IT IS the end of a era on Bangor High Street as long standing music retailler Cob Records is set to close its doors after 33 years in business.
The store, which has been part of Bangor High Street since 1979, has announced that it will close its doors for the last time in late March.
The news will be seen as a major blow to music fans in the area, as the decline of independent music stores across the country continue.
When the store opened, Cob Records was one of 10,500 independent music shops in the UK.
Now, fewer than than 200 remain.
Proprietor of Cob Records, Owen Hughes said: "The way the music industry has changed in the last 10 years has had a massive effect.
"More and more people began to download, and we just gradually began to lose out."
Hughes believes that the decline of Bangor High Street has also played its part in the dwindling fortunes of the shop.
"But the high street isn't as busy as it used to be. Saturdays are much quieter nowadays for some reason.
"With the lease coming to an end soon, and taking my health problems into consideration, I couldn't really justify renewing it. It's just not as busy any more."
Hughes was an employee at the shop when it opened in 1979, taking over the store's lease in 1995.
Despite the closure, his outlook on the future of the industry remains positive.
He said: "The whole situation of music sales is changing, and no-one can know where it might end up. I'd like to think there is still a place for this kind of business, it might just need a new approach or a fresh face.
"But I'm very proud of what we did at the shop. We've outlasted a lot of bigger competitors."
With the shop approaching its 34th year in business, Hughes indicated there might be plans for a final celebration.
"We may do something on the last day, we've had bands play in the past, and it would be nice to give the place a send-off," he added.
Cob Records will contiue to trade at the shop in Porthmadog and online.