The Guardian's Adam Webb has an article that argues much of the talk about the death of the record store is exaggerated. (Some stores, mainly larger chains, are dying off at a good clip. Smaller stores that know their role are blossoming.) A good portion of the article focuses on thriving indie retailers in London. Those stores can't dabble in the same titles that are found in supermarkets, though. Their role is to break new artists and satisfy niche tastes.

A few good quotes:

"If Radiohead brought an album out 5 years ago, I'd know that I'd need 1,500 copies to last me a month. We'd sell that many copies. But if Radiohead brought an album out tomorrow, I reckon 50 would last a couple of weeks, and that's because they're now a supermarket band. I'd sell more copies of a Sunn0))) album, but we are still here, so we must be doing something right, and we're still positive and buying more deletions and putting stuff in front of people that they can't get anywhere else."

"The point of an independent retailer is to pass the baton on. As soon as a band hits the mainstream then they are no longer your market - the role of the independent is to break new acts. This is what is so important about this store, you'll discover the artists that even labels are yet to find out about. The back catalogue is important but breaking new artists is the most important thing and that is done face to face over the counter."