Independent music retailer Rough Trade is expanding its presence in Europe with a new warehouse and store in Berlin, Germany.
Rough Trade’s Berlin office and warehouse will be situated in Kreuzberg, serving as the central hub for the company’s European operations.
The EU business will be owned and managed by Rough Trade Retail Holdings Ltd., in collaboration with German shareholders Christof Ellinghaus and Kurt Thielen. Additional support and expertise will be provided by Rough Trade UK.
Rough Trade Retail is part of the wider Rough Trade brand, which also includes Rough Trade Records. The brand traces its roots back to a London-based independent record shop established in 1976. Notably, Rough Trade Records signed The Smiths in 1983.
Rough Trade said in a press release on Thursday (September 14) that it has tripled its share of the UK vinyl market over the past five years.
Before expanding to Berlin, Rough Trade’s retail arm already operates five stores in the UK, including three in London, one in Nottingham, and another in Bristol. The company also runs a store at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City and maintains a global online merchandise store.
Rough Trade appointed Curt Keplin in mid-May to oversee its European operations as Managing Director Europe. Prior to joining Rough Trade, Keplin led and oversaw full-service B2B music distributor FUGA in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (GSA). He previously worked with Kobalt, City Slang, and Cooperative Music, among others.
“vinyl is back in full swing, so for Rough Trade, expanding to Europe is the right step at the right time.”
Curt Keplin, Rough Trade
“As a kid, I always dreamt of having a record store, now getting the chance of running one for such an iconic brand like Rough Trade with great history feels surreal. At the same time, vinyl is back in full swing, so for Rough Trade, expanding to Europe is the right step at the right time,” Keplin said.
Nearly a year ago, Steve Rhodes, Co-Founder and CEO of UK-based ‘vinyl-on-demand’ startup, elasticStage, told MBW that “the vinyl business is only going to grow.”
“Vinyl hasn’t penetrated the mainstream yet – at the moment it is where MP3 players were in the ‘90s before Steve Jobs showed us all how to do it with the iPod and iTunes store,” Rhodes said.
The resurgence of vinyl prompted Metallica to buy its own pressing plant in March and Timbaland to acquire a strategic stake in UK-born lifestyle and vinyl brand 12on12 last month.
Meanwhile, effective September 1, Keplin was joined by Connor Boshuijer as Head of Buying EU, Nina Scherer as Digital Marketing Manager EU, and Daniel Ellis as Warehouse & Fulfilment Manager EU at Rough Trade.
The company plans to commence trading online in Germany in mid-October, offering an EU-focused shopping experience on its website, featuring localized content and order fulfillment throughout Europe from its Berlin base.
Looking ahead, Rough Trade is set to open a flagship store in Berlin in the second quarter of 2024.
The 270 square-meter store will be located in the revamped Kalle Neukölln building, a former department store and multi-storey car park. Kalle Neukölln will also house a new 600-capacity venue, a food market, and an extensive rooftop garden.
Ticketing for the Berlin store will be managed through Rough Trade’s partnership with DICE.
“The expansion of our e-commerce operation will bring great scale for our label partners as we will be able to sell and promote their artists and releases across 3 major territories (UK, US, EU).”
Lawrence Montgomery, Rough Trade UK
“This growth is a great reflection of the work put in by our teams over the recent years. We are incredibly proud to be opening a store in Berlin, which has a rich cultural and music history that we’re excited to become a part of. The expansion of our e-commerce operation will bring great scale for our label partners as we will be able to sell and promote their artists and releases across 3 major territories (UK, US, EU),” said Lawrence Montgomery, Managing Director of Rough Trade UK.
“The company’s expansion into Europe signifies the natural progression towards establishing a global retail network and positioning itself as a positive force in physical record sales for years to come.”
Martin Mills
Martin Mills of Rough Trade Retail Holdings added: “It’s wonderful to see Rough Trade flourishing and cementing its status as a leader in record retailing.
“The company’s expansion into Europe signifies the natural progression towards establishing a global retail network and positioning itself as a positive force in physical record sales for years to come.”
The wider Rough Trade group has been part of London-based independent music company Beggars Group since an GBP £800,000 deal in 2007.
In 2016, Rough Trade’s publishing arm was sold to Bank Robber Industries, which merged the company into its publishing arm, House of Hassle Publishing. Rough Trade Publishing was the surviving entity following the merger.
The following year, Primary Wave Music Publishing acquired an equity stake in Rough Trade Publishing for more than $5 million and pledged to provide the company with future financing.
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