Opal Music - support your indie online store

robert_cyrus · May 24, 2004

i use opal music on occasion, seems like they're not doing so well, and need your support:

IMPORTANT CHANGES AT OPAL MUSIC

Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in reply to your recent order.

We have been closed for almost 3 weeks, mainly as we have had an opportunity to move, at very short notice, into much needed new (larger) premises but also after many recent changes to decide the future of Opal Music.

Please, if you can, take the time to read this message.

The record industry (both labels and distributors) seem to be doing everything they can to close the few remaining "Indie" stores such as Opal Music. Most of you will have noticed that your local independent store has now either closed down or (in most cases) are finding it difficult to continue.

We now sell very few CD albums, even when we sell them for LESS than they cost us from the record company, as either:

1) you can buy them from another internet store that is not really a UK company and does not have the same rules and taxes to pay.
2) the other store is so much bigger that they get huge discounts or they can send back any items they do not sell - which makes a huge difference.
3) the item is a limited edition like the recent Franz Ferdinand and Super Furry Animals CD albums. As we are no longer able to sell anywhere near as many normal CD albums as we used to the record companies will now only send us VERY VERY FEW copies of any that are limited editions.

This also applies very much to "limited" singles. In the past we have had in stock and sold large numbers of copies of singles by bands like the:
White Stripes, Strokes, Franz Ferdinand etc.
However partly because of the CD album situation we now have
a similar situation with many singles.

Some recent examples include:
White Stripes - There's No Home 7" we received ONLY 20 copies
Boxer Rebellion - In Pursuit 7" ONLY 4 copies
Snow Patrol - Chocolate 7" ONLY 3 copies
Keane - Everybody's Changing 7" ONLY 5 copies - we ordered over 200 ...

We will sometimes be able to get more copies from other sources but this can not be guaranteed and they will usually be a little more expensive as a result.

In many cases new releases are also becoming more and more limited - too few copies are actually being made - which we think is not always so sensible. If you have bought for example every previous White Stripes single then find it impossible to get say there 12th single on 7" .... Sorry, this is record company logic for you.

We feel that despite what they may say in public it is now actually a deliberate policy by most record companies to make life so difficult that the remaining "indie" stores close down. Then they can use this argument to force you to buy music in future from a handful of massive corporate pay to download or subscription sites - without naming names but "like" Sky (TV) or My Coca Cola etc .... really quite sad, especially for those of us who still like the old vinyl ...

FOR THESE REASONS IN THE FUTURE

1) In most cases we will no longer be able to accept advance pre-orders for new releases as we want to be certain that we will have the items in stock to send to you so you will not be dissappointed.

2) We will stock less "new release" CD albums then in the past, apart from limited editions and more underground harder to find releases like for example - Ulrich Schnauss, Melys or Bearsuit ...

3) In most cases we will now NOT order in items that are no longer in stock at Opal. This is actually to improve our customer service.

Record companies seem to be very good at losing stock in their warehouses or sending us the CD instead of an LP, damaged stock or even a completely different item altogether etc etc ....
Basically there is normally a problem with virtually every back catalogue order we do with most record companies.
Your order with Opal Music is then delayed and nobody knows what is happening and nobody is very happy - so we have unfortunately had to STOP this service.

We already have in stock more titles then most other UK companies and although some of you will be dissappointed by this change it should mean that in every other way you get a better faster service.

4) We will only be able to accept orders placed using our website order form. Sorry no e-mail, post, fax or telephone ORDERS in future.

In the rare instance that there is a problem with your order please EMAIL to the SAME email address that automatically confirms you website order and we will now have much more time to quickly answer your message and solve the problem. This was also part of the reason we no longer have a contact telephone number and for the increase in the website minimum order - sorry this was not an easy decision and we really did not have too much choice about this.

SO IN FUTURE

when you place an order from the OPAL MUSIC website all the items will normally already be released and the IN STOCK items - still virtually everything listed on our website is in stock now - should be actually SENT out to you and confirmed by e-mail within 2 WORKING (week) days and often the same day you place your order.

PLEASE NOTE: During these changes our website has NOT been updated (since 9 April), hence none of the latest new releases are listed and a handful of items like the Keane - Everything Change's (Fierce Panda) CD and S.F.A. - Phantom Phorce CD album are now currently out of stock.

The website will be fully updated (including the home page) by the end of this month, May 2004 - at the very latest !

Again we can only apologise for any inconvenience caused.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Thank you very much for your valued custom and taking the time to read this. We hope you can understand our position and felt it necessary to explain what has changed recently. Despite some rumours OPAL MUSIC is very much alive and we will once again aim to offer you the best choice of "indie" music and service that the (UK) record industry allows.

.....

best regards

Mel
OPAL MUSIC

Web site: http://www.opalmusic.com
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]

Postal Address:
OPAL MUSIC, P.O. BOX 79, CARLISLE, CA3 0GF, UK
Tel : 0044 (0) 1228 593 614 - GMT 10.00 -18.00 Mon - Fri
Fax : 0044 (0) 1228 599 226 - 24 hours, 7 days
Click to expand...

space cadet · May 26, 2004

Originally posted by robert_cyrus
Most of you will have noticed that your local independent store has now either closed down or (in most cases) are finding it difficult to continue.

Click to expand...

Actually my local indie has moved to a high street location, stock more and more vinyl every week, will get in anything for you, got shelves of avant-garde, free-jazz and electronica and are generally spiffing.
Oh and they've started doing mail-order
Reveal Records

However, one cannot help feeling sorry for Opal... not nice, and certainly not benefitting anyone except the high-street chains.

ilockyer · Jun 1, 2004

Nto good at all. Opal have been one of the best sources for rare releases, back issue and the more obscure indie bands... just hope they can manage to hang on in there. A similar site, Map Records, shut down a couple of years back, think they were bought out by Eil.com.

Opal Music - support your indie online store

robert_cyrus

space cadet Far out...

ilockyer rockin' in the free world

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Opal Music - support your indie online store

robert_cyrus

space cadet Far out...

ilockyer rockin' in the free world

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

Your local hi-fi store - Aldi

Beat mixing to indie/alternative music

Online store closing down sale *very cheap*!!

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Online store closing down sale very cheap!!