Well-Known Westside Record Stores Grow by Leaps and Compact Discs

Two of the Westside’s most prominent--and interesting--record stores have undergone similar changes recently. The result should be good news for vinyl addicts.

Rhino Records has expanded its Westwood Boulevard headquarters to three times its former size. And, after 24 years on the same Melrose Avenue block, Aron’s Records has tripled its size and moved to a new location in Hollywood.

Jesse Klempner, who’s been with Aron’s for 23 years, recalls that founder Manny Aron opened his store in a then-unfashionable stretch of Melrose Avenue, as a way to cull his collection of used classical records. The store long ago expanded to include new classical and popular recordings, although manager Klempner estimates that used records, cassettes and compact discs still account for between one-fifth and one-third of the store’s total sales volume.

“Aron’s was definitely an inspiration,” said Rhino founder Richard Foos, who opened his Westwood Boulevard store in November, 1973. “But I got heavy into cutouts and bargains, collectors’ items and all kinds of stuff.”

Noting that both stores share many of the same customers, Rhino Manager David Crouch said: “Joe Average buys what he hears on pop radio in the generic stores. The rest come to places like Aron’s and us. People are loyal to good record dealers like they’re loyal to good bookstores.”

The new Aron’s--9,000 square feet, in contrast to the expanded Rhino’s 3,000--has been promised for 18 months. The process was delayed by construction (the site, a former meat market, was virtually rebuilt) and city permit delays. The new store looks more than a bit like an outpost of the Music Plus chain, with white walls, a wide plate-glass window and plenty of browsing room.

Klempner estimates that the store’s compact disc stock has increased 2 1/2 times as a result of the move, with Aron’s carrying three times the previous inventory of cassettes and two-thirds more albums.

Rhino’s increase has been even more dramatic. While the store carries fewer items than Aron’s, Rhino carries six times its previous stock of cassettes and nine times the number of compact discs, Crouch says.

The original Rhino Records store had been crowded with jazz, rock, folk and country albums, both new and used. Compact discs were available but locked behind glass doors, making it all but impossible to determine what was on sale. Likewise, the store’s cassette selection was limited.

Today, after expanding by 2,000 square feet into what had been a real estate office, the store has made cassettes and compact discs far easier to locate and identify.

At Rhino, Crouch said world music is a big seller. “We used to have one rack of African records, now we have three and can’t keep the stuff in stock.”

Rhino features heavy concentrations of selected jazz, folk and reggae in addition to the expected rock and pop catalogue. Crouch estimates that the store has 30,000 titles in various quantities and configurations.

Aron’s has a stronger orientation to the Top 100, with particularly interesting selections of Broadway and show music, jazz, Third World and classical music.

Rhino carries a smaller stock of used records than Aron’s and a larger supply of rock oldies. Both Aron’s and Rhino carry a large stock of imports and releases on small, independent domestic labels.

Rhino features a wide variety of special promotions, ranging from in-store concert performances by acts such as Cowboy Junkies, Wednesday Week, Peter Case, Dave Alvin, Poi Dog Pondering and the Lonesome Strangers to events such as today’s post-Thanksgiving parking-lot sale, where the store promises to sell “all our turkey LPs . . . only 35 cents a pound.”

Rhino and Aron’s estimate that between 30%-40% of their sales are traditional 12-inch vinyl albums. Major retailers report that vinyl constitutes only a small percentage of their total volume--most chain stores carry vinyl only in token quantities, if at all.

Rhino Records is at 1720 Westwood Blvd. in Westwood, (213) 474-8685. Aron’s new location is 1150 North Highland Ave. in Hollywood, (213) 469-4700. Aron’s original store remains open as an outlet for used albums, compact discs and cassettes only at 7725 Melrose Ave. in Hollywood. (213) 653-8710.