Cleethorpes, UK | Cleethorpes record shop sees ‘busiest month ever’ as sales of vinyl soar across the UK: Matt Driver opened Howlin’ Jacks Record Store in early 2021 and has had good business ever since – December 2023 was his busiest month ever since opening. A Cleethorpes record store has had its “busiest month on record” since opening three years ago, as the sales of vinyl continue to soar across the UK. Matt Driver, who owns Howlin’ Jacks Record Store on High Street, said he “didn’t know what to expect” when he embarked on his business venture in January 2021, but has seen a steady influx of both regular and new customers. The store was so successful that within a few months of opening, he had to move to larger premises – and in December 2023, sales were at the highest they have ever been. …Matt told Grimsby Live: “I’ve been open for nearly three years and the sales in my shop have gone up and up. December has been our best month since we opened.”
Hull, UK | How business is booming at Hull record shop as vinyl sales reach highest levels since 1990: Out Of The Attic opened the day the first lockdown lifted in 2020 and has never looked back. If you’re a music lover you may well have unwrapped a turntable or a few new vinyl records for Christmas this year as interest in the decades-old format continues to bounce back. According to the British Phonographic Industry – the trade body representing the music sector – sales of vinyl LPs have reached their highest levels since 1990 in the UK. Independent record stores and the resurgent success of the likes of high-street stalwart HMV have played a pivotal part in the demand. Though more than 80 per cent of recorded music is now heard through streaming, sales of vinyl records have increased 16 years in a row and went up by 11.7 per cent year-on-year in 2023 to 5.9 million units. Even sales of audio cassettes have held up after a recent resurgence, topping 100,000 for a fourth consecutive year.
Uxbridge, MA | Past has presence at new music store in Uxbridge: Alyssa Lincoln grew up surrounded by vinyl records, turntables and music from before her time. Lincoln’s father and grandfather both moonlighted as DJs. The the music of her childhood ranged from her grandfather’s 1930s Mills Brothers records to Amy Winehouse’s then-current but retro-sounding radio hits, which inspired her to come up with her own melodies. “I’ve been writing since I was 6 years old. I can remember writing silly songs that a 6-year-old would write about,” Lincoln said. Now 21, Lincoln is carrying on her family’s musical tradition by founding her own record store in her hometown of Uxbridge. Retro Records will hold its grand opening, set for Jan. 6. Customers will be able to browse a wide range of vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs featuring music released between the 1930s and 1990s. “A lot of people have been asking about it, interested, intrigued by what I’m doing. That makes me look forward to the opening, and I think it’ll go well,” Lincoln said.
UK | Vinyl fans and traders tell of love for LPs as sales soar: While more than four fifths of recorded music is consumed via streaming, vinyl continues to make a comeback. Sales rose by 11.7% to 5.9 million units in 2023, increasing for the 16th year in a row, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade group. BBC News spoke with traders and customers in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire about the LP’s enduring appeal. Tim Laws sifts through dozens of LPs in The Beatles section of Spin-It Records in Hull’s Trinity Market. He’s hoping the Fab Four can add some Sixties sparkle to his family’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. Established in 1993, we are in what the owners claim to be the UK’s oldest vinyl-only record shop. More than 15,000 LPs and 7,000 singles, many with weird and wonderful sleeve designs, adorn the shelves. Mr Laws says: “I’m 64 years old and I’ve loved music and records my whole life. Records are like books—they last forever.”
CA | Record Stores Across Canada Break Down Their 2023 Year In Music: Records are still staying strong amongst the Canadian demographic, hitting both younger and older generations across the country. Streaming continued to dominate in 2023, with over 139 billion listens in Canada alone, but vinyl still holds a special place in music consumers’ hearts. With vinyl sales rising in the U.S., with over 41 million records sold in 2022, vinyl sales also saw a 25.8% rise in 2022 in Canada. Billboard Canada spoke with representatives from record stores in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto about vinyl’s impact over the past year. According to staff and record store owners, a new generation of buyers have entered the scene, keen on collecting and learning about the music they’re buying. “I really appreciate when kids ask me, ‘may I use the turntable?’… or when they ask me questions,” says Fion, a staff member at influential Toronto record store Play De Record. “It’s very exciting to know that the younger generations are interested.”
Piscataway, NJ | Piscataway Resident’s New Business is Music for Your Ears: Long-time Piscataway resident and music aficionado, Jerome “Jay” Walker officially announced the grand opening of his new record shop, Backspin Records this month. Backspin Records is located at 725 Lincoln Blvd. in Middlesex. The black-owned business specializes in new and used vinyl, turntables, audio equipment, and Wildberry Incense. “We buy used vinyl and stereo equipment and welcome local talent who need a place to perform,” said Walker, a graduate of Piscataway High School. He has a DJ booth set up in the shop for those who want to keep their skills sharp. Backspin Records brings back the nostalgia of sifting through the racks to find that favorite gem. For those who aren’t sure if a record is the one they want, Walker can set them up at a listening station to check it out.
Fort Wayne, IN | Wooden Nickel Owner retires after 46th Christmas selling vinyl: Bob Roets has held the reigns of Wooden Nickel since its beginning in 1982 but has decided to retire after 46 Christmases selling vinyl to Fort Wayne. Bob Roets owner of the Wooden Nickel, a Fort Wayne record store will be passing the pricing gun to his son Chris Roets on Jan. 1 2024 as Bob heads into retirement. WANE 15 sat down with Bob Roets and asked him about his time at Wooden Nickel and what he’s most excited about heading into retirement. Roets was happy to highlight his time at Wooden Nickel as the store’s main stage has hosted over 400 bands, along with helping to begin the celebration of Record Store Day since its start in 2007. Most of all Roets celebrates the resurgence of vinyl as it now makes up 65% of sales for his stores every day. “The fact that vinyl continues to grow and be a bigger part of the culture again, especially with young people, it’s what’s going to drive the future of the store,” said Roets.
London, UK | Record Fair: Inverted Audio Store x Out Of Joint Records at Brixton Brewery Taproom: Following the success of our collaboration in August, Inverted Audio Store and Leicester-based Out Of Joint Records team up in the New Year to host a record fair at Brixton Brewery Taproom on Sunday 21st January. An effervescent attempt to coerce you out of your post-Christmas slump and January Blues, avid record collectors can expect stacks of new & used vinyl records, rare cassettes plus an assortment of fine threads from Cav Empt, The Trilogy Tapes, Good Morning Tapes and Out Of Joint‘s own clothing line. DJ Antepop, Kreshik, Daniel and OOJ residents Coops and Ben will soundtrack the record fair with all vinyl DJ sets spinning throughout the day. Record fair commences at 12:00 and ends at 18:00. The first 25 people who register their attendance will receive a free pint upon arrival.
UK | The Observer view on the vinyl revival: LPs are the antidote to a frenetic digital world: Our rediscovered love of the record format reveals a need for ceremony and connection to tangible objects. …Rising sales of vinyl might also, however, be seen as part of a wider trend. Digital lives feel wobbly, insubstantial. We want the heft of things we can hold in our hands, and with which we can form an emotional connection. Sales of CDs and cassettes are also no longer falling as fast as before (sales of cassettes are at 100,000 for a fourth year in a row). In the face of their rising cost and squeezed household budgets, sales of books slowed in 2023. But the market remains buoyant, and all over the country, miniature community libraries—street corner cupboards containing volumes to be borrowed and shared—are springing up like toadstools.
