The owner of Marbecks Records says closing its physical store on Auckland’s Queen St after more than 90 years is a sign of the times.
Marbecks Record Shop at Queens Arcade will shut its doors on October 31 and become online only.
The retailer is the latest establishment to call it quits in the once-vibrant CBD.
In June, department store Smith and Caughey’s closed down after 145 years in business, citing less foot traffic as more office staff worked from home, disruptions from the construction of the City Rail Link, and competition from malls and online retailers.
Marbecks had built up a loyal customer base since accomplished pianists Alfred and Eileen Marbeck started selling records in 1934.
Robert Marbeck was the third generation of the Marbecks to be at the helm of his family’s business.
He said closing the Queen St store was a tough but necessary decision.
“Marbecks is a great store. It’s got great people and great customers, and they are friends for life. The thing is that it’s changed, and to keep it going and be able to serve the customers we’ve got, we have to adapt.”
He said factors including high rent, declining foot traffic, and changes in consumer behaviour had made it unfeasible to continue.
“The way people are consuming is they don’t have the time to go and get things in person, and the city is hard to get to from many places. The Queen St environment is hard at the moment.”
He was confident its community of record-lovers would remain strong, despite shifting online.
He said customers would still be able to phone and speak to staff about what they wanted to buy.
RNZ spoke to several shoppers who were at the store on Monday.
Brent Thomson had been buying records from Marbecks for 20 years.
“It’s nice to hold tactile things and talk to people about stuff.
“It’s pretty sad for Auckland CBD too to lose another institution.”
Another customer, Graham Stride, said he did not buy physical music as often as he used to.
“I’ve mostly gone digital, I must admit, but I do still buy the odd CD.
“I used to really enjoy CD shopping and spent a good deal of money on it, but it’s just the way things are going, I guess.
“Marbecks is an institution, so it’s a shame it’s closing.”
Michael Huang, a younger shopper, said he preferred browsing in actual record shops, but most people he knew shopped online.
“Younger people nowadays go online to buy stuff. But it’s nice to have something physical. Everything’s moving online now, it’s sad to see how things are changing.”
Gustavo Bezerra had been a regular at Marbecks for seven years since moving to New Zealand.
“I feel sad. I like the experience of going to the store. I really like the vibe and the people who work here.”
Viv Beck, from the business group Heart of the City, said more businesses were opening than closing in the CBD.
“At the lower end of Queen St, we actually do have good demand.”
But in the short term, she said the loss of Marbecks Record Shop was another example of how construction, including on the delayed City Rail Link and lack of vehicle access, created a challenging business environment in the city centre.
“It’s very sad to see the end of an era with an iconic business like Marbecks after 90 years. We understand they’re moving to a different model and obviously wish them all the best.
“It’s a tough time for retail. We’ve made no secret of the fact that the work happening here needs to better support the needs of the smaller street-trading businesses. Practical things like loading and servicing, and access for customers to pick up and drop off are really important for the operational functionality of a city.
“We also need sensible, multi-modal access. We support public transport and are very much looking forward to the City Rail Link opening, but unfortunately, some decisions have added barriers that are unhelpful and make it harder for people to come here.”
Auckland Councillor for Waitematā Mike Lee said the situation was “tragic”.
“There are wider considerations and impacts on the commercial viability of these shops, but we have a problem on Queen St from removing dozens of car parks and loading zones that are vital for customers.”
He said limiting vehicle access to Queen St had been detrimental to the city’s economic and retail viability.
