Rough Trade, the music retailer, will open its first UK store outside of London this autumn in Nottingham, after buying a controlling stake in fellow independent music chain Rise.
The new site will be based in the city’s Creative Quarter in Broad Street, and modelled on the award-winning template of London’s Rough Trade East and West, which include a coffee/café offer as well as the company’s recently-opened New York store.
Rough Trade said to expect more new store openings across the UK in the near future, with regional growth to be fuelled by the acquisition of the majority interest in Rise Music.
Established in 2007 by Fopp founder Gordon Montgomery and his son Lawrence, Rise is Bristol’s leading independent music retailer and also counts stores in Worcester and Cheltenham.
Rise’s managing director Lawrence Montgomery has been appointed to manage Rough Trade’s regional UK store operations.
He said: “Rough Trade defines the past, present and future of music retail like no other brand, so I’m delighted to be joining Rough Trade during this incredibly exciting period, helping bring their much loved and respected form of music retail to cities across the UK, starting with Nottingham.”
Rough Trade co-owner/director Stephen Godfroy said: “In response to the limitations of screen-based retail, our stores have become cultural hotspots, particularly for younger, format-savvy generations, who are as likely to play vinyl records to a room full of friends, as they are to listen a track on their phone.
“City centre retail is often overshadowed by the bar and restaurant sector in terms of providing places of communal vibrancy, so we hope to liven things up a little by giving innovative artists and independent thinkers a place to unite, creating places that aren’t afraid to experiment and rattle expectations.”
