Charitable record shop The Music Exchange to close

25% off all stock.

The Music Exchange, which supports Nottingham’s vulnerable homeless community, will shut its doors next month.

Established in 2009 as a social enterprise by local homelessness charity Framework, the shop has provided hundreds from disadvantaged backgrounds with retail experience and comprehensive support. It has also given local artists a leg up by selling their work commission-free.

But, as with many record shops, The Music Exchange has struggled to make enough to stay afloat. The shop will close on March 19 and until then all stock is 25% off (apart from some new vinyl releases).

“The Music Exchange, like all the other social enterprises we operate, has always been about people rather than profit, but we need to bring in a certain level of income to keep the shop viable,” Claire Eden told Nottingham Post.

“Sadly we have reached a stage where the many benefits the shop brings to vulnerable people are outweighed by the costs of keeping it open. We have held off making this decision for as long as we could, but with music retailers across the country feeling the strain, we saw little hope of turning things around.”

She continued:”I am enormously proud of what the Music Exchange has achieved and heartened to know that so many people will look back on it with fondness.”