Roots Archives Forum

This is a repost from King Power Records out of Washington D.C...
This is for ALL who own small Reggae stores and for those who care about takeovers!!!!

Is it us, King Power Records, or is EB REGGAE Distribution helping to SHUT DOWN Reggae stores worldwide?

Ernie B's, for those who don't know, own the market on Reggae CD/LP Distribution---The Goods new is that Ernie B's carries as much Reggae as you can possibly imagine, and has access to unlimited companies and titles
....Thats about all I can say thats good about them...

The Bad News, for record shops at least, is that at one time, EB REGGAE used to sell only to wholesalers (those with a resale license) and that, according to EB Reggae's website, over 90% of their business WAS to record stores throughout the world....Now, as Corporate America sets in to Ernie's mindset, he has virtually cut-out ALL the small shops who first boomed his business...Not only did ERNIE B's open the floodgates for the public, he doesn't even check for RESALE LiCENSE NUMBERS anymore!!! (we KNOW this because we set up a fake shop to see if they would accept an order from a store that didn't even exist!)----
Lets continue------
How about Payola? Payola is the process of paying distributers/radio programs/advertisers to promote your music above all else regardless of the quality...Have you seen the burn CDR's that ERnie B's sells after having boasted he would never sell bootlegs? Has anyone seen the quality on the WACKIES dvd? Straight up Bootleg from a VHS tape......
Its sad but stores like WISDOM Records in the Bay Area, Hitek Records in Ohio, King Power (us) in D.C., and Papa George, have all but basically lost unimaginable business and have begun to close our doors for good....It seems as if the Deep Pockets of the White-Man have begun to influence the CULTURE of BLACK PEOPLE and BLACK MUSIC all over again...( any slave money in that Ernie'?)
A message to ALL------Don't think you can survive selling just music any more------Thanks Ernie'------

I did not write this, I saw on myspace and thought it was interesting, and somewhat true. I continue to buy at Ernie B's because of it's selection. I just hope the mom & pop music stores don't become extinct because of this.

In my opinion is bad for small shops, but good for the customer, because of the bigger selection and lower prices. I buy all my music from ernie b's but if i find stuff that ernie doesn't have then i'll go somewhere else. I feel you though. Us customers don't have a big pocket to be paying up to 18 dollars a record or more.

Sounds like owners of failing shops looking for a scapegoat to me...

Oh, here we go again with that 'White Man' nonsense. I know plenty of crooked Black men as well... so now what?

Yes, small business owners have the right to be upset, but let's stick to pointing the finger at the individual rather than a general group. There are great folks of all nationalities, so let's be thankful for those people!

BC

"Not only did ERNIE B's open the floodgates for the public"

Hmmm, well this isn't really a "current" trend...I've dealt with Ernie B's publicly for close to 4-5 years now.

There is still a little out there that Ernies dosn't have,

Kiddus I - Rockers Graduation In Zion - Dub Store JAPAN
True Persuaders - Natty Lead The Way - Forward Roots
Wayne Jarrett/Baba Leslie - African Woman - Forward Roots
Wayne Jarrett - Chip In - Greensleeves (well, not on CD which has xtra tracks)

Dub Vendor in London often have different stock that EB's dosn't have.

I've been buying reggae from Ernie B. since 1996, back when you used to have to order from the catalogues with that tiny print. His prices have always been fair. My records always arrive very quickly and I have never one time had an order be incorrect. He has always responded to my emails. I think Ernie B. has done a damn fine job and I will continue to buy music from him.

Ernie B runs things! Big up Ernie B. They have the best material available and if you know someone better please let me know so I can check them out! He is running a business! He has to handle things in order to run the business!

Wherever the white man crap came from, it doesn't even deserve a response!!!!

Hi all !
I own a small independent records shop (not only reggae) in France. I've been working with EB distibution sometimes when shipping was free for orders over 500$ and I must agree, EB is the best, simple,fats and efficient reggae distribuor I'vd work with.
But ...

Since Eb is offering very low price (the different between wholesale prices & customers ones is very small ..), most of my regular reggae customers are now working directly with EB (but in france, they still must deal with customs who sometimes charge french taxes).
And, you're right, I know some guys who buy EB records at wholesale prices without the right too (meens without paying all the taxes & charges I pay for).
This is illegal but this works sometimes.

But EB is not the only small shop killer, lot's of reasons makes independent records shops very hard to handle (internet shops, Ebay, mp3, etc...)

Do you (customers) still want a small independent record shop in your city to go to ?
I think, this is the question !
thx.

I don't know what's more absurd about the original message: the white devil conspiracy theorizing or that Ernie B. is to blame for the downfall of record stores. It has set itself up as a solid, reliable mailorder company and a distributor. It's in a better position to survive the downfall of the small record shop because it recognized a business need and fulfilled it. I personally am saddened by the number of independent shops that have closed in the last few years, one of which was run and staffed by friends of mine.

I've never done business with King Power in D.C., but spouting off about the "White Man" doesn't exactly make me eager to hand over my money to it. Then again, with this kind of attitude, they probably don't want me buying from them anyway. I'll stick with Ernie B's and Jammyland.