WHSmith is bringing back vinyl records into 80 of its stores across the UK in response to growing customer demand for the format.
The high street chain said its stores, including Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh and York, will stock a selection of chart hits and classic albums on vinyl.
The retailer first began selling vinyl albums in the 1950s but phased them out thirty years ago as the popularity of CDs took off.
The format has experienced a resurgence in recent years, with sales last year increasing four times as fast as 2022, with an 11.7% rise to 5.9 million units, trade association BPI reported.
WHSmith High Street commercial director Emma Smyth said: “After thirty years vinyl is back at WHSmith! I’m sure there are many customers out there who remember spending hours in record shops browsing the latest vinyl LPs and the artistic record covers.
“To me it’s no surprise that vinyl is growing in popularity again, and we are very excited to be bringing back record selections to more than 80 different stores across the UK for both seasoned fans and new listeners alike.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter