Zia records
Zia Records is a 100% employee-owned independent record store chain operating 8 retail locations in Arizona and Nevada, plus a national e-commerce site, selling vinyl, CDs, movies, books, and exclusive limited-edition pressings to music and media collectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersPhoenix, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Zia records does
Zia Records is a privately held, 100% employee-owned independent record store chain (legal entity Wamtones, Inc., incorporated in Arizona) operating eight retail locations across Arizona (Tempe, two Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, Tucson) and Nevada (two Las Vegas), supplemented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site at ziarecords.com serving the continental United States. Founded in 1980, the company sells physical music media (vinyl records, CDs, cassettes), movies and television (DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD), books (comics, manga, graphic novels, literature, zines), toys and collectibles, and Zia-branded apparel and gear. Its core differentiating product line is ZIA Vinyl Exclusives — limited-run, color-variant pressings produced in collaboration with record labels and available only at Zia — alongside a graded pre-owned vinyl program and a Buy-Sell-Trade service that lets customers sell or trade media into the store for credit or cash.
The commerce platform is built on FieldStack's Unified Commerce Platform, which links the e-commerce storefront with in-store point-of-sale, inventory, and customer data across all eight locations. The company's technology footprint is otherwise conventional retail infrastructure: no native mobile app, no disclosed AI/ML, and no API surface; the site is WCAG 2.1 Double-A conformant and DMCA-compliant. Customer engagement is driven by the Z Card loyalty program (1 point per $13 spent, redeemable for 50% discounts) and a $49.99 annual VIP membership providing 5% discounts, double points, 25% off Zia-branded items, and access to VIP-only sales. Community-facing programs include the Zia Records Community Improvement Initiative (ZCII) education grant, contests offering event tickets, and a partnership with Majestic Theaters on Soundtrack Cinema film screenings. The company employs 251-500 people, has no outside investors or parent company, and has not raised external funding.
Zia records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zia records
- Legal name
- Wamtones, Inc.
- Website
- https://ziarecords.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Zia Records is a 100% employee-owned independent record store chain operating 8 retail locations in Arizona and Nevada, plus a national e-commerce site, selling vinyl, CDs, movies, books, and exclusive limited-edition pressings to music and media collectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zia records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Record Store Retail
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Entertainment Memorabilia Retail (Film/TV/Music) (CRALAGAJ), Books, Media & Entertainment Resale (CRAFAGAF), Pop Culture, Licensed & Fandom Gifts Retail (CRALAJAK)
Keywords
Where Zia records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Phoenix
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Zia records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Sales - Physical Media: Core revenue from selling vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K Ultra HD discs, books, and merchandise through 8 physical store locations across Arizona and Nevada.
- E-commerce Sales: Online sales of physical media and merchandise through ziarecords.com with domestic shipping within the US.
- VIP Membership Program: One-time $49.99 annual membership providing 5% discount on all products, double loyalty points, 25% off Zia-branded items, and exclusive VIP-only sales and offers.
- Loyalty Points Redemption: Customers earn 1 point per $13 spent or traded; points can be redeemed for 50% discount on items up to the number of points earned.
- Buy-Sell-Trade: Customers can sell or trade items to Zia Records for store credit or cash, with the company reselling pre-owned inventory.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | VIP Membership - Annual |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Zia records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zia Records operates a Southwest independent record store chain selling physical music media (vinyl records, CDs, cassettes), movies and television (DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K Ultra HD), books (comics, manga, literature), exclusive limited-edition vinyl pressings, and Zia-branded merchandise through 8 retail locations across Arizona and Nevada and a direct e-commerce website. The business is differentiated by a buy-sell-trade program for used media, exclusive color-variant vinyl releases, an employee-owned (ESOP) structure, and a points-based loyalty rewards program plus a paid VIP membership.
Product overview
Zia Records is a Southwest independent record store chain operating 8 physical locations across Arizona (Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, Tucson) and Nevada (Las Vegas). The company offers a unified retail platform combining physical stores with an e-commerce website (ziarecords.com). The core product portfolio consists of music media (vinyl, CD, cassette), movies and television (DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD), and books including comics, manga, and literature. Key differentiated offerings include ZIA Vinyl Exclusives (limited edition pressings available only at Zia), a Pre-Owned Vinyl program with quality grading, and ZIA-branded merchandise (Gear and Apparel). The company supports customer retention through the Z Card Loyalty Program (points-based rewards) and Zia VIP Program ($49.99 annual membership with 5% discount and double points). Community initiatives include the ZCII Education Grant for college students. The company is 100% employee-owned through an ESOP structure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Music Sales Physical music media including vinyl records, CDs, and cassettes across genres such as rock, metal, punk, jazz, blues, electronic, country, K-Pop, Latin, and world music. Sold to individual consumers through 8 retail stores and the ziarecords.com e-commerce site.
- Movies & TV Physical video media including DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K Ultra HD discs, and television releases across genres such as action, comedy, horror, fantasy, science fiction, martial arts, and western. Sold to individual consumers through stores and online.
- Books Books including comic books, graphic novels, manga, light novels, literature classics, biographies, fantasy, horror, mystery, true crime, young adult, zines, and occulture. Sold to individual consumers through stores and online.
- ZIA Vinyl Exclusives Limited edition vinyl records produced in collaboration with record labels and available only at Zia Records locations or online, often featuring special colors, pressings, and artwork not available elsewhere.
- Pre-Owned Vinyl Quality-checked pre-owned vinyl records ranging from Good to Near Mint condition, with condition emails describing exact wear on jackets and records provided for online purchases.
