Inverness music shop Union Vinyl closes doors after more than a decade in the city centre

An Inverness city centre vinyl treasure trove has been forced to close its doors amidst rising costs and a “massive downturn” in sales, aggravated by the cost-of-living crisis.

Union Vinyl’s owner Nigel Graham announced this morning that the Market Brae Steps shop will permanently close after it became unsustainable to run the business.

This comes after Mr Graham - who also owns Vinyl 2 Vintage in Nairn - tried to find a new owner for the business, which he has been running since 2014, initially from a pop-up shop in Union Street and eventually relocating in its current premises seven years ago.

· More business news

Commenting on the announcement, the business owner shared his frustration at being forced to shut down a business he loved, which he initially launched with his late mother.

“Everything has doubled in price. Even the poly bags and plastic sleeves for the albums…everything doubled.

“Every penny that we took in went back into the shop. I never took a wage out of that shop for the last four years. It was all to pay wages and keep the shop afloat and buy stock.

“As an independent shop, you don't really get any breaks at all.”

Small independent businesses like his, he said, need more support or they risk leaving the High Street empty.

“That’s the same in all independent shops,” he said.

”We're all guilty of that. We're all guilty of not supporting the shops that you should support, instead of the corporate shop.

“Sometimes a like on Facebook isn't necessarily a purchase. And the sooner people realise that if they could spend even a fiver in an independent shop, it would make so much more of a difference.

“But nobody does it. They want these corporate companies like Amazon and HMV. And this is killing the High Street, it's killing all the independent shops, which are the only reason why people go into the town.

“I'm quite passionate about people really understanding that you might be paying a little bit more, but you're always going to get that personal touch. It's not just a corporate face.

“There are so many good independent shops in Nairn, in Inverness, Forres and Elgin, and we're all struggling to make a wage. We're all struggling to pay people and things. So, stop using Amazon!”

However it’s not all “doom and gloom” for Mr Graham, as the closure of Union Vinyl will mean he will be able to focus his energies on his Nairn shop and to direct some of his Inverness customers to the shop on the Brae. “You've got to be positive,” he said.

“I've got to be more proactive. I've got to push this one more. Because I was trying to do two things at once before it was more difficult, but I have a good chance for this one to do bigger and better things.”

Among his plans are acoustic sessions with bands performing at one of the most popular music venues in town, such as the Bandstand and The Havelock.

“The music scene in Nairn is brilliant, there are bands playing live every weekend, you have to pick which one you are going to go to!”

The last act for Union Vinyl will be a big sale on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, before Mr Graham empties his shop and hands it back to the landlord.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.