Vinyl revival: Why Christchurch record stores still thrive despite digital streaming services

A Christchurch suburb is becoming a hub for vinyl, as young people flock to record stores.

Two new record stores have opened in Sydenham this year, joining longstanding Colombo St store Penny Lane.

Store owners say they're noticing a younger audience for vinyl and physical media.

Paul Allen opened The Flipside on Wordsworth Street in late February, selling records, CDs, collectibles, art, and retro vintage household items. 

He said the idea had been in the making for more than two decades.

He thought of his shop as a version of the American Pickers TV show with a rock and roll collectibles “sort of attitude”.

Vinyl remained popular because of its collectability and the physical factor of owning music, he believed.

He said people enjoyed crate digging and discovering different album releases, and supporting artists who “don’t earn much from Spotify".

Although The Flipside opens only on weekends, Allen said he has to keep the records fresh every week because the same buyers come through regularly.

He received a “good mix” of customers, ranging from teenagers rediscovering Fleetwood Mac to older people adding to their collection. 

He also had people traveling from as far afield as Ashburton and Timaru to peruse his stock.

A couple of blocks over, on Colombo Street, is Penny Lane Records.

Manager Garry Knight, who has worked at the shop for 17 years, believed Penny Lane to be one of the biggest record shops in New Zealand.

Despite change in technology, Knight believed people would continue to buy vinyl.

Similar to Allen, Knight believed vinyl remained popular because people liked to physically own music.

“People love the whole putting a record on the turntable.

“I think it’s the art of the cover.”

Knight said keeping Penny Lane Records relevant for 22 years involved a lot of adaptation, including constantly refreshing stock and listening to its customer base.

Like Allen, Knight had also noticed an increase in young people visiting Penny Lane to purchase records from the 1990s and early 2000s, including those by Blur, Radiohead, and the Smashing Pumpkins.

“Bands like Radiohead have just seemed to have connected right across an age group, and they are one of the more popular bands that the kids are coming in for.”

Knight noted how special it was having young people in the music shop again, something he believed had been lost years ago.

Recently a third vinyl store, Scotty's HiFi also opened on Stanley Street.