Roaring Trade: Rough Trade post 20% jump in Christmas sales as independent record shops thrive

Vinyl record sales continue to fan turnover at Britain’s independent record shops.

Hearing of an increase in vinyl sales is one thing, but seeing those bumps reflected on the ground in the country’s beleaguered independent record stores seems to make the whole stats game worth while. Following the news last week that vinyl sales had increased 33% in 2013 in the Unites States with 6.1 million records sold (the UK followed suit this week posting an almost excessive increase of 101% year on year), the UK’s iconic Rough Trade chain (for it is now a chain, with shops in Notting Hill, Brick Lane and most recently New York City) has confirmed those records are being bought in the right places with a 20% like-for-like sales growth over the five weeks leading up to Christmas last year.

Split fairly evenly across online and in store, Rough Trade saw a 45% increase in vinyl sales as CD sales stalled. As Music Week report, Rough Trade co-owner said that “independent music stores across the UK are experiencing a sales uplift, with recent BPI figures of vinyl sales in 2013 testament to that fact. At Rough Trade, we continue to improve our percentages and cash margins, as we look to grow our business further in 2014.”

The positive news was echoed beyond the capital too, with Lawrence Mongomery of Bristol’s Rise Records attributing “a huge increase in sales of vinyl” as “one of the factors that contributed to our calendar year like-for-like sales being up 15% in 2013.” Likewise, Natasha Youngs of Brighton’s Resident records told Music Week “Having recently doubled our space allocated to vinyl, vinyl sales were 55% up in December. It is a very exciting change in the market to both witness & be a part of.” [via Music Week]

You can read the full break down of 2013’s end-of-year stats here.