AKRON, Ohio — As one of Northeast Ohio’s longest-running independent record stores, Akron’s Time Traveler Records has been around for some time.
Scott Shepherd said he wants to keep it that way. But he said the once-thriving business is now facing some challenges.
"I sat here every day thinking, 'man, I just can’t stop doing this,'” said Shepherd.
Shepherd told News 5 he did not expect to turn his hobby into a business.
Then, 46 years went by, and Shepherd said he found his calling to sell vintage vinyl records, a variety of new and used music, CDs and rare collectors’ items inside an Akron building off West Market Street.
"When I first started a records store back in 1980, I started it to increase my own personal collection,” said Shepherd.
While Shepherd is proud to share his love of music, he said it’s been hard, and he even considered going out of business after Christmas.
But he told News 5 he’s hanging in there.
"I’m hanging in there, and maybe I shouldn’t be, but I am,” said Shepherd.
Still, Shepherd said it’s tough.
"Financially, I’m probably doing worse than I’ve done in all the 46 years I’ve been doing this,” said Shepherd.
Despite what may seem like a decline for businesses like Time Traveler Records, a recent study from Audio Tech Lifestyles shows that about 60% of Gen Z are driving the retro revival, with a large majority buying vinyl records in the past year.
"We had seen somewhat of a resurgence of going back to records and vinyl and appreciating that,” said Jonathan Ernest, an Assistant Professor of Economics at Case Western Reserve University.
Ernest admits streaming platforms have made music more accessible due to low costs, which could make business tough for independent record stores.
But he encourages owners to offer different social opportunities for people to connect, and to stress the value of the hands-on experience customers will gain from buying music in person.
"I think these stores can sort of play up all of those angles and really appeal to people and find (that) other value that they can offer,” said Ernest.
Time Traveler Records is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
"Fridays, I have a bunch of my regulars that I’ve built up through the years that still come here every Friday and it’s very, very, very cool that I can still have that kind of thing going on,” said Shepherd.
