When CD sales took off in the late 80s, many believed it sounded the death knell for the old-fashioned vinyl album.
Fast forward 40 years and records are the in thing again, so much so that the high street retailer WH Smith is bringing them back after a three-decade hiatus.
The records will be stocked in 80 high street shops across the country for the first time since the 90s, as the retailer tries to attract “seasoned fans and new listeners alike”.
According to data from the BPI, the UK record labels association, vinyl purchases reached 5.9m units during 2023 – their highest annual level since 1990.
In the UK, sales were given an extra boost by Taylor Swift’s album 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which was crowned the biggest vinyl album of 2023, with more than 84,700 copies sold since its release last October.
The biggest vinyl LP of the year by a British artist was the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds, at number two.
WH Smith first began selling vinyl albums in the 1950s, with records becoming a key product category for the retailer. But they were discontinued in the 1990s as CDs took off.
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The record renaissance has also brought about a rise in the number of indie record stores across the UK. A study by ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association, found that there are now 461 indie record shops in the UK, 122 more than 2014.
In 2014, indie shops made up just 3% of total music outlets in the UK, but the figure is now 23%. This reflects the drop in the number of supermarkets and other big stores selling music.
The music retailer HMV reopened its flagship record store in 2019 after a four-year absence, with an entire floor dedicated to vinyl LPs and CDs.
This year, records were also added to the list of products used to calculate annual inflation for the first time since they dropped off in 1992.
Emma Smyth, commercial director of WH Smith’s high street operations, said: “To me it’s no surprise that vinyl is growing in popularity again, and we are very excited to be bringing back record selections to more than 80 different stores across the UK for both seasoned fans and new listeners alike.”
Vinyl would be stocked in WH Smith stores in Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh Gyle and York, among others, the group said.
