Over 100 independent UK record stores and vinyl specialists are set to open their doors this week…. as the trend of vinyl starts to hit the world again we ask will we see South Africa’s much loved vinyl stores return to the market place?

We spoke to the owners of RUGGED VINYL which was one of the main hubs for importing dance music to South Africa and award winner of “BEST INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE IN SA”.

Nick E Louder said: I believe there is a place for Rugged again in today’s marketplace and the digital space, we have been watching the global trends of the Vinyl resurgence and I think it is inevitable that we will be back with the much loved store in one way or another.  Talks have already started with how we will be reinventing the way forward, but right now we don’t want to let too much out of the bag… so watch this space!

Nick E Louder and Chris Klass (Brothers) Launched the independent Record store in 1997 and in the 10 years the store was open it grew to one of the main outlets for electronic dance music in SA supplying all the top DJ’s at that time expanding the love of the music and all its genres to the youth of the country.

Inside Rugged Vinyl,  Long Street above Mr Pickwicks CBD Cape Town, SA.

 

Following the announcement that retail shops would be allowed to open for business in the UK from the 15th June, a number of record stores confirmed they would be opening their doors, including Rough Trade stores nationwide, and Crash Records in Leeds.

Now, Record Store Day have provided NME with an extensive list of vinyl specialists and record stores, including Newcastle’s Beatdown Records, Lost In Vinyl in Cambridge, and S.T. Records and Disc World in London, who will all open their doors this week.

The reopening comes as the third phase in the UK government’s lockdown easing plans, with retail staff and shoppers following safety guidelines and social distancing rules, which state that people should remain 2 metres apart.

Check out the full list from Record Store Day below.

Action Records
Preston

Adrians
Wickford

Astonishing Sounds
Burnley

Beatdown Records Ltd
Newcastle

Black Circle Records
Leighton Buzzard

Boiler Room Records
Poole

Crash Records
Leeds

Cruisin Records
Welling

Disc World
Deptford

Empire Records
St Albans

Fish Records
Stone

Five’s Records
Southend-On-Sea

Flashback Records Limited
Islington, London

Forest Vinyl
Cinderford

Gatefield Sounds
Whitstable

Global Groove
Stoke-On-Trent

Grind And Groove Records
Keighley

Heathen Chemistry Records
Fareham

Hey Joe
Brentwood

Intense Records
Chelmsford

Jam
Falmouth

Jumbo Records
Leeds

Just Dropped In
Coventry

Left For Dead
Shrewsbury

Lion Vibes
Brixton, London

Lost In Vinyl
Cambridge

Malcoms Musicland
Chorley

Martian Central
Exmouth

Museumvinyl
Saint Austell

Music Mania
Stoke-On-Trent

Raves From The Grave
Warminster

Record Revivals
Scarborough

Replay Records
Grimsby

Resident
Brighton

Revo Records
Halifax

Revolution Records
Stevenage

Rock Box Records Ltd
Camberley

Rough Trade East
Brick Lane, London

Rough Trade West
Notting Hill, London

Rough Trade Bristol
Bristol

Rough Trade Nottingham
Nottingham

RPM Music
Newcastle

S.T. Records
Hackney, London

Seismic Records
Leamington Spa

Sister Ray
Soho, London

Sound Knowledge
Marlborough

Spinning Discs
Sheffield

Square Records
Wimborne

Tasty Records
Altrincham

The Diskery
Birmingham

The Record Shop Ltd
Tottenham, London

The Vault
Bournemouth

The Vault
Christchurch

TNT Records
Barrow-In-Furness

Townsend Records
Blackburn

Truck
Oxford

Union Music Store
Lewes

Up North Records
Chester

Vinyl Attraction
Newark

Vinyl Revival MCR
Manchester

Vinylstore Jr
Canterbury

Wax At Moorgate
Moorgate, London

Winyl
Manningtree

Wrecking Ball Music and Books
Hull