Entertainment Retailers Association says ‘bricks and mortar’ stores at record high: There are now some 14,800 shops selling CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray, with supermarkets and high-street chain sales leading to the rise. The figures show “traditional retail still has a place”, said the Entertainment Retailers Association. The internet accounted for 71.8% of entertainment sales in 2015. Physical stores were responsible for the remaining 28.2%.
David Bowie vinyl reissues announced for Record Store Day: According to Pitchfork, a pair of Bowie re-issues will come in the form of ‘Station to Station’ single ‘TVC15’ and the second ,1970’s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ album (which is also reportedly being reissued with original German artwork), announced through Bowie’s official Facebook page.
Take a look at the mobile record store Crosley is building: “There is such a revolution with vinyl. It is incredible. We’re kind of the benefactor of that,” he said. “This truck is something we feel like, it allows us to be a fun part of these venues.” The company is spending about $25,000 on the truck. It will have a seating area, USB chargers so users can plug in phones, and somewhere around 60 records for sale at any given time. The record selling will only be done at Kentucky events, said Crosley marketing director Jason Menard. There some tax regulations the company would have to deal with out of state.
Marvin Gaye’s most iconic albums collected in new vinyl box set: The third and final part of Universal’s mammoth Marvin Gaye reissue campaign will conclude in May with the release of Marvin Gaye 1971 – 1981, a mooted 7xLP box set collecting six of Gaye’s final albums. Among them are his seminal 1971 LP What’s Going On, 1973’s Let’s Get It On and I Want You from 1976, as well his soundtrack to 1972 blaxploitation film Trouble Man.
Turn Tables & The Vinyl Revival: The surge in LP sales is partly being driven by younger consumers. Industry researcher MusicWatch reported late last year, half of vinyl record buyers are under 25, and men are more likely to buy LPs than are women. “It’s definitely a bright spot for the business,” RIAA’s Josh Friedlander said in a statement to CNBC. “In an increasingly digital age, vinyl records can provide a deeper, tactile connection to music that resonates with some of the biggest fans,” said Friedlander, the association’s senior vice president of strategic data analysis.
