The Record Ship Relocates to Douglas Retail Corridor
Independent retailers are targeting the Douglas street corridor to capitalize on improved foot traffic and new storefronts.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Openings & Closings
Live Poll
Do you believe narrowing streets to prioritize foot traffic helps local businesses in your area?
The Record Ship has officially relocated from 230 North Cleveland to a new storefront at 2202 East Douglas. The vinyl and media retailer expects to be fully operational in its new space by November 1, 2026.
Why it matters
Business owners often seek prime street-level retail frontage to improve accessibility and capitalize on increased foot traffic. This move specifically targets the Douglas corridor, where recent infrastructure improvements have fostered a cluster of new commercial activity.
The transition involves 9 new businesses emerging on the Douglas corridor between Washington and Grove, supported by a recent road diet that narrowed the street to 3 lanes. The store previously operated at 230 North Cleveland before securing its current subleased space.
The players
Les Easterby
The owner of The Record Ship who managed the business relocation to the Douglas corridor.
Andrew Gough
The owner of Reverie Roasters who owns the Lahn building and subleased space to the record store.
The details
Owner Les Easterby opted to move The Record Ship because the previous retail space at 230 North Cleveland lacked the physical configuration necessary for an effective retail footprint. By subleasing space in the Lahn building from Andrew Gough, the store moves into a high-visibility area. This follows a deliberate road diet project on Douglas that reduced the thoroughfare to 3 lanes, a design shift intended to prioritize pedestrian and commercial engagement over vehicle throughput.
Timeline
October 17, 2026: The Record Ship closed its shop at 230 North Cleveland.
November 1, 2026: The store is expected to be fully operational at 2202 East Douglas.
Market Landscape
The move aligns with a broader trend of retail clusters forming around the Douglas road diet, which narrowed the street to 3 lanes to boost pedestrian access. This site selection mirrors the pattern set by Reverie Roasters, which moved to the same corridor in 2018.
Business operators should monitor how infrastructure projects like road diets shift the desirability of specific street-level retail corridors in their city. When evaluating a new lease, prioritize space configurations that explicitly support your specific retail inventory requirements.
The takeaway
Strategic location changes can mitigate inefficiencies in previous footprints, provided the new site aligns with local street-level foot traffic trends. Business owners looking to move should verify that a new property allows for the specific floor layout and inventory storage that their current retail operations require.
Further reading
For more on local commercial shifts, visit Wichita Openings & Closings.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wichita Eagle.
Live Poll
Do you believe narrowing streets to prioritize foot traffic helps local businesses in your area?
