Record Store Day 2012

VINYLLY YOURS: Another Record Store Day is in the books and once again it was a wildly successful event. Indie retailers across the country reported the best sales day in memory. Said Music Millenium’s Terry Currier: “We beat last year by only 3 %, but last year was so huge I'm happy we did that. Still makes it the second or third best day we ever had and will be our best day of the year by far.” Newbury Comics’ Carl Mello reports that unit sales were up 9% over last year, but revenues soared by a whopping 50% due to a much higher demand this year for higher ticket items. Mello also said that Newbury sold over 15k in vinyl releases with 9k of that being sold by 11:15 a.m. Waterloo Records’ John Kunz said that his first customer of the day showed up just past midnight and he had 300 people in line by the time he opened his doors at 10 a.m. Waterloo also posted a 10% gain in units sold over last year and a 16.5% gain in revenues, also noting the fan appetite this year for the more expensive releases. Record Archives’ Alayna Hill Alderman echoed the overall results: “Yes, I am happy to report another record-breaking Record Store Day event. I can’t believe I’m writing this, that after 37 years in music retail, we are still enjoying growth. Crowds formed by 5:30 a.m.” Alderman reports that her Rochester store saw a 16% gain. (4/23p)