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    Fopp

    4.3 (25 reviews)
    Closed 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Fopp Photos

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    Alice W.

    It used to be full of knowledgeable people but now they've hired people for their style rather than their broad taste in music. When I asked if there was anything similar to the Bjork CD I had in my hand I was met with "ermm... Cheryl Cole's new album is out?" No, surprisingly enough that wasn't what I was looking for. Before it was taken over by HMV I could've asked that same question to any of the staff and I would've left with 10 or 15 well informed choices. Luckily, there's still the £5 wall (and other different variations) a more indie/arty choice of films and some great, unique book choices. I've not boycotted it I'm just upset it's not as good as it used to be.

    Em C.

    Fopp is amazing. Everyone knows it so I barely need to explain why it's so great, but here goes... - Affordable CD's from all genres (now if that's an encouragement not to download a torrent I dunno what is). - Dirt cheap DVDs which often turn out to be Oscar winners, world cinema offerings, cult classics or almost new releases. - A great book selection, varying from graphic novels to classics. Most are under a fiver! - A strong accessory range, including loads of affordable, high quality "Gummy" headphones. So really, there is a whole lot to love. When I say DVD's are dirt cheap, I mean many are a fiver, and loads are 3 quid meaning it's cheaper to buy one than rent out a video store. They host cult classics and many manga and world cinema offerings. Their stock is well ordered and the store layout makes sense. Almost all films turn up in here at some point. Their CD range is extensive, catering to all tastes for affordable prices. Their new release CD's sit alongside reviews, either made by the staff or quoted out of magazines. Their books are so affordable you can take a chance and buy something you know nothing about on a limb. They make the classics and cult favourites accessible, cool and affordable to kids. There is no other way to say it. I'd marry Fopp if it was legal.

    Fiona H.

    Personally, if I want a particular song or album I'll get myself on iTunes and download it; I don't see that there's any need to drag myself off the sofa to do something I can do in my pj's. My flatmate, on the other hand, thinks there's nothing better to do on any given afternoon than spending upwards of 45 minutes browsing shops for them, and so invariably I get dragged along too. For that reason, I've spent a fair share of my adult life in Fopp, and I have to say it's pretty great. What struck me is the sheer range of older stuff they still have as well as current stock, and I mean DVDs and computer games as well as music. It's basically like HMV but back before it started popping up on so many high streets that it just started annoying people. Ironically, the shop assistant I was chatting to on one of my more bored occasions was telling me that these guys were bailed out by HMV during the recession, but they've still retained that quirky style that Fopp had before. If you're into your music even a little bit, then this place is definitely worth a visit.

    Sadly, places like Fopp will probably soon become completely extinct because of internet downloads and MP3 music, but for now, this fantastic Fopp store stands strong. I love going to Fopp for a browse, and I will buy dvd box sets from here as they are way cheaper than HMV and other rivals. There is always something incredibly satisfying about owning a box set, rather than downloading episodes online. I really like Fopp for it's range of quirky books and music autobiographies, which are way cheaper than buying them from Amazon or other bookstores. You can usually expect to pay £3-10 for a book depending on size, but overall, great value. Long Live Fopp!

    I nearly shed a tear after returning from my exchange year to find the Cockburn St branch of Fopp had gone into administration. It had plenty of ridiculously cheap albums, rare vinyl and the overall ethos of good, affordable music was right on the button. This Rose St branch attempts to carry on that ethos but just a smidgen less successfully than it's lost brother. The music just isn't as cheap and clearly is aimed more at the mainstream tastes. Nonetheless it's still one of my favourite places to buy music and I'm more than willing to put up with the afore mentioned niggles as they rebuild their struggling business.

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    15 years ago

    Best music shop in Edinburgh, I really like how they sell pretty much everything and they have big discounts on many CDs.

