March 8 2018 – London - Entertainment Retailers Association’s Independent Record Shops have announced that they are bringing back Record Tokens this year to cater for a new generation of vinyl collectors. At their peak in the early 90s, the original Record Token market was worth millions.
Available to buy and redeem in May from independent record shops across the UK, the Record Token is being launched in partnership with National Book Tokens who have decades of experience providing consumers and retailers with a complete and robust service.
The Record Token has been designed with flexibility in mind, it can be purchased in-store or online, can be used for vinyl, CD and cassette and will be the perfect gift for music lovers of all tastes.
The return of the record token is in direct response to UK’s ‘vinyl revival’ that over the past 5 years has seen the steady growth of independent record shops across the country since the launch of Record Store Day some 10 years ago. In 2017, Vinyl LP sales were worth £87 million and were responsible for 14% of physical music sales.
ERA CEO, Kim Bayley said, “There has never been a better time to bring back record tokens and we predict they will be much coveted gifts this year for music fans of all ages. The unstoppable growth in vinyl sales and year on year increase in independent record shop openings show that the UK’s love affair with vinyl is here to stay.”
http://www.recordtokens.co.uk/about
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ERA CEO Kim Bayley is available for interview
For more information and images please contact:
Lynn Li - Lynn@eraltd.org
Megan Page – Megan@eraltd.org
0207 440 1596
About Record Tokens
Gift Cards are a perennial favourite for UK shoppers; 73% of UK shoppers have bought a gift card in the last 3 years and 44% of 18-34 year olds buy more than 5 gift cards a year. And 60% of UK consumers say that they have been introduced to a new brand through a gift card.
(Figures from survey on behalf of UKGCVA 2017)
About ERA
The Entertainment Retailers Association is the trade grouping representing UK independent record shops as well as digital and physical retailers in the music, video and games markets. Formed initially as group of record retailers over 25 years ago, ERA has since grown into a broad-based advocacy group embracing many of the most dynamic and fastest-growing companies in the entertainment industry. ERA members supply the sales data which powers the Official Charts Company (music and video charts) and GfK Chart-Track (videogames). ERA also provides the organisational force behind the UK’s Record Store Day, the annual celebration of independent record stores which has become the most successful new music industry promotion of the past two decades. ERA is a strong proponent of open markets, open standards and consumer choice.
National Book Tokens
Book Tokens Ltd has been successfully operating National Book Tokens, one of the UK’s largest multi retail gift card schemes, since 1932. The scheme is run on behalf of UK high street bookshops.
National Book Tokens is the proud sponsor of World Book Day, and supports Read for Good and Book Aid International.
Book Tokens is committed to ensuring that when you buy a Record Token you are buying a quality product, supported by an experienced and secure voucher issuer with a best in class customer service ethos.