Ahead of the latest Record Store Day a little later this month, it’s been revealed the number of independent music shops in the UK is at its highest since 2009.
Record Store Day has led the charge in renewing interest in the traditional vinyl format, and the effect on stores appears to have been just as profound, with 40 brand new independent record shops opening in Britain between 2009 and the present day.
“We like to integrate the best of new technology alongside the best of the old,” Chris Larkin of Newcastle’s Vinyl Guru said. “Our jukebox has QR codes on the song title strips so you can get extra information on the artist on your smartphone.”
“We’re big fans of social media so we’ll be using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram etc, to keep customers up to date with new releases, offers and in store events. We’ll be livestreaming all our in store performances online and we’ve got superfast 156Mb free Wifi for customers who register for one of our free loyalty cards.”
An 800% boost in vinyl sales has also been reported since 2009, increasing the market from £3.3m to £25.9 million last year.
