Hamilton’s Dr. Disc smashes single-day sales record on Record Store Day

When Mark Furukawa helped open Hamilton's Dr. Disc in the summer of 1991, vinyl had all been put aside by music fans.

CDs and cassettes were king, taking up nearly all of the floor space at the Wilson Street store. There was just a small area still dedicated to records and their marketability was dwindling.

However, much has changed in the last three decades with the resurgence of vinyl across all genres of music.

If you step into the store now, one could think time has gone backwards. Vinyl sales rule the roost - so much so, that the shop broke their all-time single-day sales record this past Record Store Day on April 22.

It's the driving force of our sales," said Furukawa, who owns the shop, in an interview with The Spectator. We wouldn't be here without it."

Record Store Day isn't unique to Hamilton. The annual event, which began in 2008, was created to both celebrate and support local independent record stores across the world. It's a day marked by exclusive and limited releases of vinyl, CDs and cassettes, as well as festivities that vary from shop to shop.

The event is a huge draw for Dr. Disc, with their sales up 25 per cent this year from Record Store Day 2022, which held the previous single-day sales record.

Furukawa said while the core meaning of the day has remained the same, the stature of artists taking part, and the volume and quantity of releases coming into stores, has shot up.

This year's lineup for releases included artists such as Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Madonna and Fleetwood Mac, as well as Pearl Jam, The 1975 and David Byrne.

It's not just independent bands releasing records now," said Furukawa. And due to the popularity of some of the major artists, when they release something on Record Store Day, they are the most in demand because they have the biggest audiences."

Furukawa said much like last year, Taylor Swift was the No. 1 seller for Dr. Disc, with her exclusive release of a two-disc grey vinyl pressing of her album folklore: the long pond studio sessions."

The picture disc release of Joff Bush and The Bluey Music Team's Dance Mode!" could have overtaken that spot, admitted Furukawa, who only ordered in a couple of copies.

I could have sold a hundred of them had I known," he added, with a laugh.

Furukawa said while some pooh-pooh" the more mainstream side of the event, the day draws in a new crowd of customers for independent record stores, especially those who aren't familiar with buying vinyl.

Furukawa said Record Store Day has also become a hugely social thing, with very few customers coming to sift through his stock all alone. Parents will often bring their little ones to check out the store and younger folks will come in groups with their friends.

It's more than just a sales day for us," said Furukawa. It's the day where we see the most new customers."

However, Furukawa noted that a combination of factors" fuelled the smashing of their single-day sales record, pointing to the cost of materials and shipping, as well as supply-chain issues due to skyrocketing demand.

Prior to the pandemic, the average vinyl sold for $30 - now, they're going for closer to $40, he added.

It's really bad for the consumer," said Furukawa, noting his inability to under price. But people are still buying them."

That continued enthusiasm and support from customers is something Furukawa doesn't want to take for granted, pointing to the thank you" note he posted to the store's social media this past Tuesday.

I'm just so thankful to be in this business 31 years later," said Furukawa. I can't think of doing anything else."

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com