Shuga Records started by accident.
Now one of the largest online record stores in the world, it all began a decade ago when a car accident landed Chicago DJ Adam “Shuga Rose” Rosen on an operating-room table and, later, out of work. To pay the bills, he logged onto Ebay and reluctantly started selling off his library of more than 5,000 albums, earning enough to pay the rent – and then some. With his profits, he began rebuilding his collection, which, like his expertise of vintage and audiophile vinyl, grew quickly and exponentially. Now a six-employee company run by Adam, Shuga Records has an inventory of nearly 500,000 highest-quality recordings, which are each approved by Adam himself, updated in real-time.
Shuga stocks many of the bands that got Adam hooked on DJ'ing as a teenager, from Underworld and Nine Inch Nails to the Future Sound of London. But its specialties have expanded to include the widest range of audiophile pressings from classical labels, 1960’s folk and psych, and rare first editions by some of rock’s biggest legends, as well as the kind of esoterica DJs crave, from spoken word records and private-label pressings to regional rarities, novelty albums, reissues, and new collector vinyl. While buyers from around the world are drawn to the store’s range of albums, the way Shuga does business – consistent, on-the-mark grading; prompt, secure shipping; and a commitment to music that shows – keeps them coming back: Shuga Records has a nearly perfect 99 percent approval rating and are also 5 Star Top Rated on Ebay.
Real-time inventory
If you see it, we’ve got it. In 2009, Shuga Records launched a one-of-a-kind real-time inventory system designed specifically for us. What it means for you: Whether you see a listing at ShugaRecords.com, in our Ebay shop or at our physical store, it’s in stock, and the moment it’s sold the listing is automatically removed from our database. That means when you buy, it’s really yours, regardless of how you find us.
In 2009, Shuga Records celebrates a milestone. Relocated to a 7,500+ square-foot space in Northeast Minneapolis, Shuga Records retail store to showcase local artists, welcome musicians for in-store performances and make visible our decadelong passion for music. While getting started may have been accidental, getting here ten years later is anything but.
The Store
Shuga Records bricks-and-mortar store is opened June 1 at 165 13th Avenue in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis’ arts district. The former home of the Minnesota Center for Photography, the store will offer low-priced used records, new releases on vinyl and CD, a free bin of records and album-cover art, listening booths, a DJ booth and stage for in-store performances, vintage turntables and an online database to browse the hundreds of thousands of records stored in the back-of-store warehouse.
Carrying new records by local bands, the store will also showcase local visual artists. Two photographers are curating two walls of their music photography: Cameron Wittig, who’s photographed artists including Andrew Bird, Haley Bonar, Dosh and others, will present his studio-based photos, while Marshall Franklin Long, staff photographer for Metro Magazine, will give a look at concert photos by local and national acts.
The most visible visual artwork will be an iconic 50-foot mural by Broken Crow, created with large-scale stencils. The gigantic street-art scene by Broken Crow collaborators John Grider and Mike Fitzsimmons features a giant porcupine and a repeating pattern of vinyl records. The wall, on the store’s west side, will feature a new local muralist each year.
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