New Kensington, PA | Preserving Vinyl rebrands its 2nd New Ken shop as a bargain outlet, set to open Dormont record shop Saturday: A stock of 250,000 CDs are now featured at the Fifth Avenue outlet. Preserving Record Shop owner AJ Rassau has been waiting years for CDs to hit the mainstream again, so when the opportunity to buy 250,000 from an online collector and retailer presented itself, he took the chance. The CDs are now on sale at Preserving Vinyl bargain outlet on Fifth Avenue in New Kensington, a few blocks away from Rassau’s main location. The space he formerly used as a second location just dedicated to vinyl records, celebrated its opening as the bargain outlet last Friday.
Athens, GA | Wuxtry’s Golden Anniversary: Downtown Record Store Still Spinning After 50 Years. As a tenured landmark on one of the most prominent corners in the heart of downtown Athens, Wuxtry Records is a can’t-miss location both visually—with its bold blue and yellow storefront accented by large, poster-covered windows—and as destination in the hearts of music lovers of all kinds. In the current environment where Athenians have become hardened to news of iconic landmarks and beloved businesses closing their doors, it feels more triumphant than ever to celebrate an institution like Wuxtry’s 50th anniversary.
Houston, TX | Houston DJs remember pioneering music store that’s closing after 50 years: The parking lot of the Soundwaves on 3509 Montrose was well-populated on Saturday, April 25. Earlier in the day, the record/skate/surf shop announced on Instagram that the store would be closing soon and all the merchandise was 50 percent off. Of course, people showed up to grab as many items —LPs, T-shirts, skate shoes—as they could, waiting in line as longtime owner Jeff Spargo rang up customers one-by-one. Soundwaves was once Houston’s mightiest independent record-store chain, with locations all over the city (its South Main location was frequented by hip-hop heads like the late DJ Screw and famed producer/ex-employee DJ Premier).
Melbourne, AU | The 50-year-old Blackburn record store started with jukebox leftovers: “I don’t think vinyl will ever go away.” Dixon Recycled Records in Blackburn has never given up on vinyl. The store, celebrating 50 years of operation this year, has been selling new and second-hand records since 1976. The Eastern Melburnian spoke with manager Douglas Walsh, who joined DRR 39 years ago at the age of 21. Half a century ago: Dixon Recycled Records began in 1976 as a way for owner David Dixon to trade old 45-inch records from the 1950s and 1960s he would then use to stock his jukebox hire company. Since then, the business has opened and closed other locations, including Camberwell, Prahran, Dandenong and Heidelberg, while their secondary location in Northcote remains open.
Falmouth, UK | New owner of much-loved Falmouth record shop Jam revealed: Mystery over who the new owner of much-loved Falmouth record shop Jam is may have been revealed—and it could mean another new venture for Penryn brewery Verdant. A licensing notice submitted to Cornwall Council shows that Green Spaces (Cornwall) Ltd has applied for a premises licence for Jam Records at 32 High Street, Falmouth, seeking permission to sell alcohol and provide regulated entertainment from 11am to 11pm, seven days a week. The company is registered at Unit 30, Parkengue, Kernick Industrial Estate in Penryn—the same address as Verdant Brewing Co’s taproom and brewery. Owner Mandy Kemp announced earlier this month that she and fellow Jam stalwart Rufus would be leaving the Old High Street shop at the end of May, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of trading that saw the store become a hub for vinyl enthusiasts and live in-store performances.
London, UK | “It’s not just a transaction, it’s a conversation”—how vinyl record shops are thriving in the digital age: The digital threat might be greater than ever, but record shops are doing a roaring trade—here’s how. Here’s reason to celebrate: UK vinyl sales have reached an 18-year high. But not only is the format thriving, the shops selling it are, too – bricks and mortar stores have increased their share of vinyl sales by nearly a third since 2021, now accounting for 41.2 per cent of all purchases. So when the UK high street is struggling, just how are record shops bucking the trend? As part of our Vinyl Week 2026 event, we went in search of answers. One of the UK’s most forward-thinking record shops is Dreamhouse Records in Leyton, east London. As well as selling sit-in coffee and having an alcohol licence, it runs regular film nights, a monthly dance hall night, hosts DJs, live bands and album launches, puts on live music for the weekly Saturday market outside the shop… the list goes on.
Auburn, CA | Radio personality, Auburn record store owner Al Lauer dies at 71: Local friends, family and thousands of music lovers in the Gold Country are mourning the passing Cherry Records store owner and longtime Auburn resident Al Lauer, who died of a heart attack early Sunday, April 19. He was 71. Lauer built his business in 1983 from humble beginnings and his own record collection in a little shop on Cherry Street, selling used records that were known for being in perfect, or “cherry,” condition. The shop’s name was a nod to Lauer’s ever-present sense of humor. He later moved to the Gold Country Mall, then to the former Nat’s men’s store and finally across the street to the current location at 925 Lincoln Way, adding new records, tapes, CDs and turntables to his inventory along the way.
Toronto, CA | This Toronto shop brings ‘everything under one roof’ with its multi-purpose concept: If the thought of Toronto rent makes you wince, imagine trying to run a business downtown. Commercial rent can be even steeper, making it tough for entrepreneurs to find an affordable space to set up shop. Walk along high-traffic streets like Queen West and Bathurst, and you’ll see the usual pattern: cafes just for coffee, studios just for fitness. But a new wave of multi-purpose spaces is starting to change that, blending work, play, and community under one roof. Take Rhythm, for example. Brainchild of 30-year-old Toronto resident Chloe Janicki, it’s part record shop, part recording studio with a cafe and event space inside.
Austin, TX | Former South Congress Cafe patio becomes wine and listening bar: Only the Wild Ones, a natural wine garden and outdoor listening bar opening May 1, is reworking the former South Congress Cafe patio from its longtime brunch destination into what founders describe as Austin’s “first dedicated outdoor listening bar.” And in the late summer or early fall, the space will also welcome The Butcher’s Daughter, a well-known bi-coastal vegetarian restaurant. The new concept pairs small-production natural wines and agave cocktails with vinyl-driven music in a shaded outdoor space built for lingering, transforming the familiar courtyard into a wine-focused gathering spot.
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