English record stores share plans for lockdown trading

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English record stores have shared plans for trading during lockdown. 

Following the start of the UK’s national second lockdown, which came into force midnight last night (5th November), a number of record stores have outlined their plans to keep trading throughout the current closure of physical, non-essential shops.

Record shops in London, like Soho’s Phonica Records and Rough Trade on Brick Lane, announced that they will not only offer online services, but also a socially distanced click and collect service direct from the flagship stores. Disc World, one of London’s more recent additions, will also open one day a week for collection.

Elsewhere in the UK, Crash Records in Leeds will offer a shop and collect service, as will Piccadilly Records in Manchester, and Eastern Bloc. 

In September this year, online music marketplace Discogs reported a lift in sales, with physical orders through the website increasing by almost 27% compared with 2019. This reflects an ongoing trend, with UK vinyl sales hitting an all-time record high last year. Read our take on whether the resurgence of plastic records can fit with an environmentally conscious dance music scene.