Hi Everyone,

We are well into week two of this year and I am back with all that heavy math I promised last week. As we do every year, I surveyed our stores on the good, the bad and the ugly of all things 2021, and spoiler alert… it was mostly good. On a lot of these, I asked the stores to not only do year over year comparisons but also to stack 2021 against 2019, since last year was… weird to say the least.

So, without further ado, let’s dig into how the CIMS stores ended the year:

2021 Holiday Numbers:

How did December 2021 compare to December 2020?

On the low end up 3%, On the high end up 53%, with an average for the group of up 23%

How about December 2021 compared to 2019?

On the low end flat, On the high end up 56%, with an average for the group of up 30%

How did vinyl sales in December 2021 compare to December 2020?

On the low end down 5%, On the high end up 42%, with an average for the group of up 20%

How did vinyl sales in December 2021 compare to December 2019?

On the low end up 11%, On the high end up 77%, with an average for the group of up 45%

How did CD sales in December 2021 compare to December 2020?

On the low end down 22%, On the high end up 75%, with an average for the group of up 16%

How did CD sales in December 2021 compare to December 2019?

On the low end down 40%, On the high end up 67%, with an average for the group of up 8%. I would add that most of our stores reported growth here, with quite a few accounts in the double digits.

2021 Overall Sales Numbers

How did vinyl sales for 2021 overall compare to last year?

On the low end up 9%, On the high end up 103%, with an average for the group of up 60%

How did vinyl sales for 2021 overall compare to 2019?

On the low end up 10%, On the high end up 141%, with an average for the group of up 67%

How did CD sales for 2021 overall compare to 2020?

On the low end down 4%, On the high end up 78%, with an average for the group of up 28%

How did CD sales for 2021 overall compare to 2019?

On the low end down 50%, On the high end up 25%, with an average for the group of down 6%

What percentage of your overall sales were used product for 2021?

On the low end 9%, On the high end up 25%, with an average for the group of 25%

How did 2021 used sales compare to 2020 used sales?

On the low end down 21%, On the high end up 73%, with an average for the group of up 29%

How did 2021 used sales compare to 2019 used sales?

On the low end down 32%, On the high end up 27%, with an average for the group of up 4%

What percentage of your 2021 sales were in-store sales?

On the low end 65%, On the high end 100%, with an average for the group of up 85%

Of your overall 2021 sales, what percentage made up online sales?

On the low end 0%, On the high end 35%, with an average for the group of 15%

Overall, what was very exciting for me to see was that our stores reported growth in all formats (even the CD) and some in astounding numbers. Also, despite the fact that throughout 2020 our stores majorly upped their online sales game, they are still doing the majority of their business within the walls of brick and mortar, which speaks to the importance of the communities these stores have cultivated with their customers. I think that will only continue with all the vinyl discovery that has happened over the past two years especially.

Finally, I always like to close out the survey with these two questions:

Any product lines or genres that stuck out as big winners for the holiday season and all year?

The resounding answers will not surprise you; Turntables, Vinyl accessories and you guessed it… VINYL! Especially hip-hop and classic catalog

Were there any contributing or diminishing factors that affected holiday sales and throughout the year?

On the negative side, there were the obvious ones, the pandemic, supply chain issues and weather issues.
But on the positive side was believe it or not- the pandemic. Many stores gave various examples of how Covid has made everyone take a much closer look at their businesses finding ways to get creative, which has ultimately brought growth in several areas. One store actually noted having the staff unchanged in three years, “Their creativity and cohesion made for an incredibly successful year! “

There you have it, 2021 in a nutshell! Thanks for reading and as always feel free to reach out.

Here are the charts,
Andrea

Andrea Paschal
Executive Director
Coalition of Independent Music Stores
ThinkIndie Distribution
3738 4th Terrace North
Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: 205.595.1932 x.208
Fax: 205.595.1938
Email : andrea@cimsmusic.com
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