RECORD STORE DAY: BLACK FRIDAY GETS ITS GROOVES ON

Record Store Day events have repeatedly demonstrated the power of indie music retail. This year’s Black Friday RSD once again showed impressive results.

Co-founder Michael Kurtz tells us that year-over-year upticks were on average over 20%, marking the fourth double-digit Black Friday increase since the event’s inception. The total number of specialty products offered has risen from some 25 titles to more than 100.

Was it overkill? Not so much. According to Music Millennium’s Terry Currier, the indie powerhouse saw a 97% sell-through of the titles offered. Newbury Comics’ Carl Mello tells us that they were up a whopping 35% over last year. This makes EVERY year at least a double-digit gain for the indies.

Most stores reported that they had at least 50 people in line before opening. Of course, says Mello, vinyl once again ruled the day. Currier tells us that it was 60% of the day’s sales. “This year’s business was almost two-and-a-half times what it was on Black Friday four years ago,” hereports, “and that is a great thing.”

Kurtz says that the big sellers were offerings from U2 (who created a special vinyl release to accompany the new Mandela biopic), The Doors, Dave Matthews Band and Queens of the Stone Age, not to mention Vince Guaraldi’s“Linus and Lucy.”

Stay tuned for more reports from RSD. Meanwhile, the holiday action continues today, as Cyber Monday kicks into gear.