Running a shop selling CDs in the year 2013 might strike some people as not being such a clever idea. ‘The big hitters in the music industry might be running into trouble but the music itself is doing better than ever’, say Mark Steyaert from Kraainem, who owns four shops specialising in classical music and jazz. ‘Yes, a lot of CD shops have gone to the wall in recent years but they were generally non-specialist businesses that also sold all kinds of side products. I have tended to concentrate more on classical and jazz in recent years. I cater for a small public but those people know where to find me.’ They appreciate Steyaert because they can count on my knowledge and help in finding the right music. ‘I admit to not knowing all the details about every single one of the 20,000 titles I have here but I can help point people in the right direction. Some of my customers travel huge distances to shop here.’ ‘The biggest problem is the supermarket culture. Advertising has got people used to having everything immediately, off the shelf. I want a shop where you can take your time browsing around and turn to someone for good advice.’ (RK, jan 2013)