I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Feel free to drag and drop me anywhere you like on your page. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.

#LoveRecordStores

#LoveRecordStores is an online global initiative, launched to help independent record stores during the coronavirus crisis and highlight their vital role in the music community. The website www.loverecordstores.com promotes blog posts, articles and photo stories from independent record stores and the people who work in them.

Love Record Stores Day (#LRSD)

Given the modified conditions of this year’s Record Store Day celebration, the organisers behind the successful #loverecordstores campaign named 20th June 2020 Love Record Stores Day (#LRSD). The aim of this initiative was to give participating stores the significant spike in custom they normally receive on Record Store Day while helping music fans satisfy their appetite for great music during this difficult period.

Love Record Stores Day was a day of online shopping for vinyl exclusives at favourite record stores with a range of strictly limited-edition releases made available to music fans. Alongside new and exciting releases #LRSD was supported with online, ‘instore’ performances by a number of artists and exclusive DJs sets being broadcast throughout the day and a wide range of participating labels.

On December 5th, Love Record Stores announced their 100 Independent Albums of the Year, chosen by UK record stores. Find out more here.

This year, IMPALA’s Outstanding Contribution Award goes to the #Love Record Stores campaign. Jason Rackham, MD of [PIAS] UK, created and led the campaign which has grown into a successful international movement.

IMPALA Executive Chair Helen Smith commented: “Record stores play a vital role in our ecosystem and this campaign provided essential support and visibility, in what has been an unimaginably tough yet inspiring year. Jason’s energy made it happen and this award honours that, and the contribution of the whole team. Independent music companies and specialist record stores are essential partners in communicating with music fans.”

More information here.

IMPALA promotes the roll-out of #LoveRecordStores across Europe, together with other campaigns to support local record stores and other initiatives to promote music during the coronavirus crisis. IMPALA also supports accessibility to culture during the coronavirus crisis and asks for these shops to remain open.

Support the campaign and find your local independent record stores

To find out more about #LoveRecordStores and support it with your own message, go to https://twitter.com/LoveRecsStores. The campaign started in the UK and has attracted a lot of attention, with messages from Elton John and many many others. It has been picked up in many countries where the press reaction has also been very positive.

For an interactive map of shops delivering online during the lockdown click here (Europe and elsewhere) (courtesy of Beggars Group) and also here (UK only) (courtesy of OCC). For an interactive map of shops delivering online during the lockdown (UK for now) click here. To find independent records stores in your country, click here for a list of those participating in Record Store Day.