Record Store Profile: Desert Highways VIC

What is your store called? 

Desert Highways

Where are you located? 

715 Plenty Road, Reservoir VIC and online here.

Do you cater for a specific niche or genre?

Desert Highways is a record/skate store with an 80s/90s focus and brands with points of difference. We stock records, decks and hardware, t-shirts, stickers, patches, caps, posters/prints, tapes, CDs, zines, magazines, collectables and more.

Tell us about the people behind the scenes?

Anthony Moore is the owner and runs the store. He has a background in retail skate/surf (starting when his parents bought a store in 1989, Paradise Surf Centre, Port Macquarie), and has worked in various fields related to music over the years including journalism, community radio, Desert Highways label, promo, booking, management and more. His sweet spot for skating was mid 80s - mid 90s. He's very passionate about all things music and skate!

When and why did the store open? 

Desert Highways started initially circa 2000 as a music column for the Roadrunner Records site, Metalshop. Then in 2012 the business started officially (label, promo, booking, management, putting on gigs and festivals). After the Covid lockdown, it expanded and the physical store opened three years ago.

What do your customers most know you for?

Nostalgia and an open, relaxed environment. As we focus on 80s/90s primarily, they know they can come in and get something classic as well as left field from those eras (among others). They love coming in to check out all the memorabilia on the walls and strike up a conversation about what they're passionate about, whether it be music, skate, art or more. We love hanging out with our customers.

What is the most popular title you stock at the moment? 
The era classics like Nirvana, Melvins, Magic Dirt, L7, Hard-Ons, Meanies, Cosmic Psychos, Ministry, Sabbath, T-Rex etc are always popular, as well as local bands like SNUB, Seedy Jeezus, DEAD, Tropical Fuck Storm, Spacejunk.  

What is the most popular evergreen title? 

Hard to pick one, for us bands like Jane's Addiction, L7, Rage Against The Machine, Dinosaur Jr, Veruca Salt all hit well with og fans as well as teenagers. 

What is the best thing about running a record store in 2025?

The sense of community and friendship. We have the best customers and a really supportive community and have worked hard to build on it. We love how diverse it is and that they all feel comfortable to come in and hang. It was really important when opening the store to include a stage and run gigs instore every 1-2 weeks on Saturday afternoons, free and all ages, and love that anyone can attend, parents can bring their kids, teenagers can come in and see live music they usually wouldn't be able to. Reservoir is an awesome place to be.

What is the hardest thing about running a record store in 2025?
Rent and the cost of living impacts all businesses and especially stores like this, that’s where we hope we stand out with what we do differently and the focus of the store. It's also tough to find the time when juggling a store, label, and other projects all at once to get all the stock online and compete with those bigger businesses, so please come in, have a chat and pick up some records!