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

Data from Digital Entertainment and Retail Association finds there are now 122 more indie record shops compared with 2014

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.