As you’ve no doubt worked out by now, we love record shops. Whether big or small, rocking a minimalist aesthetic or packing enough vinyl into their overflowing crates to wear down several lifetime’s worth of needles, we love how each and every one has something special in store for its customers. From the quirkiest locals to the big, gig-hosting powerhouses, every thirty-odd days we pick one to be our Record Store of the Month. They get a tasty gift from the Record Tokens team, and you get to discover the best independent record shops this country has to offer – it’s a win-win!
September's Record Store of the Month: Vinyl Exchange, Manchester
This month's winning shop – Vinyl Exchange in Manchester– has been open since 1988 and resides within the heart of Manchester's Northern Quarter. We LOVE that they stock whichever genre of music you can think of – whether it's jazz, jungle or hip hop – and we’re huge fans of their active social media profile. We also think it’s cool that they’ve had an array of interesting celebrity shoppers over the years, including Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Tim Burgess from The Charlatans and actor Cillian Murphy.
James from the shop says: "Thanks so much for selecting us as your store of the month – it's really lovely news. This shop has two floors of CDs and records, and we have a team of staff who know their specialist areas like the backs of their hands.
We pride ourselves on our fair approach to pricing, whether you're selling your unwanted records, CDs or DVDs or buying from our huge collection of stock. We don’t believe in over-charging our loyal customers, and we hope that you'll agree as you look through the site that much of our stock is a good deal cheaper than you'll find elsewhere. And if you're selling items to us, we want you to feel that you've got a fair deal.
Record Tokens are a handy way to promote the resurgence of vinyl and they're so convenient as you can buy them in various outlets and redeem in our shop."
Congratulations to the entire Vinyl Exchange team! We hope you enjoy your luxury food and wine hamper – don't finish it all at once!
You can find Vinyl Exchange at 18 Oldham Street, Manchester. If you're round their neck of the woods be sure to pop in and give them a visit if it is safe to do so – and don't forget your Record Tokens (and funky face coverings)!
Previous Record Stores of the Month
August 2020 - Slide Record Shop, Bedford
July 2020 - The Forge, Tonyrefail, Wales
June 2020 - Fish Records, Stone, Staffordshire
May 2020 - Raves from the Grave, Frome, Somserset
April 2020 - Red House Records, Swindon
March 2020 - The Rock Box Record Store, Camberley, Surrey
February 2020 - Tasty Records, Altrincham, Greater Manchester
January 2020 - The Record Café, Bradford
December 2019 - Sister Ray, London
November 2019 - Phase 1, Liverpool
October 2019 - Empire Records, St Albans
September 2019 - Record Collector, Sheffield
August 2019 - Black Circle Records, Leighton Buzzard
July 2019 - Beyond Vinyl, Newcastle
June 2019 - The Orpington, Bromley
May 2019 - Vinyl Fiction, Manchester
April 2019 - Spiller's Records, Cardiff
March 2019 - David's Music, Hertfordshire
February 2019 - Winyl, Manningtree
January 2019 - Rapture Witney, Oxfordshire
December 2018 - Crash Records, Leeds
November 2018 - Pebble Records, Eastbourne
October 2018 - Spinning Discs, Sheffield
September 2018 - Reflex Records, Newcastle
August 2018 - Banquet Records, Kingston
July 2018 - Hundred Records, Hampshire