Record shops in England set to reopen next week

Record shops in England set to reopen next week
(Image credit: Future)

Yesterday (9th June), business secretary Alok Sharma confirmed that non-essential shops are permitted to reopen in England from Monday 15th June – and some record stores have since announced their plans to do just that.

All four of Rough Trade's stores in the country – Rough Trade East (London), Rough Trade West (London), Rough Trade Bristol and Rough Trade Nottingham – will be reopening from next Tuesday (16th), operating restricted hours between Tuesday to Saturday, from 11am until 5:30pm, for the foreseeable.  There will be a limited store capacity with social distancing measures in place, and it'll be strictly card-only transactions.

From Monday, Leeds' Crash Records will be open daily from 10am until 5pm for collection of pre-ordered records bought online or over the phone. There won't be any opportunities for browsing, however if something is in stock purchases can be made on the day.

Soho, London's Sister Ray has tweeted (below) that it will also be opening from Monday. Other record shops taking steps to reopen next week include Probe Records in Liverpool and Vinyl Tap Records in Huddersfield. Those wondering whether their local record store is opening should check their social accounts.

The reopening of non-essential shops is part of the government's three-stage plan to ease lockdown measures, however businesses must follow the social distancing and hygiene guidelines published last month.

Some shops, however, have chosen to remain closed for a while longer. Kingston's Banquet Records will keep its doors closed, due to the fact customers won't be able to browse, and in light of the enforcements necessary to operate effectively with social distance and queue management. It will instead be offering a car park collection service to the rear of the shop instead.

Meanwhile, several record stores throughout the UK continue to offer a vinyl delivery service.

Record Store Day also recently announced new 'drop in' dates for customers to buy 2020 RSD exclusives from their independent record stores. Following the postponement and subsequent cancellation of Record Store Day 2020, the firm has announced the #RSDDROPS dates as 29th August, 26th September and 24th October.

MORE:

8 ways to support your favourite musicians during lockdown

10 of the best vinyl subscription services

10 of the best releases for Record Store Day 2020

Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.