Umgum helped a business buyer evaluate the US vinyl and CD collectable market before purchasing a record store chain in Denver, Co. The research included market size, growth expectations, competitors, trends and a deep dive into Denver’s local retail market.

Looking at the data, vinyl and CD sales are bolstered by a young demographic (Gen Z) hungry for a physical experience and an older demographic (Gen X) looking for nostalgia. 

Most large corporate record stores like Tower Records, Camelot Music, Sam Goody, and others either closed most of their stores or went completely out of business in the 1990s and early 2000s. This left only the small, independently owned record stores to carry the vinyl torch.

In Denver, limited new retail developments, coupled with a growing and highly educated, high-income population with a large concentration of “big spenders” (the demographic aged 35–54 years), are long-term positives in the face of economic headwinds. This points to a fairly positive future for physical stores in Denver.