Spillers Records, Cardiff moves to the Morgan Arcade

Finally losing the battle to stay in their premises by The Hayes in central Cardiff, the much loved Spillers record store closed on June 26th, 2010, reopening in the nearby Morgan Arcade a month later.

One of the last surviving indie records stores left in Wales, Spillers was a lifeline to non mainstream music when I was growing up in Cardiff, and it’s a real shame that they’ve had to move out of their original location.

I make a point of supporting the store by always buying something when I’m up in my hometown (I’ve got at least three of their t-shirts already!), but I have to say I was hugely disappointed by their new premises at 31 Morgan Arcade.

Perhaps it’s because they’re still settling in, but the new shop had none of the charm of the old store, seeming rather impersonal and cold.

The downstairs area felt barren and unloved and there seemed to be a whole lot less stock on display, while the upstairs area was just plain odd with nothing more than a couple of vinyl record racks in a very bright white room.

The beauty of the old Spillers was that it was a great place to hang out, browse records and perhaps be persuaded by the staff’s personal recommendations, but something seems to have been lost in the move.

I know it’s tough for all records stores at the moment, and I’m only writing this in the hope that the feedback may prove helpful.

I’d *really* hate to see Spillers disappear for good, but I fear that in its present incarnation it’s unlikely to stop the decline. I sincerely hope they prove me wrong!

Display over the stairs.

Detail from Spillers poster.

The old Spillers store, January 2007 and (below) how it looks today.  More about old shop here.

If you’re visiting Cardiff, please pop into the store and buy something!

Their website says: “We like records, tea, instores and if you bring us biscuits from Wally’s deli (in the arcade next to us) we’ll like you a lot.”

You can find them here: Spillers,  31 Morgan Arcade, Cardiff CF10 1AF [website]

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