Day Old Blues Records, the premier local indie retail shop in Shreveport, has a brand new location. Back in 2012, DOB was located in a small nook downtown far before the West Edge downtown revolution really took hold. Owner James Gilcrease expressed his love for downtown, but the location wasn’t to be. In 2013, he moved the shop to Kings Highway near Centenary College to get more space and to be closer to his customers, but now he has moved once more to up the size of his shop.
The new location is at 3311 Line Avenue, one block south of Byrd High School across from the Greenwood Village Tearoom. It’s been in the works for some time.
“I have been thinking about it since August, but I finally signed in mid-November,” James said of the move.
The new space is larger, more open. As you enter, a listening room with a comfy couch and chairs greet you – always playing music. In the browsing room, the walls are flanked by special racks of featured albums. In the center is a curated selection of pre-loved records from a variety of artists. In the back is the catalogue of new releases. It’s organized logically, but inspires the browsing mentality. The layout invites you to come in, hang out. When I went, there were others doing just that — an atmosphere that has become the norm for Day Old Blues.
James loves the new space, too. “I think the layout of the new building is going to intrigue people; it’s a bigger floor plan than what I have right now, a lot more open space. The few people that have seen inside all love it.”
And make no mistake: the moving of DOB isn’t a sign of instability, it’s smart business for a first time business owner. Start small, find your audience, grow into your demand. It’s savvy, well-timed, and methodical.
James has surrounded himself with people who support him. He also works day and night to make his business better. And now it’s paying off. Not only does he have a new, larger location in Shreveport, James has also opened a sister store in Ruston, LA to take advantage of opportunities in the home of Louisiana Tech.
“When I first wanted to open a record store, it was always in the back of my mind to maybe do it in Ruston. So after settling on Shreveport, I did a few pop-up shops out there and they went over so well that I just decided to do it. I really never thought of having more than one location, but once I got the Shreveport store it built up I thought to myself ‘Maybe I could,'” he recollects. “When I put messages on Facebook saying I never thought in a million years this would happen, it’s honest to god. When people buy into your dream and support you, they help make it happen.”
This kind of smart, demand-based business growth is something Shreveport entrepreneurs should take note of. It’s a similar growth style being used by Rhino Coffee and Great Raft Brewing. It’s becoming apparent that Shreveport is becoming the home and hub of these highly brandable businesses that are growing — James’ Day Old Blues included.
“I’m going out to Ruston, Rhino is expanding downtown, Pelican Parish, and others are exploding. The small businesses that people support and make grow.”
We agree. It’s an exciting time.