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'Don't think it's going anywhere': Local record stores optimistic despite COVID-19 hits

Record Store Day was supposed to be April 18.

Instead of preparing for their biggest sales day of the year, local record stores are trying to keep customers engaged as business tanks during the novel coronavirus pandemic. 

"It was probably going to be my biggest one ever," said Jon Van Oss, owner of Off the Record in Grand Haven. "I had a massive amount of records on order, close to around 10,000 dollars' worth." 

Record Store Day, an annual celebration of the growth and culture of independent record stores, was set for Saturday, April 18. Organizers recently rescheduled the event for June 20 due to COVID-19. 

"We think this gives stores around the world the best chance to have a profitable, successful Record Store Day, while taking into consideration the recommendations of doctors, scientists... and the need to be good citizens of both local and worldwide communities," officials said in a statement. 

Stores like Off the Record are not selling vinyl during the state shutdown of non-essential businesses. Others, like Vertigo Music in Grand Rapids, are trying to conduct limited, no-contact sales online. 

"We are trying to be careful about everything while maintaining a way to keep business afloat," said Brandon Hill, a full-time employee. 

Both Vertigo and Off the Record are also selling gift cards and coordinating orders with customers to pick up when the stores reopen. 

This pandemic could make online sales more prevalent in the record business, Hill said. 

"The industry is going to have to shift and change as it has been," he said. "There's a lot of things and tactics people can do to get creative with selling records online.That's a huge aspect all record stores should be adopting."

If locations can last through the restrictions, record store sales should come back strongly, Van Oss said. 

"I think the customer base is really going to be there," he said. "I don't see this as a death knell for the vinyl industry. If anything, the people I'm engaging with say, 'I miss your store and can't wait to get back there.' At the end of the day, people seem to just connect with something physical."

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