CD Alley going strong

As you plunge into the cavernous shelves of CD Alley it's often difficult to distinguish owner Ryan Richardson from one of his customers.

Hunched over the massive bin of used CDs looking through the titles and adding new ones" he looks as enthralled as the others around him who dive in to the stacks in the hopes of finding a previously owned gem.

""We're able to get to know people"" he said. The owner being there is important as anything.""

Whether it's because of this dedication to fostering customer loyalty or something else" the West Franklin Street store has been able to survive where many other record stores in the area have not.

With the April closing of East Franklin's Schoolkid's Records" the store became the only record store on Franklin Street.

Richardson attributed CD Alley's ability to exist in a place that has killed so many of its peers to the store's low rent and overhead and its selection of hard-to-find titles.

""We've got relatively low overhead here with the small space" and it's pretty reasonable for being on Franklin Street he said. We tend to just have a lot of really good used stuff coming in really regularly" usually more than we can handle just piled up on the counter.""

The biggest cause Richards gave for his success was the fact that he doesn't have to rely on students for the majority of his business.

""I'm thrilled for the students who find their way down here and shop here" but luckily that isn't our total customer base" he said. We haven't been quite as affected by the downloading and the Ruckus that UNC has on campus.""

And for Schoolkid's" the dwindling of student business was one of the major contributors in the demise of its Chapel Hill location.

Ric Culross manger of the Raleigh location and former manager of the Franklin Street store" said that lack of student interest and high rent created an environment in which the store could no longer survive.

""Each fall for years and years when students arrive our sales would jump way high"" he said. For the last five years the number of students came into the store went down.

""Students have found some other means of finding their music.""

Culross said he observed that as the number of record stores  in Chapel Hill continued to diminish"" the business at Schoolkid's never saw a significant spike.

""Each time one store closed" the other store didn't increase our sales" he said. It lost some customer base that would buy music.""

Without a record store right on the edge of campus"" Culross said that students are missing out on what he sees as a pivotal part of the college experience.

""Someone has to expose the people to the breadth of music that's out there. It used to be radio. But there's a lot of music that they don't play"" he said. The message is in music and I like to make sure that our stores always have the message.""

But for CD Alley"" relying on students will not keep them open.

""There's a lot more to Chapel Hill than just the student population" Richardson said. I always get that question when school starts. You know" ‘Oh I bet it's busy now.' But it's not a noticeable difference for us. Not on this end of the street.""

And not being part of the new generation of stores that have popped up on East Franklin to serve the changing needs of students is a point of pride for Richardson.

""(West Franklin) is the cooler end of the street because the other end has been taken over by Cluck-U Chicken and Cold Stone Creamery"" he said. That looks like Mall of America up there. ""

Though CD Alley might not be doing much to expand the musical education of University students"" it still has an impact on the youth of Chapel Hill.

""You can get old stuff" new stuff and used stuff for small prices"  said Eric Jankins, 14, from Chapel Hill. It just feels like a place you can walk into and just spend all day listening to music and stuff.""

And while Richardson has had some thoughts about moving CD Alley to a larger location"" for now he's happy where he is.

""There's never been a place available that ever seemed even remotely affordable"" he said. For now we're just going to keep trying to cram as much into this little spot as we can.""



Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu