'Everything must go' - Owner of independent store in West Sussex announces 'difficult decision to permanently close'

James Anderson’s second Slipped Discs store opened in Shoreham High Street in April 2024.

It has lasted just 17 months, with a social media post announcing the ‘Shoreham Swan Song Sale’.

“After a wonderful year and a half of sharing our passion for new vinyl with you, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Shoreham branch,” a Facebook post read.

"We want to thank you every one of you who has supported us and helped create a community the joy of music on vinyl.

“To prepare for our VINYL curtain call, we are launching our closing down sale.

“This is truly your last chance to grab some incredible records from our shelves. We’re offering a huge selection of vinyl with discount of up to 50 per cent off. We’ve also brought back some of those titles you might have missed during the summer sale, now with their original sale prices!

“This will be our last Shoreham sale, so please don't miss out on these final bargains. We can't wait to see you one last time to say goodbye and thank you.”

The Shoreham store specialised in new releases, from all the major labels and many independents, with smaller second-hand offering.

The flagship Steyning branch specialises in second-hand vinyl, with many specialist top-end used collectibles, with a few new releases.

This main store remains open and will ‘continue to be your go-to destination for records’, James said.

Slipped Discs in Steyning came about in 2020, when James decided to have a career change and stop commuting to London. Prior to that he was an audio engineer and electrical engineer. He added: “It’s a happy coincidence that vinyl has had a bit of a comeback, a resurgence, when I’ve fancied opening a record shop.”

Slipped Discs is part of Record Store Day, which hosts exclusive events and vinyl releases that can only be obtained from eligible independent record shops.