CD Warehouse

CD warehouse is a legacy from the old days when people still bought CDs. As opposed to HMV where they seem have diversified and aimed at higher end consumers, CD warehouse seems to have positioned itself as the neighborhood CD shop that you would find everywhere in the old days. As much as they have tried to spice up their image in terms of better lighting and refurbishments of their stores, they still can’t shake away the image of something that’s from an era passed.
Although the focus these days has shifted from CDs to DVDs and collectible items for the enthusiast, you are still hard pushed to think: is anyone actually still buying anything from these shops? From personal experience, this is further exacerbated by the fact that they don’t categorize their CDs properly and I never seem to be able to find what I want from the shop unless I’m looking for something fresh off the shelf.
Not that I’m questioning why this shop is still here, in fact I would very much love to preserve these shops because they are relics and we really still need them around. Many people still appreciate to have a CD in hand and to be really geeky and read through the infolds. I would buy myself a CD just to keep it for later years when people will probably have no idea what CDs are. So, CD warehouse, please keep going even though you might not be the best in the world– because you are the last of your kind and we need you!

Shopping arcades in Hong Kong have become more and more identical nowadays. Sad but true, isn’t it? Small-​scale stores have gradually been replaced by brands. Even chain bookstores find it hard to keep their place. The New Town Plaza in Shatin is no exception. Apart from hordes of people, all I can find in the plaza are just luxury or brand-​named items. It was frustrating sometimes, but I’m sure you can find your little place, if not heaven, there. Mine is on the 7/​F — CD Warehouse.
I regarded it as my secret paradise (but now it’s not secret at all) when I was Secondary 2 — the time I became a huge fan of Taylor Swift. Every time when I was in the plaza, going to the 7/​F was a must. Strolling around the store was just amazing. Music is always a place to relax. As a music lover, I loved to buy CDs even though the songs are actually available online, perhaps in an illegal way… Having something tangible would make everything more concrete. At home I enjoyed putting the CD on the player and then standing next to it to soak myself in music. Yet, tortured by schoolwork and exams, I rarely listened to music as my CDs were just isolated. I started to take up the habit again after the public exams. Now, the range of music to which I listen is more diverse. I love different kinds of music instead of just a particular singer’s. What’s more, now with applications like Spotify, my craving for buying an album is not as strong as before. So, I didn’t buy a new CD in these two years.
Since I was admitted to university, it didn’t visit CD Warehouse as frequently as in the past. I finally have the chance to spend some time there today. There are three sets of iPads and headphones for us try listening to some newly-​released or popular albums. The songs provided in the three iPads aren’t the same. The one on the far right was more about Asian songs. Sometimes you may need to wait for a while when somebody is using the set. When I was skimming through the international albums today, I heard a newly-​released song and started to enjoy it. Then out of curiosity, I asked a shop assistant what album they were playing. And she replied «Jason Mraz’s» and directed me to the shelf. I smiled, as Jason’s actually one of my favourite singers! Okay, I should save up and consider buying it… and maybe listen to them on Spotify for a few days first… The CDs offered in the store is rather mainstream. That means you can’t find the albums of Hunter Hayes, or other foreign rising stars. But I hope they’ll be there some day!