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    Review Highlights - Fopp

    Once a thriving independent with a string of shops across the country, Fopp is now a small chain of eight shops bankrolled by HMV.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

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    Blackwell's

    Blackwell's

    (33 reviews)

    ££

    Old Town, Newington

    Edinburgh was our first stop for spending two months in the UK. We showed up with very limited…read morebooks and games because of limited packing space. We always intended to replenish our books and games while we were here, but Blackwell's made it fun and easy. It seems like Blackwell's is just a great bookstore all-around, but it's particularly notable for the fact that the basement is devoted entirely to kids books and games. They had basically every board game you could as for and were willing to help us think about how to pick them out. We wound up getting a copy of Carcassonne (which we have at home) and Cascadia (which I'm excited to try). We also got a few new kids picture books and a book of short stories and poems which will make for good bedtime reading. My wife also picked up a few fantasy novels.

    I've been a huge fan of this bookshop for many many years, and would make the effort to visit it…read moreany time I was in the vicinity to feed my reading addiction. Since the advent of the Kindle, I don't visit as often and that makes me rather sad, because Blackwell's is a great bookstore and a cool place just to browse around soaking up the literary vibes. I love the labyrinth of different rooms and secret corners where you can find the most surprising things from board games to desk toys, DVD's, maps, children's books and even a Caffe Nero at the back. Upstairs they have a vast selection of academic books, and it is this connection with the nearby University that probably keeps this bookshop alive in face of the competition from Amazon and e-books. I still love visiting here even though I'm less often inclined to buy a fiction book (most of my fiction is on Kindle these days), as they still have some interesting finds to discover that you won't find elsewhere. I love their selection of stocking-filler type gifts, their eclectic CD and DVD offerings, their board games (Carcassonne, anyone?), and of course the Caffe Nero.

    The Old Town Bookshop

    The Old Town Bookshop

    (11 reviews)

    ££

    Old Town

    If you're only going to visit one antiquarian bookshop in Edinburgh, I'd recommend Old Town…read moreBookshop. Aside from being on one of the loveliest streets in Edinburgh, it's a delightful wee shop that stocks an eye-watering selection of books from the 1850s onwards. There's a treasure chest of Scottish history, architecture and topographical studies alongside special editions of literary classics from Shakespeare, Dickens and Burns. As the shop is run by a painter, they also sell some lovely prints, lithographs, etchings, paintings and maps of Edinburgh and beyond. Tourists hoping to pick up a picture of the Castle should note these are priced £30 - £300 depending on the age, quality and scarcity of the work.

    Edinburgh's Old Town Bookshop, set at the top of the winding Victoria Street, is more like a museum…read morethan it is a book store as they specialise in collecting antiquarian literature. From the books jauntily placed in the window to the many within, each is treated with tender loving care. It shows, since the books aren't falling apart at the spine, but are rather tainted with age. The majority of their books date from the 1700s onwards and are priced as such. You can gather from the pristine condition of the stock that it's not the kind of store you'd pick up a lovingly creased copy of Harry Potter from. But they do have a collection of classics (of predominantly Scottish origin), so tourists and avid fans of Burns can have a ball gandering the shelves. I wouldn't necessarily go here for a browse since it is so specialised although the staff are welcoming if you just fancy a nosey. But this store is a trove for Antiquarian collectors, who can hope to find anything from literature pre-dating the enlightenment to old prints and lithographs. It's largely a pricey venture, but for people well versed on antique auctions the Old Town Bookshop displays some lucrative books that would bring back a substantial amount of money when under the hammer. For tourists, this place is a quirky homage to Edinburgh's literary culture of old.

    Southside Books

    Southside Books

    (12 reviews)

    £

    Old Town, Newington

    Located just two doors up from the gargantuan Blackwells on South Bridge, Southside Books offers an…read morealternative through selling second hand books. People are able to come in and sell their second hand books, both fiction and non-fiction, and they also buy in large orders of books of varying condition. I have bought several books from this shop for my course and the owner is an extremely friendly and helpful man who always offers to order or reserve any books which he doesn't happen to have in stock. However, sometimes the books are in such good condition that he only sells them at the standard recommended retail price which can erradicate the point of it being a second hand book shop. Despite this, Southside Books has an excellent supply of books for a variety of reading tastes and is certainly worthy of a visit before heading to Blackwells.

