sainsburys-store

Sainsbury’s to stop selling CDs and DVDs

UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is set to phase out sales of CDs and DVDs.

The decision comes as a result of the continued rise of streaming services, a Sainsbury’s spokesperson told the BBC.

“Our customers increasingly go online for entertainment, so earlier this year we took the decision to gradually phase out the sale of DVDs and CDs, so that we can dedicate extra space to food and popular products like clothing and homewares,” said the Sainsbury’s spokesperson.

Having emerged as a popular retailer of records in recent years, the retail chain will continue to sell vinyl in selected branches. 

Vinyl sales are expected to overtake CDs in the UK this year, according to a recent British Phonographic Industry report. On the decline for some years, CD sales slumped by 18.5% in 2020.

In the US, vinyl sales have already overtaken CDs for the first time in 35 years, according to RIAA figures. Following the same pattern of long-term decline, CD sales fell by a massive 23%.

Sainsbury’s is the first UK supermarket to drop sales of CD and DVDs, with no similar plans announced by its rivals just yet. 

While CD is far from being a dead format among music fans, there is clearly a significant decline among mainstream retailers and consumers.

Artists may also be moving towards a CD-free future. Singer Lorde recently ditched CDs for the release of her latest album ‘Solar Power’ due to environmental concerns. Instead, the album will be released as an eco-friendly Music Box, a CD-sized retail pack that comes with sleeves notes and a high-quality download card. The album will also have a limited vinyl release. 

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