Death knell sounds for blank cassettes as stocks taper off

THE days of taping new music albums for friends could be at an end after a major retailer announced it will no longer stock blank cassettes.

Curry’s, which has stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, is blaming the rise of MP3 players like Apple’s iPod for its decision to pull the plug on sales of tapes.

The British-owned retailer yesterday announced that stocks will not be replenished at its 500 stores in Britain. A decision has yet to be made about supplies at the chain’s nine Irish stores, although a spokesman in Britain said the product could be withdrawn in Ireland soon.

Currys said it expected that cassette decks, which are today installed in less than 5% of audio equipment stocked by the retailer, will disappear from its range within 18 months.

The announcement sounds the death knell for the lovingly made compilation cassette tape, often used as a gift to impress the opposite sex, and now gathering dust in many cases.

“It has been a remarkably durable format,” said Peter Keenan, managing director of Currys.

“I remember the tape with some fondness. The hours spent putting together compilation tapes and the all-too-familiar experience of finding that your deck had chewed your tape, will resonate with many now in their 30s and 40s.”