Vinyl retailer Rough Trade recently debuted a new Manhattan flagship store in Rockefeller Center. Following seven years in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the retailer has relocated to Midtown and is now open for business in the former RCA Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, just steps from Radio City Music Hall.
Rough Trade was originally founded in 1976 in London. Today, the retailer boasts a global patronage and was one of the largest record stores to call Brooklyn home. While the 2,100-square-foot store in Midtown is a physical downsize compared to its former 10,000-square-foot store and performance space in Brooklyn, the move undoubtedly represents an exciting new phase for the respected brand.
View of Rough Trade’s new retail location at 30 Rockefeller Plaza prior to opening June 1, 2021 – Photo Credit: Rough Trade
“It is especially fitting to welcome Rough Trade to their new home at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which originally was known as the RCA Building, where phonographs and records played such an important role in the building’s history and are ingrained in its DNA,” said EB Kelly, Tishman Speyer managing director overseeing Rockefeller Center. “The Center prides itself on presenting best-in-class experiences and offerings that can only be found here, and Rough Trade is an incredible addition to our campus as New York’s leading 21st century expression of music and vinyl culture.”
Rough Trade and Tishman Speyer will work in collaboration to curate live public events. This includes a quarterly series that will take place at the historic Rainbow Room, outdoor events at Rockefeller Plaza, artist meet and greets, signing events, and more.
“Rough Trade at Rockefeller is undoubtedly bold, provocative, tantalizing—exactly the kind of unexpected move that excites not just ourselves, but also the label and artist community that we represent,” said Stephen Godfroy, co-owner at Rough Trade. “Plus, hopefully a fair share of music lovers from across the city too.”
The new store officially opened on June 1st and is similar to other Rough Trade stores with a focus on new and limited edition vinyl.
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Baffling move. Let’s downsize, move far away from our core buyer demographic and pay a lot more in rent! Sounds quite idiotic to me.
Thought exactly the same.
I don’t see the point either.
Perhaps they think they can make more from tourists than hipsters? It doesn’t make a lot of sense. They can’t move where they really belong, the Village in 1998.
Cool.
What Difference Does It Make?
Vinyl always was the best