After graduating from Cambridge University, Burgess worked in several record shops before opening Flashback Records in 1997.

Under his leadership, Flashback has grown into one of the largest independent record shop chains in London, with three locations across the city. The company specialises in new and second-hand vinyl, CDs, and DVDs spanning a wide range of genres. Flashback also hosts and curates gigs and cultural events in the local area, including album launches, artist signings, book launches, and regularly promotes live music at nearby venues.

Burgess is widely regarded as an expert in second-hand records and has chaired panels discussing the continued relevance of vinyl, including events hosted by KEF Loudspeakers. His recent social media collaborations with Discogs, where he explains how to identify original pressings of classic albums, have proven particularly popular with collectors and music fans.

In addition to his work in retail and music culture, Burgess designed and continues to maintain Flashback’s custom stock database and point-of-sale system, giving the company significant flexibility when responding to new challenges in the industry.

Outside of his business activities, Burgess is a keen musician and plays bass in the post-punk band Bona Rays, alongside a number of other musical projects.