Mary Chao

@marychaostyle

What's the best way to get people to your retail business? Offer them fun and entertainment, said Richard Storms, president of Record Archives.

The 41-year-old business at 33 ⅓ Rockwood Place in Rochester off East Avenue recently expanded its offerings with the Backroom Lounge. It is an eclectic in-store 2,000 square-foot entertainment space with a state of the art sound system for live music and a bar serving local brews and wines in a room decorated with vintage furnishings; a T-Rex and Velvis — Velvet Elvis.

The venue is designed to attract new people to Record Archive, a venerable retail store selling not just music, but an array of gift items, local foods and vintage decor.

"It's about breaking the ice," Storms said. "In retail, the most important thing is getting the people in."

The Backroom Lounge will officially open with a ribbon-cutting on Friday but had a soft opening last November, with bands playing on Wednesdays. Admission is free to the events with the goal of getting more people into the store. So far so good for the concept as more people are discovering Record Archive as a place to shop, Storms said.

Look around the cavernous 13,000 square-foot warehouse building and shoppers will find an array of products. There are mugs paying tribute to The Beatles, stuffed poodles, an Elvis lamp and scores of CDs and record albums.

Storms and vice president Alayna Alderman were responsible for promoting the return of vinyl LPs with Record Store Day, now in its 10th anniversary and to be celebrated April 22. A new legion of fans have discovered the allure of vinyl albums in this day of streaming music.

Rochester resident Kevin Adams, 49, grew up on vinyl, listening to Motown and Jackson 5. Now his daughter Marillena,11, is also shopping for record albums.

"I like the nostalgia of it," Adams said of record albums, noting that he views vinyls as collectors' items.

Having been in retail for over four decades, Storms realizes that change is important. From his early flea market days to his store on Mt. Hope to its current site and the decision to expand in 2008 in the midst of a recession.

In the end, Storms, 71, realizes the retail business is all about customer service, no matter what you're selling.

"Our motto is: we will be so nice to you," he said.

MCHAO@Gannett.com

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