“I can’t do anything apart from records and music,” admitted John Stapleton when I visited his record store on High Street in Bristol city centre. Those who still listen to music on a turntable will be well acquainted with Wanted Records, and since its expansion from a tiny unit in St Nicks Market to a shop a mere few feet away, it’s become even more popular.
But relocating to a street with high footfall is not the sole reason John and his team are busier than ever. Change is afoot in the industry where music streaming giants like Spotify have dominated for years - in 2022, the UK saw its largest volume of vinyl sales since 1990 with 5.5 million units sold. This helped to give a previously struggling HMV its highest profits in years.
Granted, this figure is solely new releases - which make up less than five per cent of Wanted Records’ stock. Since it first opened in 2009, it’s always been about buying, trading and selling second-hand records, starting off with John's own vinyl collection from his days as a DJ, which took him all around the world.
