The Best Vinyl Record Stores in the UK

Vinyl sales have been climbing lately all over the world. Listeners now prefer a slower, more deliberate way of finding and playing music. The UK is one of the best places in Europe to select and purchase vinyl. The country has a wide range of record shops to choose from. These include both century-old family businesses and newer stores built around DJ culture. This page covers the top spots for record shopping in the UK.

The Best Vinyl Record Stores in the UK

The UK has some of the world’s oldest vinyl shops: from 130-year-old institutions to newer stores built around specific music scenes. The table below is a quick comparison of the stores highlighted on this page:

Record collectors often compare shops by their selection, exclusive releases, and special offers. A casino welcome bonus is another example of a promotional offer, in this case providing new players with bonus funds or free spins. For vinyl shoppers, the more useful comparison is between stores based on their stock, location, and range of new and second-hand releases. The following shops offer a good starting point for exploring the UK’s record-store scene.

Spillers Records (Cardiff)

In 1894, Henry Spiller opened Spillers to sell phonographs and wax cylinders. Since then, it has worked continuously. It is the oldest record shop in the world. In 2010, it settled under its current address in Cardiff’s Morgan Arcade, and is now owned by two sisters who’d worked there as teenagers and refused to let it close when the rent tripled. Spillers boasts a wide selection of Welsh artists. In the past, it hosted early performances from Manic Street Preachers and Catatonia. Now, the stock covers most genres across both new and second-hand vinyl. 

https://spillersrecords.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Capture-shop-front-624×468.jpg

Rough Trade East (London)

Situated in the Old Truman Brewery just off Brick Lane, Rough Trade East is a label-turned-retailer that’s been shaping the UK’s indie and punk scene since 1976. There is a nine-to-one ratio of new to used stock, and the store offers a steady supply of Rough Trade, including exclusive pressings and signed editions that you won’t find elsewhere. In-store performances most weeks happen on a stage at the back of the shop. There is also a cafe for anyone who wishes to linger around, which makes Rough Trade East a one-stop record shop. 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d1391939-Reviews-Rough_Trade_East_Cafe-London_England.html

Piccadilly Records (Manchester)

Located in Manchester’s Northern Quarter since 1997, Piccadilly Records holds Music Week’s Best Independent Record Store award. It also frequently ends up at the top spots on several national newspapers’ best-shops lists. Piccadilly Records focuses on new vinyl, with the most popular genres being indie, disco, funk, house, and Balearic. Staff write their own reviews for what’s in stock instead of relying on press releases. The store is open seven days a week, including a shorter Sunday shift. 

Jumbo Records (Leeds)

Hunter Smith built Jumbo Records in 1971 out of his mobile disco business. Initially, the store specialised in reggae and soul, but then quickly broadened into other genres as well. It moved from the St John’s Centre to the Merrion Centre. It now has a small stage, a coffee counter, and a shelf of local releases that buyers won’t find through a distributor. The shop sells gig tickets alongside records and keeps close ties with Leeds’ bands, including the Wedding Present and Kaiser Chiefs. 

https://www.merrioncentre.co.uk/units/jumbo-records

Monorail Music (Glasgow)

Monorail Music is located inside the vegan cafe-bar Mono in Glasgow’s Merchant City. It opened in 2002 under Stephen McRobbie of the Pastels and fellow record-shop veteran Dep Downie. The catalogue is narrower in comparison, covering indie, post-punk, electronic, and experimental music. It goes deep within each of these lanes. There is a second-hand section that regularly offers rarities and reissues at reduced prices. Monorail is famous for its connections to Belle & Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, and Mogwai. Staff picks are also likely to send you home with something unexpected and different from what you were looking for. 

Resident Music (Brighton) 

Resident opened in Brighton’s North Laine in 2004 and has since been named Best Independent Record Shop in the UK three times over. It has one of the country’s widest pre-order lists alongside a broad new-release catalogue. The stock includes vinyl, CDs, and music books. Besides, there are frequent in-store performances during the Great Escape festival every May. Even though North Laine has enough other record shops within a short walk, stopping at Resident Music is definitely worth it.

https://www.resident-music.com/about

Tips for Vinyl Collectors Visiting the UK

Experienced record shoppers know how to find the shop that has all their bucket list items in stock. There are some recommendations that can be useful for vinyl collectors visiting the UK for the first time:

• Independent shops rarely advertise widely. The most reliable way to find them is to ask staff at whichever store you’re already in. Most have a mental map of nearby competitors and will be happy to point you toward them;
• If you are buying second-hand vinyl, always examine both the sleeve and the disc under decent light;
• Ask how the shop grades its used stock, and don’t be shy in case you need to ask the staff for a second opinion. 

Statistically, most collectors get their best finds from an in-store recommendation they didn’t expect. When you stay a few extra minutes and have a chat, it can prove more useful in the long run than heading straight for the racks.