A Local Music Shop, Delivered Far Beyond Our High Street

A local music shop doesn’t have to be just around the corner.

Ours is on the High Street in Alford, Lincolnshire. But on any typical day, the parcels leaving Music Bits Company head far beyond our little corner of the country. Behind each address is someone making music, and we like to think that a little bit of our shop goes with every order.

One ordinary day, quite a journey

Take today, for example. Destinations included Port Talbot, Bristol, Evesham, Birmingham, Truro, Kendal, Cambridge, Oxford, Liverpool, Kilmarnock, Carlisle, Southampton, Poole, Canterbury, Norwich, Beccles, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Lerwick and Douglas. And that wasn’t the whole list.

It sounds rather like the itinerary for a very ambitious tour. For us, it’s a typical day of online orders.

There are major cities in that list, but also market towns, coastal communities and island destinations. From Cornwall to Shetland, from Wales to East Anglia, people are choosing to order from a real, independent music shop in a small Lincolnshire town.

That’s something we never want to take for granted.

From the wilds of Scotland to Cornwall and Devon

The places we send orders are wonderfully varied. Some parcels are heading for the bustle of Birmingham, Liverpool or Manchester. Others are bound for communities in the wilds of Scotland, the towns and villages of Wales, or the coast and countryside of Cornwall and Devon.

Today’s list alone stretches from Truro to Lerwick, with plenty of places in between. Douglas takes the story across the water to the Isle of Man, too.

For some customers, a music shop might be a short walk away. For others, visiting one means a substantial journey. Either way, ordering online shouldn’t have to mean losing the human side of shopping.

A website at the front, a proper music shop behind it

Our online store is an extension of our shop, not a separate idea.

Behind the website is Music Bits Company at 17 High Street, Alford: a traditional local music shop stocking instruments and accessories, with in-house repairs and setups for most string instruments.

You can explore our classical guitars and bass guitars, browse practical accessories such as guitar straps, or take a look at our PA and recording equipment. Wherever you’re browsing from, there’s a real music shop behind the selection.

That matters because buying something musical isn’t always just a case of finding a box and clicking a button. Sometimes you have a question. Sometimes you’re unsure what you need. Sometimes you simply want to deal with people you can actually speak to.

Whether you’re standing at our counter or contacting us from the other end of the country, that’s the kind of relationship we want to offer: approachable, personal and rooted in a real shop.

Your local music shop might not be local

We wouldn’t pretend that a parcel can replace every part of walking into a music shop. Trying an instrument, having a browse and chatting across the counter are pleasures all of their own.

But we can bring the same spirit to serving customers further afield. A local music shop is about more than its postcode. It’s about having somewhere to turn, being able to ask a question and knowing there are real people behind your purchase.

So while Alford is home, the community we serve reaches much further. There’s a little connection between our High Street and all those places on today’s address labels: Port Talbot, Kendal, Oxford, Beccles, Kilmarnock, Poole and the rest.

Different places. Different musicians. The same small music shop. 

A small shop with a rather large neighbourhood

Every order helps connect our independent shop with another part of the country. We’re grateful to the people who choose us, whether they live a few streets away or need a sea crossing to get here.

So if you’ve ever wondered where our online orders go, the answer is: all sorts of places, every day. Big cities, small towns, rural communities and islands.

Our front door is in Alford. Our neighbourhood is a good deal bigger.

If you need a hand choosing something, get in touch on 01507 838 448. Wherever you’re making music, we’d love to help.