Record shop of the year says vinyl 'here to stay'

Tom Berry said it was a surprise to win Record Store of the Year 2024

A Gloucestershire-based record store has won Record Store of the Year 2024.

Sound Records, in Stroud, won the accolade despite being up against well-established independent shops such as Rough Trade and Piccadilly Records in Manchester.

Owner Tom Berry said he thinks the success of his store lies in selling cheaper records.

He said: "The key is having good records - new released and second-hand stock - and making sure we price our records fairly."

Sound Records have been trading for about six years in Stroud and now has three stores.

Mr Berry told BBC Radio Gloucestershire he sees people of every age coming into the shop.

"We get the 50-something man that comes in and he's buying the records from his youth," he said.

"But we do actually get an awful lot of young people now as well.

"We've got some young teenage girls coming in and buying the likes of Lana Del Ray and Taylor Swift but then people in there 20s buying the latest indie record - so a real mix of people I would say."

People queue outside Sound Records to buy a new vinyl

The owner said vinyl records are back in fashion after the decline of CDs.

He said: "There did seem to be a time when CDs were in the ascendency, but now people have returned to vinyl and the authenticity of the sound.

"So it's definitely here to stay I should think - it's certainly been on the up now for 10 or 15 years."

Mr Berry said the Sound Records team found out they were shortlisted just before Christmas and up against the "big" records stores.

"To be honest we didn't think we had much chance," he said.

"Part of the criteria is a public vote and the people of Stroud and the people of Gloucestershire have obviously got behind us.

"We found out in the new year when they sent us the trophy so we were really, really chuffed."