With the holidays just around the corner, many are anticipating the return of one of the biggest shopping days of the year, but that’s not the Black Friday we’re excited about. Record Store Day Black Friday is the retail day after Thanksgiving that promotes independent record shops throughout the country, selling diverse, limited edition items at affordable prices. Black Friday is a collective release date for special releases sold exclusively in participating stores, celebrating both the artist’s product and the indie record stores that sell them.

Record Store Day’s co-founder Carrie Colliton explains, “Record Store Day didn’t create Black Friday, but we recognize that it is the largest retail story in the United States, and the kick off to the holiday shopping season. There’s nothing in a record store that someone, somewhere wouldn’t love to get as a gift; when you think about it, it’s all they sell!  Our mission is to shout out as loudly as we can how fantastic record stores are, and working with artists, labels, managers and distributors on these special pieces—which cover all price and musical taste ranges–is another way we can call attention to them. There is no reason Black Friday has to be the domain of retail giants.”

Keep your eyes open for the announcement of special releases for this year’s Back to Black Friday shopping event here through the week of October 20th. For more information and FAQ regarding the Black Friday event, click here.