[Source: Tim Vetscher, ABC15 News] — A Valley landmark is going out of business after nearly four decades in downtown Phoenix. The owners of Circles Discs and Tapes, at the corner of Central Avenue and McKinley, recently announced they’re calling it quits. “We have people come in all the time and say they’ve been coming here for 30 to 40 years,” said Circles employee Zak Sofaly. But on Sunday night, less than a week before Christmas, Circles only had one customer from 5 to 6 p.m. Workers say they’ve had too many nights like that lately.
So after 38 years, the owners have decided to close the doors for good. “For a lot of people who grew up here, it definitely has a special place in their hearts,” added Sofaly, who is also a drummer in the band, Incite. “They’re really sad to see it go.”
It seems the popularity of digital downloads proved to be Circles’ downfall. CD sales are a fraction of what they used to be thanks to services like iTunes. “It’s sad,” said Steve Zimmerman, owner of Revolver Records, just up the street from Circles. “They were one of the big stores for a long, long time.”
Circles employees say the addition of light rail and an overall down economy was just too much to overcome. “Being a resident, its really sad,” said Jay Williams. “The economy has caused a lot of problems. I thought the light rail would bring people back but I haven’t seen that.” Circles will remain open until sometime after January 1. The exact closing date has yet to be determined. [Note: To read the full article, visit Downtown Phoenix fixture, Circles Discs & Tapes, closing.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 
… now is not the time to be a VCR repairman or record store owner … I predict in about 5 years we will have none … well maybe specialty vendors like Revolver, East Side Records (are they still open even?) and hopefully Stinkweeds.
The bottom line is this … the record companies are finally getting what they deserve and the youth rightfully despise them (things like that happen when you sue your customers, rip off the artists as well as their customers) …
Bands need to understand that their music is nothing but a calling card … Bands need to establish and maintain intimate relationships with fans and make their income from touring, selling merchandise and limited edition releases.