UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s have started selling vinyl albums in 171 stores as of today [March 21].
The Independent reports that the chain will sell vinyl albums for the first time since the 1980s following the success of Adele’s 25 which sold over 300,000 in the retailer’s stores.
The list of albums includes three by David Bowie (Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, Nothing Has Chainged), The Beatles (Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road) and Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin and Led Zeppelin IV).
Pete Selby, Sainsbury’s head of music and Books told Music Week: “There is an enduring love for this format with music fans and we’re delighted to offer an ongoing selection of titles for everyone, from contemporary releases to much-loved classics. Our customers have rich, varied tastes and our range will naturally reflect this.
“We don’t see this as a novelty gifting fad but a complimentary part of our existing music offer with a long term future in our stores. Vinyl is definitely experiencing a revival with demand growing stronger year on year. It is our aim to make the vinyl experience easy and pleasurable for our customers who are ready to re-engage with a format that resonates with them on an emotional level.”
Sean Cowland, Music Buyer added: “The diverse nature of CD sales at Sainsbury’s – from bestselling chart lines to more specialist catalogue – has given us the confidence that our customers not only choose us as a destination for New Release albums but are also open to recommendation and discovery in store. The vinyl offer reflects this.”
In December last year, Tesco became the first UK supermarket chain to reintroduce LPs to its stores.
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