Mars Tapes is widely recognized as the last store dedicated exclusively to cassette tapes in the UK. Located in Manchester, inside the iconic alternative shopping center Afflecks (in the Northern Quarter), the store has become a cult spot for lovers of analog sound.
Special Mars Tapes? Unlike other record stores that sell cassette tapes as a secondary item, Mars Tapes focuses almost 100% on this format. In addition to tapes (new and used), they sell and repair cassette players, Walkmans, and boomboxes.
Interestingly, although the format is considered "obsolete" by many, the store is growing. In March 2026, they opened a much larger new space on the first floor of Afflecks, which now includes a Listening Café where you can have a coffee while listening to cassette tapes.
The owners have also created an independent label (Sour Grapes Records), helping new bands release music in this economical and retro format.
Why do they say it's the "last one"? Although large stores like HMV or independent vinyl shops (like Rough Trade) sell tapes from popular artists, Mars Tapes is considered the last specialized store that survived and thrived by dedicating itself to the magnetic tape culture in the USA.
in USA The Cassette Place (Arizona) This is possibly the store that comes closest to the concept of "specializing only in cassette tapes" in the USA.
They are dedicated exclusively to classic cassette tapes, with an inventory focused on original editions in impeccable condition (Mint/Near Mint).
They are located in Arizona specifically because the dry climate is ideal for the preservation of tapes and paper sleeves (J-cards).
Tapehead City (Long Island, New York) If Mars Tapes is the heart of cassette tapes in England, Tapehead City is the equivalent on the East Coast of the USA.
It is an extremely active store and publisher in the community. They organize "Cassette Store Day" (the equivalent of Record Store Day for vinyl) and have a huge selection of new and used cassette tapes of all genres.
National Audio Company (Springfield, Missouri) This is the "mother" of all cassette tapes. It is the largest and last large-scale cassette tape factory in the world.
What makes it special is that it manufactured its own magnetic tape and millions of cassette tapes per year for artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, as well as independent bands.
Amoeba Music (California) Although not exclusively cassette tape (it is the largest independent music store in the world)
Dead Ahead Records (Los Angeles) Famous for their Sunday "Tape Drops," where they release batches of rare cassette tapes online and in their physical store.
Burger Records (California) Although it has undergone restructuring, it was the store/record label that started the great "revival" of cassette tapes in the US in the last decade.
For the experience of a street-level store dedicated to the format, Tapehead City or Dead Ahead Records are your best bets. If you want to see where the magic happens, the National Audio Company in Missouri is a must-see destination.