Why record shops and vinyl are back in the news

After more than 30 years, vinyl records have returned to the basket of goods used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to track prices and work out the rate of inflation.

Interestingly air fryers have also been added to the virtual basket in its annual review and hand sanitiser unsurprisingly post-pandemic has been taken out.

Meanwhile, over in Glasgow, record shop Monorail was making worldwide news auctioning props from the failed Willy Wonka Experience that itself had made news all over the world. Monorail posted on social media “This is real, Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience ‘House Of Illuminati’ orig backdrops, for sale, from us. Auctioning 2 original backdrops and the Time Tunnel on Ebay. Rescued from the bin by a pal of the shop. All profits to Medical Aid For Palestinians.”

The auction finished on Thursday and amazingly raised £2250. Oddly enough I had originally planned an auction myself when we were inundated with people asking to buy the display of the band Ghost we have in the empty shop on Waverley Bridge but after giving it some thought I’ve decided that we will raffle it for charity so everybody has a chance to win.

A bonus is that when we told the record company and label about our plans they sent us a second display so there will be two chances to win.

The display has only just been taken out of the window, as the Glasgow-based coffee shop Tinderbox will soon be moving in, but I’ve been amazed at the number of times people have asked if they could buy it and when told of our plans, the idea of a raffle has been extremely popular.

I have a few other things that we could raffle separately at the same time including a Lewis Capaldi display and will put things in motion in the next couple of months as part of our 40-year anniversary celebrations. I’ve promised to put details on our social media platforms when the time comes.

It looks like both empty shops at the Waverley Market entrances will soon be occupied with Edinburgh SkyscraperCity recently announcing “Danish homeware brand Søstrene Grene set to open in Waverley Market in June/ July, occupying part of the space formerly occupied by Superdry.”

Interestingly that will leave space for a couple more retailers to take over the remaining space in the old Superdry unit and opposite will be the soon to be closed Body Shop unit with a prime location in between Damaged Society and Greggs!

Given how popular Greggs is in the centre and the long queues I would have loved to have seen them move over to the Superdry space.

Things are looking promising at the Waverley Steps entrance to the centre.