- ZIA Gear Zia Records branded merchandise including hats, totes, water bottles, slipmats, and accessories featuring Zia branding and designs.
- ZIA Apparel Zia Records branded clothing and apparel including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and baseball tees, with collaborations such as ZIA x State Forty Eight.
- Gift Cards Physical gift cards available for purchase for use at Zia Records stores and online at ziarecords.com.
- E-Gift Cards Electronic gift cards delivered via email for immediate use on ziarecords.com.
- Toys & Collectibles Toys and collectibles available at Zia Records locations, complementing the music, movie, and book inventory.
- Zia VIP Program Annual paid membership program costing $49.99 for 364 days, providing 5% discount on all products, double loyalty points on purchases, 25% off Zia-branded items, a free VIP shirt, and access to VIP-only sales and offers.
- Buy-Sell-Trade In-store service that allows customers to sell unwanted media items to Zia Records for cash or store credit, or trade items at store locations, with Zia reselling the pre-owned inventory.
Companies that use Zia records
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Zia records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Zia records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Majestic TheatersminorZia Records partners with Majestic Theaters for Soundtrack Cinema events, a collaborative movie screening series featuring music soundtracks. Majestic operates locations in Chandler, Gilbert, and Tempe, Arizona. The partnership promotes both Zia Records products and Majestic Theater screenings.
- FieldStackcoreZia Records is powered by FieldStack's Unified Commerce Platform, which provides the technology infrastructure for both the e-commerce website and in-store operations, enabling a seamless customer experience across all channels.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Zia records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rough Trade: Internationally recognized independent record store chain with locations in the UK and US (Brooklyn, Los Angeles), selling new and used vinyl, CDs, books, and merchandise. Closest direct peer in terms of curated catalog, exclusive variant offerings, and multi-format retail.
- Bull Moose Music: New England-based independent music and movie retailer with 11+ stores across Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont selling CDs, vinyl, movies, books, and collectibles. Closely comparable multi-store indie chain spanning physical media and pop culture.
- Waterloo Records: Long-running independent record store in Austin, Texas, with deep catalog across vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and books plus in-store events. Comparable as a single-store or small-chain regional indie record retailer with strong community programming and exclusive pressings.
- Criminal Records: Atlanta-based independent record store selling vinyl, CDs, comics, books, and pop culture merchandise, plus in-store events and exclusive pressings. Direct comparable independent record store with mixed music/comics/books catalog and community events.
- Newbury Comics: New England-based specialty retailer with 30+ stores selling music, movies, vinyl, books, comics, pop culture merchandise, apparel, and exclusive collectibles. Direct comparable in combining physical media retail with pop culture/collectibles and exclusive branded merchandise.
- Turntable Lab: Brooklyn-based vinyl specialist retailer and label offering curated new and used vinyl, turntables, and audio accessories with nationwide e-commerce shipping. Comparable as a vinyl-focused specialty retailer with national e-commerce reach and exclusive/limited pressings.
- Amoeba Music: Iconic independent record store chain with 3 flagship California locations offering new and used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, and exclusive pressings. Directly comparable multi-store independent record retailer with similar product mix of music, movies, and exclusive variants.
Broad incumbents
- FYE (For Your Entertainment): National mall-based entertainment retailer selling physical music, movies, pop culture merchandise, apparel, and collectibles across hundreds of stores. Overlaps broadly in physical media retail but operates at much larger scale and lacks Zia's exclusive/independent vinyl curation.
- Barnes & Noble: Largest US physical bookstore chain with hundreds of stores selling books, vinyl LPs, movies, music, and gifts nationwide. Overlaps with Zia in books, vinyl, movies, and gift/merchandise categories but at far greater scale and with a different primary category focus.
Emerging players
- Vinyl Me Please: Subscription-based vinyl record club delivering curated exclusive color-variant pressings monthly, plus a marketplace of new and used vinyl. Comparable on exclusive vinyl pressings and collector targeting, but operates via subscription model rather than brick-and-mortar retail.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zia records social profiles
Digital presenceZia records compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Zia records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zia records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Zia records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zia records M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Zia records
What does Zia records do?
Zia Records operates a Southwest independent record store chain selling physical music media (vinyl records, CDs, cassettes), movies and television (DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K Ultra HD), books (comics, manga, literature), exclusive limited-edition vinyl pressings, and Zia-branded merchandise through 8 retail locations across Arizona and Nevada and a direct e-commerce website. The business is differentiated by a buy-sell-trade program for used media, exclusive color-variant vinyl releases, an employee-owned (ESOP) structure, and a points-based loyalty rewards program plus a paid VIP membership.
Is Zia records a public or private company?
Zia records is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Zia records founded?
Zia records was founded in 1980. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Zia records based?
Zia records is headquartered in Phoenix, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zia records make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Sales - Physical Media is the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Sales, VIP Membership Program, loyalty Points Redemption and buy-Sell-Trade.
Who are Zia records's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rough Trade, Bull Moose Music, Waterloo Records, Criminal Records, Newbury Comics, Turntable Lab and Amoeba Music. Broad incumbents are FYE (For Your Entertainment) and Barnes & Noble. Vinyl Me Please is listed as an emerging player.
Does Zia records have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zia records.
What industry is Zia records in?
Zia records's product category is Independent Record Store Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAF, Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles, with a secondary code of CRALAGAJ, Entertainment Memorabilia Retail (Film/TV/Music). Its NAICS code is 459 and its SIC code is 5735.