Independent record shops across the UK prepare for first Record Store Day 'drop' on 29 August

Record Store Day has announced more information about its adapted plans for 2020 as the first ‘RSD Drop’ event on 29 August approaches.

For the inaugural drop this month, artists spanning all genres including the likes of Paul McCartney, Christine and the Queens, J Hus, Robyn and The Weeknd are all scheduled to take part with limited edition releases.

Each shop has devised its own way of operating, from bookable time slots to socially-distanced queues. Music fans are encouraged to check their local shop’s website from 14 August to find out how their shop plans to open on the day.

For this year only, Record Store Day has also relaxed its online rules; if customers don’t wish to attend in person, product may be made available on participating shop websites or over the phone from 6pm on the evening of each Drop.

MORE: Record Store Day 2020: See the full list of 570 exclusive music releases

Natasha Youngs of Resident Music in Brighton said, "We may not be partying this year but we're still determined to make sure we celebrate the artists and labels that have made special releases available for our event. Getting them into the hands of the fans safely and sensibly is our top priority this year."

"We'll focus on being able to organise another exciting event next year when things can hopefully return a little more to normal."

Record Store Day was originally planned to take place on 18 April, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic was forced to be called off. Organisers went back to the drawing board and announced that this year’s celebrations would be split across three dates: 29 August, 26 September and 24 October.

⚡️ How to visit your local record shop for the #RSDDrops - a short guide ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/dXvHel10t1

— Record Store Day UK (@RSDUK) August 10, 2020

The usual celebrations such as in-store parties and live gigs have to be put on hold for now, but the new plans ensure that stores can still see the uplift of Record Store Day sales during a difficult period, to help them on the road to recovery following the closure of retail shops.

Warren Alsop of Bedford's Slide Record Shop said, “When lockdown happened we had to shut both our physical and online shop while we figured out how to operate safely. After a lot of talking, researching and seeking advice we’ve now re-opened and we’ll be operating a queue with bookable slots on RSD so we can serve our amazing customers safely.

"It’s a wonderful day to celebrate music and artists as well as a great boost to a small business like ours”

Those wishing to support their local record shops offering delivery online outside of Record Store Day can do so with our store finder. A full list of this year's releases and their Drop dates is available on recordstoreday.co.uk.

Article image: Rex Features