Discos Revólver store in Barcelona closes

Barcelona"Goodbye! Sorry, okay?" says a customer as he walks through the door of Discos Revólver, one of the historic record stores on Calle Tallers in Barcelona. He's just taken one of the vinyl records still left on the shelves, which are slowly emptying. "Most of the people who are there are there because they know we're closing," says Núria Arso from behind the counter. She's married to Jesús Moreno, one of the owners of Revólver, and today she's alone serving the ever-increasing clientele. Since the closure message was posted on the store's Instagram profile mid-morning this Monday, there hasn't been a steady stream of visitors taking advantage of the severance pay offer to grab something before the store closes in a couple of weeks. The phone hasn't stopped ringing either. Núria is serving everyone, but she's visibly shaken: it's the end of one of the most beloved venues for music lovers.

"Is the discount in both stores or just this one?" asks a customer who has just walked through the entrance door. "Only here," replies Núria. "And are they closing both stores or just this one?" "Just this one," replies Núria, visibly affected. Of the two stores, only one will remain: "the green one," at number 11 Tallers Street. The reasons for the closure of "the red one," the one at number 13 on the same street, are clear: rising record prices, exorbitant rental prices, and personal reasons that the company refuses to detail. The other store will continue to operate. "Just because this one is doing badly doesn't mean the other one is doing badly," explains Núria Arso. "They are different businesses," she adds.

"The green one" focused on online sales a few years ago, while "the red one" only sells physically at its location on Tallers Street. "We're lucky we've lasted 35 years," says Arso. She explains that in recent years they've had to overcome very difficult situations such as the increase in online sales and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, she assures that the situation has never been as serious as it is now. "A series of factors came together, and in the end, we couldn't hold on," she concludes.

Bewildered customers approach the counter asking about the reasons for the closure. Some remember the first time they entered the store and, hurt, show support for Núria, who still doesn't know how to cope. The store will close permanently in a couple of weeks. I'm amused; all those who want to say goodbye will be able to do so and take home some of the vinyl records that haven't yet been sold with a clearance discount.