A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music.

How African American Consumers and Music Retailers Created Commercial Public Space in the 1960s and 1970s South. “Record selling certainly had its glamorous moments; retailers could regale younger customers with stories of nightlife and even rubbing elbows with famous musicians and celebrities.”

Many independent record stores went out of business. Large chains like Musicland, Record Town, and Camelot closed stores or simply did not renew leases. One company, Trans World, owner of Record Town, Tape World, and other stores, wound up acquiring the assets of most of its rivals including Musicland and Camelot.

Those stores are all INDEPENDENT, which means not only are they not owned by a corporation, they aren't run or influenced or told what to do by us here at Record Store Day either. They have complete control over their stock, store policies and which promotions they participate in.