Meet the second generation owner at Electric Fetus

Meet Linden Hills resident Stephanie Covart Meyerring, who took over running the iconic Electric Fetus from her dad, Keith Covart, with her husband Aaron a few years ago. (She previously worked in interior design.) “We want people to have an experience here,” said Covart Meyerring.

In addition to local people, they draw in customers from around the world as it has become a mecca for Prince fans. His last tweet on April 18 before he died contained only a picture from his “Piano & a Microphone” tour and a link to the Electric Fetus, a Minneapolis record store. His fans return year after year. Covart Meyerring said they debated whether to offer Prince products. “It was hard for us to even bring Prince merchandise in here,” she remarked. The Electric Fetus was a place Prince came to, and they knew him. He supported them and they supported him. In the end, they added the merchandise because their customers asked for it. The Electric Fetus closed its Duluth store in 2020, which was a hard decision; the St. Cloud store was closed in 2014. The two had opened on the same day in the 1980s.

When COVID-19 hit, the gift shop was affected and sales of books, toys, clothing, jewelry, accessories, stationery, incense, bath & and beauty products, and housewares dropped. “During COVID, vinyl really kept us strong,” she said. “People were at home listening to music.” In the last six months, their gift department sales have risen. “People are returning to the places they used to go to,” said Covart Meyerring.

The Electric Fetus will celebrate its 55th year in June. “It feels like everyone has a story about the store,” said Covart Meyerring. She loves seeing grandparents introduce their grandchildren to the Electric Fetus. When people come, they stay for awhile. She remarked, “We’re a destination store.”

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