PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Music lovers sent vinyl record sales soaring during the pandemic, giving retailers something to cheer on Record Store Day. Many stores were closed during the early part of the pandemic, but with people still listening to records at home, online and curbside pickup sales of vinyl records took off. The Record Industry Association of America says record sales grew 29% to $626 million in 2020 and surpassed the sale of compact discs. Audio cassettes are also seeing renewed interest though still something of a novelty when it comes to overall sales. The first of two celebrations of record stores is Saturday. A second Record Store Day will be July 17.
David Sharp for the Associate Press
