I agree that customer service is key, and it's one of the things I most value about Easy Street Records. I shop at both of their locations and any time I've needed help finding something, staff members are always quick to jump from behind the counter into the racks with me to track something down. Long live Easy Street!
Only the most creative and innovative music retailers are going to survive over the next 5 to 10 years. It is only a matter of time that technology completely eliminates the "tangible" aspects of music so much so that vinyls/cds etc are a profitless endeavor. This article clings to what it sets out to prove: that vinyls are somehow superior because they're are for "real" music fans, simply because they are old; however vinyls are simply that: old. Music is inherently about sound - the INTANGIBLE. Music as a tangible product that you can sell is a relatively new phenomenon, from the great classical composers to the early jazzers, music was a LIVE experience - obviously fancy packaging was an anachronism.
I am completely hooked on records. I got a free collection from free cycle several months ago, and since then I can't stop going to record stores. I've spent more on music in the last six months than I have my entire life. Perhaps I am nostalgic for the warmth wax provides, or perhaps it is because I love all the characters so expertly described in the piece. It is probably a combination of the two. Good to know I'm not alone.
It's not the format of the music that has decimated the music industry. It's the glut of absolutely shitty music that makes it impossible to find the good stuff. Most people just don't want to spend hours sifting through crap to find a good song. Major label talent scouts aren't doing their jobs well and they are bringing down the scene.