Fopp, the slowly expanding high street music chain, has permanently shut its doors.

A statement was issued from Fopp saying:
'It is with great regret that we announce the closure of Fopp.

Our store chain is profitable, well regarded and loved by our loyal customers and staff. However we have failed to gain the necessary support from major stakeholders, suppliers and their credit insurers to generate sufficient working capital to run our expanding business.

We would like to thank staff and customers for their support over the past 25 years'

For most it's worth has only been appreciated in the past 5 years with the expansion on to the high streets of big cities and the signs of a collapse have only been evident in this past week. Stores closed abruptly last Friday (22nd June) for an ‘emergency stock take’ and in the week following all Fopp stores refused to take anything but cash payments with the cancellation of any further book orders.
The online Fopp store looks as normal besides the small 14pt text at the top of the page proclaiming 'Due to circumstances beyond our control we cannot currently take orders online. Sorry for any inconvenience caused. -Fopp Webteam'

Many have cited the purchase of the Music Zone chain which involved the opening of some of the 67 stores as Fopps, as the key reason for the company's demise, branding the closure as a classic case of a small company biting off more than it can chew.
Others have pointed the finger at ever-slumping record sales, illegal downloads and even legal downloads as contributing factors. Significantly, the closure comes in the same week that HMV reported a large and dramatic decrease in profits. Its unconfirmed where this leaves the annual unsigned competition which was recently passed its open application stages.
Fopp was opened by Gordon Montgomery in 1981 as a single stall in De’Courcey’s Arcade in the west end of Glasgow before enveloping into a major chain.

Everyone has a different view on the retail side of the music business but it's a shame that a shop which was the less malevolent of high street record stores has faced the axe so soon after establishing itself in people's hearts.
Fopp was always a place where you could often go in for one cd and come out with 3 cds, 2 dvds and a book for little more than 20 quid. It was so soft on the pocket that it felt as if a friend had lent them you. Plus it served coffee.

Fopp RIP.