Rough Trade, the NYC independent record store and music venue which opened in 2013, will be leaving its S. 9th St location in Williamsburg this spring.
“As with many businesses right now, the impact of the pandemic has made us rethink our approach, giving us the opportunity to reconsider how best to serve the rapidly increasing number of vinyl lovers in New York," says Rough Trade co-owner Stephen Godfroy in a statement. "In spite of the adverse conditions surrounding the pandemic, demand for vinyl is positively booming. As with so many other retail sectors, sales are diverting online, along with the power and reach of online communities, all of which gives us inspiration to become more and not less accessible, to creatively reassess the junction between online and offline interaction. Regretfully, in order for us to freely respond to these new opportunities, we shall have to bid a heartfelt and fond farewell to our beloved, inaugural US, Williamsburg premises.”