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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Ben Beaumont-Thomas

Indie record shops boom in number – but supermarkets are deserting music

Wally Bryan, the owner of Supertone Records in Brixton – one of the 461 indie record shops now in the UK.
Wally Bryan, the owner of Supertone Records in Brixton – one of the 461 indie record shops now in the UK. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian

New data shows that the UK has dozens more record shops that it did 10 years ago, but the marketplace for physical music elsewhere is quickly collapsing.

A study by the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA) finds that there are now 461 indie record shops in the UK, 122 more than 2014. Purely in terms of store numbers, the sector has recovered strongly after a small dip during 2020 that is likely attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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