Back in August of 2007, New World Record announced that it would be moving into a commercial plaza at the corner of Delaware and Hertel. Today, six months later, the business has officially announced that it will soon close. In a written statement, New World owners expressed mixed emotions concerning the decision. In the statement, the owners cited some of the reasons that led to their decision to close. Here is an excerpt from that statement:
"This is a decision that we have been processing for a some time. Most of you know that we have not been immune to the troubles facing the music industry, and of course we are not immune to the economic difficulties facing Buffalo either. The news has gone from bad to worse, and frankly, what we are hearing from the industry is that 2008 won't be any better. Govindan has worked very hard for a very long time (almost 24 years!) to have a really good record store, and by any measure he has succeeded. But the cards are stacked against us, and as a wise man once said, you gotta know when to fold 'em."
New World Record was one of the pioneers on Elmwood that contributed to the street's strength today. Not only did the store lure a fresh, new generation of Buffalonians to the district, it was one of the first businesses to tag-team with another business (Spot Coffee). That partnership benefited both Spot and New World and created a vibrant one stop shopping and eating experience that was very experimental (for the city) at the time. New World and its owners, Govindan and Elizabeth, are sorely missed on the avenue that they helped to brand. It's unfortunate that the move to the plaza did not work for them. There are those who say that they could have predicted the short-lived run... but I guess you never know until you try.
New World plans on staying open for a couple more months before closing for good in either March or April.