Tesco releasing vinyl will be terrible for us all

All good things must come to an end and just as the vinyl resurgence looks like its getting healthier every day Tesco rears its ugly head and says: "That looks profitable. I want in on that!"

Not content with helping destroy the livelihoods of farmers, local businesses and the Amazon rainforest, Tesco has now announced it wants to have a go at bringing ruin to the flourishing, but barely stable vinyl industry.

This month will see the trial run release of Iron Maiden's new album on wax across 55 of its biggest stores, which if successful could result in them stocking a much wider collection and bringing disaster for the rest of us.

Independent record stores already live a delicate existence as it is. If they are to go toe-to-toe with the much larger supermarkets, with more money and more resources, how are they expected to keep afloat? Tesco could easily wipe out independent record stores just as they have wiped out local businesses across the country.

We may be amidst a vinyl revolution right now, but we must be realistic. Vinyl music sales may have been the biggest they've been since 1995 last year, but this still only accounted for 2 per cent of the entire music market, towered still by digital sales, which Tesco has already tried and failed to get in on. Vinyl is still a minuscule market, but one that many stores rely on to stay afloat.

Tesco is convenient. We've all been in one at some point or another, even if it was a little begrudgingly, opting for it over the local businesses for ease of life. Once they start offering up convenient and cheap records for the masses, record stores won't be able to compete. We've seen this sort of thing time and time again. Remember in 2011 when Bristol locals incited a riot over the opening of a new Tesco in the area for fear of what it would do to local business? And there's no reason to think it will be any different for the vinyl market. Even if you think you'll never be pulled in and always remain true to your local record store, many won't. Tesco will continually undercut them on price, because they can, leaving people to pass by in look for a cheaper deal.

Records are 'cool' again and people's interest in them is great. Many are flocking towards them, but not always towards particularly decent ones. No one cares about your obscure Ethiopian jazz 7" from 1993, they want the big hits. (Urban Outfitters is already proving that one for us.) And what Tesco can't offer us is uniqueness, individuality or variety in their products. As anyone who has been in the CD section of a supermarket should know, it is a graveyard of dullard indie bands and forget-me-now soul singers.

If Tesco's plan works they will try to force-feed us the dreariest music imaginable. They won't offer us the specialists with a vast musical knowledge behind the counter, the small run releases from the DIY labels, or the intimate in-store performances. All the things we could lose if the supermarkets try to bully the competition into deterioration and a distant memory. But, the one thing that they will never have is loyalty. There is stilll a thriving community of vinyl buyers who will always shop local, using the record stores as a place to meet, talk and celebrate music both new and old, and it might just be strong enough fend off the coming onslaught from Tesco. Every little helps indeed

Check out our 100% Vinyl series to watch DJs playing in the record store that means the most to them. Apollonia below, more here.