00:00Jumbo started as a record shop in 1971.
00:04It actually started as a mobile discotheque sound system, so the person who started Jumbo
00:10was a guy called Hunter, he was playing reggae and soul records around Leeds and there was
00:16demand for those records so he started the shop.
00:19Over the years it's kind of morphed into selling a myriad of genres.
00:23Before getting involved as the owner of Jumbo, I was a customer of Jumbo and it was the principal
00:32reason why I'd come into town was my regular Saturday trips to Jumbo, to chat to the team,
00:39get recommendations.
00:42It was just one of those places that you just liked to be.
00:46Over the 54 years we've had a number of homes in Leeds, we've been in the Marion Centre twice
00:52including now.
00:54We're also in the St John's Centre for a long time, which is a shop that a lot of people
00:57might remember.
00:58We were also in the Queen's Arcade in the 70s as well, so a slightly nomadic existence,
01:04but we've been in our current home here since 2017.
01:08What has also grown out of this over the last few years is the amount of relationships, friendships
01:13with customers as well.
01:14You just get to know people.
01:16Funnily enough, the lockdown paid a par in that because I carried on doing deliveries
01:21all through lockdown and you get to knock on people's doors and socially distance, hand
01:26them the records, and everyone's desperate for a chat because I've not seen anyone.
01:29All of a sudden you get to know lots of people in a way you might not otherwise have done
01:33so.
01:34I think the range of AI and instant gratification and easy access of resources is more important
01:40than ever to shop at independent places because you actually get to speak to real people.
01:44The beauty of a vinyl record is a physical object which I think taps into a need, you
01:52know.
01:54People who are into music want that more communal experience or they want a more tactile listening
02:00experience.
02:01A really formative memory of Jumbo for me is I was playing in a band at the time and
02:06we had a record out on 7-inch vinyl and the guy from the label was like, go into Jumbo and
02:11Adam will show you the record before it comes out during, you know, this was like a few days
02:16before it came out and I was so excited.
02:18And I remember Adam going behind the counter and pulling out my band's 7-inch record and
02:22showing it to me.
02:24That's something I always remember and something that, now that I work here, is always worth
02:29remembering is that you, you know, by selling records you always are potentially making
02:34someone's day.
02:35It's great fun.
02:36On the other side, it's constantly trying to reinvent and recreate.
02:40You can't say we're a good record shop, we've got a great selection of records, you know,
02:45we've got great staff that love talking to people about music.
02:48That isn't enough.
02:49You've just got to keep coming up with ideas of things to stay relevant.
02:53You are offering an experience to people and potentially changing someone's life by selling
02:57them their first record.
02:58So I always try and remember that.
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