    I wonder if the owner of this shop is some sort of old guard communist. For some reason every time…read moreI go into Southside books I end up flicking through many books on Trotsky or the fall of rise of the Soviet Bloc. Actually this second hand and discount book shop has a great selection. It tends toward nonfiction, with a good selection of philosophy and religion. There is also a selection of university textbooks for these and other subjects. Don't come here expecting to find every textbook you need, but you might just get lucky and find that needed book for cheaper. Southside books might stock a good selection of nonfiction but it also sells fiction, with a particularly decent range of classics. Southside ticks all the boxes for me for a second hand book shop , it has lots of books, lots of genres, the owner is friendly and happy for you to browse. The only problem I did find was the prices. I know this shop is second hand and discount but every book I checked seemed to be discount. Even then the books are often only a pound or so cheaper than its recommended retail price. Even if there is a pricing problem, Southside books still remains a good independent book shop.

    Forbidden Planet - Lots of comics, majority of what they have

    Forbidden Planet

    (31 reviews)

    ££

    Old Town, Newington

    Really pleased to have found this shop while in Edinburgh! Picked up a couple manga and some…read morefigures with my friend, we looked it up later and found out that I guess the Kitagawa he got was a UK exclusive and only £25 so this made it extra special for us given that we are from the US. Didn't interact much with the staff other than the fact that the cashier accidentally put an extra figure in our bag, which we realized and handed back to him before leaving. He seemed very friendly though

    Came here looking for Pokemon cards for the kids or possibly a small souvenir. They didn't have any…read morecards and despite a pretty large merchandise section the thing they had the most of was comics. The comics were all retail and all of the merchandise was fairly priced. We didn't have a lot of space for presents but my kid was eyeballing a trade paperback. I liked how they had a curated display of comics but my favorite part was an independent small publisher section from companies I've never heard about before. They had toys, plushies, and funko pops along the right side of the store. Pretty good mix of lots of different items and franchises but not enough if you are a collector of something specific. I think this store started in NY but have expanded globally, there were a steady stream of people coming in and staff was helpful and kind when I asked for Pokemon cards. There were some places that seemed irritated after hearing the same question for the 20th time that day.

    Edinburgh Books - Storefront

    Edinburgh Books

    (10 reviews)

    ££

    Old Town

    Antiquarian books Rare & first edition books…read moreOld classics Modern classics Penguin classics Scottish classics Scottish culture & history books Architecture books Art books Photography books History books Military books Greek & latin books European books Irish books Theology books Philosophy books Political books & Book marks In short, Edinburgh Books offers story lovers and book-worms 8 rooms of awe and wonder. To top it off, the staff are lovely and they play fantastic music from Dylan and Tom Waits to Gram Parsons.

    There's a reason yelpers have almost unanimously given Edinburgh Books 5/5. It's a bloody good book…read moreshop! Somewhere between the Grassmarket and Lothian road lies this gem of a second hand book shop. Bringing class to the area unfortunately called "the pubic triangle" given the nature of the other establishments nearby, Edinburgh books remains central whilst retaining a slightly quieter location. Perfect for browsing, Edinburgh Books provides truly a great range of fiction and nonfiction, mostly well known titles and classics, as well as collectors items and antiquarian books. But make no mistake, this isn't some stuffy, up themselves store where you feel the piercing eyes of the owner follow you round the room. No no no, this is a friendly, browsing welcome gem. The first time I visited I spent about thirty minutes perusing their wares without buying and I got a nice smile and a 'goodbye' on my way out. There are signs up that say "please leave bags at the counter" which surprised me at first. But these are quickly countered by others which say "please don't hesitate to ask for help". I now presume the bag thing is to do with not knocking things over/making more room for fellow visitors. I should add here that though Edinburgh Books covers nearly all genres, its "Scottish Room" covering, yes, all things Scottish, is particularly good for its specialisation. The last time I visited I came away with a copy of Dostoevsky's The Demons, for about half the price it would have cost in Blackwells. A bargain! A lovely second hand book shop with great titles across a range of genes. A must for all book lovers living or visiting Edinburgh.

    Fopp - musicvideo - Updated May 2026

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