Rough Trade

Rough Trade first opened its doors in West London, 1976. A store, yes – but also a place. A place to connect. Punk was the backdrop, but the ethos ran deeper: community over commodity, passion over profit, records over rules.

Nearly five decades on, that DIY ethos hasn’t changed – it’s just amped up.

Today, Rough Trade spans London, Nottingham, Bristol, Liverpool, New York and Berlin. Every store is a reflection of its neighbourhood, shaped by the people who walk through the doors and the artists who play within them. Rough Trade is about cutting the distance between artists and fans. That means unforgettable in-store gigs, exclusive vinyl collaborations you can only find here and nurturing a space where crate-diggers, gig-goers and genre-jumpers all feel at home.

The team? Music heads through and through. People with a deep love for diverse listening, who live for the thrill of discovery and the joy of sharing it. They’re all about that moment when you hear something new for the first time. Or return to something old and feel it hit different.

Rough Trade is most at home in the present – championing new voices, pressing play on underrepresented sounds, and holding the door open for what’s next. Step inside any of their stores and it still feels like your local record shop, just wired into the wider world.