Spin and Groove Records, an independent Australian record store in Newstead, has officially closed its Doggett Street retail location as of Saturday, May 3. This marks another significant Brisbane record store closure. The business will continue trading online, reflecting a wider transformation in the city’s music retail landscape.
Spin and Groove is the third Brisbane record store in recent months to shut its physical storefront. The news follows the closure of Jet Black Cat Music in West End and The Record Exchange in Brisbane City. All three stores have transitioned to online-only operations.
“It’s sad to lose another physical space for music lovers in Brisbane,” says Jesse, a regular visitor of Spin and Groove. “These shops are more than just retail. They’re places where people connect.”
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What’s Driving Record Store Closures in Brisbane?
This wave of closures highlights several key pressures on independent retailers:
- Less foot traffic in inner-city shopping areas, especially since the pandemic.
- Rising commercial rents in popular suburbs like West End and Newstead.
- The rapid growth of online shopping, with Australians spending over $ 69 billion online in 2024—more than triple the amount spent just a decade ago, highlighting how dramatically consumer habits have shifted since 2014.
- Higher wholesale prices and shrinking profit margins on new vinyl releases, making it harder for small stores to compete.
- Customer demand for more choice, with big online retailers now offering larger and more diverse catalogs than even the largest local stores can stock.
These conditions have made it increasingly difficult for small record stores to justify the cost of maintaining a physical storefront, even as interest in vinyl, CDs and other analog formats such as cassette tapes continues to grow.
Brisbane’s Vinyl Scene Remains Resilient
Despite the decline of storefronts, Brisbane’s vinyl community is still alive and well online. Stores like Spin and Groove, Jet Black Cat, and The Record Exchange continue to serve customers through their websites and social media channels.
Not all record stores are closing. Glitter Records and Catalog Music, both in Fortitude Valley, are still open for in-person browsing. These shops remain important spaces where music lovers gather, discover artists, and keep the history and culture of music alive.
As Brisbane record store closures continue, the message is clear. While the doors may be closing, the spirit of the city’s music scene endures.
The post Spin and Groove Joins Wave of Brisbane Record Store Closures appeared first on The Glitter and Gold.
