Fourty years of music retail - The CD Wherehouse story

I remember going to the Hillbrow Record Library with my parents as a kid. We used to dine at the Porter House (which my folks refer to as the poor-man’s steakhouse of the time) and then go and browse for a bit. Every now and then my folks would buy me a tape. Very exciting times for boy whose age was still in single digits at the time.

Well Hillbrow has changed, and so has that very special record store. The latter has done a lot better for itself and evolved into the powerful music retail brand that is now CD Wherehouse and celebrating its 40th birthday this year.

…so how did it all begin?

Leonard Berolsky started in Hillbrow during the 60’s selling importing second-hand LP's from a bookstore! He moved out a few years later to start a late night record outlet - The Hillbrow Record Library. This new venture was not without difficulties. Leonard was tied up in a legal battle with the council, who opposed his night time trading hours. He won the case and changed the name of the store to the Hillbrow Record Center.

The store was very successful. Business grew rapidly and Leonard and Dina Berolsky decided to open a new store in Rosebank, a more up-market and accessible area. With sales of compact discs on the rise, they decided that the store would specialize exclusively in this format. Compact Disc Wherehouse became the first store in South Africa that no longer stocked vinyl records and cassettes.

Dina opened the, then small Compact Disc Wherehouse, while Leonard continued to run Hillbrow Records. They aimed to have a store where people could find music that was virtually unobtainable elsewhere and because they were such great lovers of classical music, to cater for that very specialized market in a way that no other South African store had done.

Leonard eventually sold Hillbrow Records and joined Dina in Rosebank. The store grew rapidly and soon acquired a reputation as the place to buy music that could not be found anywhere else. Leonard had extraordinary music knowledge, and an ear for what turns on music lovers of all genres. He thereby positioned Compact Disc Wherehouse as the store with the widest range in the country, particularly on imported products.

Over the years the need to extend the store became essential, and moved to larger premises in Mutual Square (Rosebank). Despite the rise of other CD "Mega Stores" during the late eighties and early nineties, Compact Disc Wherehouse is still known throughout South Africa, and even beyond our borders, for its range. This also contributes to the successful development of a mail order business. With Rosebank being such a hub for tourists, there has been a great deal of positive feedback from foreigners about the unique vibe in the store, and the range of the stock. Several world-renowned musicians have commented on Compact Disc Wherehouse being the best CD store they have visited worldwide.

In September 1997 Nu-Clicks purchased Compact Disc Wherehouse with the intention of Leonard and Dina staying on in the employ of the company for an unlimited time period. Leonard and Dina left the business in February 1998, which is under new management that are expanding the business and taking it to new heights with the backing of Nu-Clicks.

And what has CD Wherehouse become?

CD Wherehouse now sells a vast range of music CDs, covering everything from rock, to jazz and classical, to pop, hip-hop, funk, R&B, local and world music. They also stock a massive range of DVDs including both Music DVDs and movies DVDs and boxsets.
In addition, the chain boasts a Wordsworth books section in every store and some of the outlets have stages where live bands are showcased. The store is very interactive, and the staff is chosen for their knowledge and love for every genre of music.

The chain now has four outlets each with its impressive selection in Sandton City, The Zone Rosebank, Gateway Durban and V&A Waterfront Cape Town.