to aquire certain supplies like animal feed and whatnot, i dont know how it worked in terms of profit and loss, but it was a supply and demand situation i think.
fastforward to minneapolis, when i shopped there i got a little ticket each time i shopped, which you collected and after a while you'd get a free shoppping bag, coffee jar and so on, it had quite a good community feeling but most importantly the quality of food on offer and attetnion paid to fair trade, renewables and sourcing was the real attraction to us. small examples were that the bean grinder was in store, so you'd weigh out the amount of coffee you needed, grind it yourself into a cardboard bag that sealed well enough to get home, then transfer it to the jar in the house, this meant that all the producers had to make were sacks of beans, they didnt need to grind it, package, pay for label design - all in all a better way to deliver product, sorta like the sweet weighers on the thread about sweets there.

i'd love to see this business model in ireland, i would say shopping at the co-op woprked out more expensive, but in all cases knowing that the product was being delivered efficiently and ethically made it worth while. i know way am i business minded, but i would have a little scepticism-

as the folks from road said, they are mostly out of business because the market has collapsed, supply ≠ demand with music anymore. for the price of a good stereo ten years ago, you can now have all the music you'd ever need in your pocket and expand that collection for free.

to put this in a practiacl sense of what your talking about, the question is probably what do people demand now???

ipods
iphones
headphones
docks
hard drives

its very hard to work around local product these days, and for a co-op to succeed, its all about demand. sorry, not much positive input there, mostly thinking aloud.

 

[ernesto]

That's the only thing i can see wrong with it, everything else seems great, and sure, if unemployment does reach 20%, there'll be lots of people to volunteer their time (myself included ).

Tripoli said this to me the other day. yeah, great idea. why dont all of us unemployed bums do a roster and volunteer a few hours a week. between us thered have to be alot of money and time saved for Road.

 

[sweetoblivion]

its very hard to work around local product these days, and for a co-op to succeed, its all about demand. sorry, not much positive input there, mostly thinking aloud.

I think you've some very good points there (in the whole post).

You're dead right, there's a reason why Road is closing, it's not just a snap decision.
People are demanding different things from their record stores and people are also not going to record stores.

BUT I do think that since Road announced they're closing, a lot of people have realised the importance of shopping local and supporting local retailers.
However that doesn't mean if a record store was opened in the morning it would make 1000s of euro in a day and become hugely successful.

I don't think anyone sees this as a money-making exercise, but obviously there would be no point going into a venture like this if a lot of money would be lost.

There needs to be a clear aim for any collective - a few people have mentioned using Road's existing business/building, while others may be thinking of something totally separate.

I do agree with Anthony that a business needs a chief (or chiefs) and there will have to be people to oversee this if it does happen. Having worked in an independent record store myself (now closed down, quel surprise), I know that from business point of view it's a tough venture. But it's also an invaluable place for many people and I think that's what most people are focusing on here.
Then again, pipe dreams don't always a successful business make.

I realise I'm going back and forth but I'm just laying down a few thoughts on this...

 

[Goodbye]

Also, you're NEVER going to have people as nice as Julie or Dave behind the counter. It'll be some prick with a haircut and I wont want to go in.

 

[avernus]

Also, you're NEVER going to have people as nice as Julie or Dave behind the counter. It'll be some prick with a haircut and I wont want to go in.

Yeah, it's either someone with no hair or itunes.

 

[La La]

instead of having something separate to seomra would it perhaps be worthwhile trying to establish something WITH the seomra?? i haven't been to the new one so i don't know what the space situation is like but im sure the money coming in towards rent from a music co-op would help both parties as opposed to both paying full rent for spaces.
yes? no?

also, i know there's been some sobering criticism of the co-op idea already but I think it's worth seriously seeing the positives in this and where it could potentially go....

 

[the strange guy]

This was tried before. The Garden or something, it was up there by Burdocks. I think these things are doomed. I don't think the collective approach works here. Shops need a boss with vision.

The Garden of Delight.
It was a great spot, lovely coffee, great books, amazing
hangout. It closed 12 years ago or thereabouts.
The reason it closed was because of the landlord wanted to
kick them out and the collective were unable to find a
suitable replacement. As far as I know, at least.