Cheltenham store closes doors

Millennium Music in Cheltenham has become the latest UK music retailer to close its doors, shutting down after two decades in business.

Increased rents and competiton from online sales were cited as the reason for its demise. It closes at the end of this week. 

The shop released a statement which said: “We have loved being Millennium Music and will very much miss many of our best customers who have changed from customers into friends over the years. We have not only been a special supplier to those people, we have shared their successes, their problems, their life …and that has become part of our life too.

“As one of the long-established musical instruments shops across the UK, we have witnessed the change from local to internet shopping. Over a third of musical instrument shops in the UK have closed during the last five years. The relentless cash drain upon small businesses in the high street of ever escalating rents and business rates coupled with the migration of customers from high street to internet shopping have created the pull of economic gravity towards the black hole of closure.”