Wolverhampton shop in a spin over second Record Store Day
A shop is aiming to turn the tables on music sales as it prepares to take part in national Record Store Day – for the second time this year.
Vinyl & Vintage, based in Wolverhampton, has stocked up with new records for music fans to get their hands on tomorrow.
Record Store Day had been due to take place in April but it was postponed due to coronavirus.
Organisers have instead split the event over three days to reduce crowds.
One took place last month and two more are due to take place tomorrow and sometime in October.
Around 80 or so shoppers would usually gather outside the Wolverhampton store for their records, but that number was reduced to just 15 in August.
Claire Howell, owner of the Cleveland Street store, said she felt the whole concept – a celebration of the music – had been lost by splitting it up.
She said: "It's just because of Covid, basically, that it's been split over three days.
"I would've preferred one day – I'm sure a lot of shops would as well – because there's no buzz, there's no excitement about it.
"It was very slow [last month]. We had around 15 people in the queue and normally we would've had 70 or 80 people waiting.
"It was successful, as in we only had a handful of records left, but I've been doing this for 10 years and you know what your customer base will be and order accordingly.
"But it's just not quite the same."
The special event is held each year across the country and allows record fans to get their hands on limited edition releases.
And the record store has stocked up, including a 40th anniversary of Dance Craze – a soundtrack to the movie of the same name.
The repress of the record – which features exclusive live performances by The Specials, Madness, The Selecter and The Beat – will be the first since its original release in 1981.
Records from the Ramones and a Britney Spears' Oops I Did It Again remix will also be released for the first time on vinyl.
And there is hope records from Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones could also be released in time for tomorrow's event.
Hand sanitister has been introduced in the store, along with screens around the counter. Visitors are also asked to wear masks.
