English record stores share plans for lockdown trading

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.