Ryan McMaster/Staff Writer | Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 12:00 am
After 13 years in Lompoc, Morninglory Music is closing its doors to local music buffs, citing iPods and online music downloading as among the reasons for leaving town.
Owner Stan Bernstein said he is sorry to let down music fans who have supported the business. They will now have to either shop locally for music at Wal-Mart or travel to the Morninglory Music store on State Street in Santa Barbara.
BMost of our customers are in their 30s, 40s and 50s,C Bernstein said. BOn the other hand, 15 to 25-year-olds don/t really buy music anymore. Maybe 10 percent do.C
He added that it/s hard to compete with free music downloads and online services such as iTunes.
BThey are basically helping to destroy the industry,C he said.
To compete with the digital age, Bernstein said he offers customers used compact discs at bargain prices, such as ,5 or even less. Online, each song on an individual music album usually costs ,1.
He added that Morninglory Music relied on customers who preferred to hold a tangible music product, complete with liner notes and artwork, as part of the package.
Bernstein said the disappearance of Tower Records has been a barometer of how high volume and specialty independent music stores have been struggling to survive.
Though Bernstein laments losing the Lompoc location, he said any volume not sold by the closing date at the end of this month will be transported to the Santa Barbara store. Those with Morninglory cards may also redeem points they have earned at the Lompoc location.
Morninglory Music started in Lompoc near Albertsons in 1994. Bernstein said that this first site was a smaller location that sold new and used compact discs, though DVDs obviously were not yet available.
Around 1999, he said, Morninglory Music moved to a location near Vons, where it thrived.
In 2005, Morninglory Music moved to its current location at 720 North H Street, which had previously been a Wherehouse music store.
In the past year, Bernstein said, the decline in sales caused him to significantly decrease the volume of inventory in the store. Racks of compact discs were shortened in length, he said, and LP records were discontinued.
Bernstein said he expects the Santa Barbara location to remain in business for the time being, as tourism and college students in that city help the store survive.
Ryan McMaster can be reached at 737-1057 or rmcmaster@lompocrecord.com.
December 11, 2007