Bury St Edmunds shop Vinyl Hunter to give away vintage records ahead of major café refurbishment

A Bury St Edmunds shop is preparing to give away thousands of vintage records, ahead of a major refurbishment.

At the end of August, Vinyl Hunter, in St John's Street, hopes to move to a pop-up location in the town centre, whilst the front of the shop is transformed into a café area and community space.

During the refurbishment, the shop will be 'giving away' more than 2,000 records.

Shop owner Will Hunter, 26, said the record giveaway will be a way of thanking customers that have supported them during the seven years they have been open.

He said: "We've got lots of records to get rid of - anyone that buys records will find something in there for them."

Records from one of their sister shops in Colchester, will also be brought over, giving customers the chance to hunt out a hidden gem.

Though the records will be free, shoppers will be encouraged to make a donation to the Bury St Edmunds based charity, Gatehouse Home Store and Foodbank - with the team at Vinyl Hunter aiming to raise £2,000.

The shop said all the records in the giveaway are in very good condition, and in their sleeves.

Speaking about the future plans for the shop, Mr Hunter said: "We are refurbishing the whole front of the shop and turning it into a café and community events space, somewhere for people to hang out.

"It's a really nice time to change the dynamic, try something different, and reach out to more people."

Mr Hunter is proud of his current St John's Street location describing it as 'the hub of the town'.

Vinyl Hunter was opened in 2015 by Mr Hunter and his mother Rosie Hunter, in a former curtain shop that she has now owned for 27 years.

Praising the street's independent shops, he said: "We are lucky to have a street like this, you don't really get anywhere like this in East Anglia anymore."

"It really is important we keep it this way."

He also highlighted the success of the Our Bury St Edmunds gift card, which he said has been a great way of attracting customers to Vinyl Hunter and other shops in the town centre.

Mr Hunter is keen to hear from anyone who may be able to offer a pop-up shop for a short term period and help a local charity by doing so.

The team at Vinyl Hunter hope that they will be able to have a temporary premises up and running by the beginning of September - and open the refurbished shop and café in early autumn.

You can find out more about upcoming events at Vinyl Hunter on their Facebook page.

Businesses interested in offering a pop-up space can contact Vinyl Hunter by emailing info@vinyl-hunter.co.uk or calling 01284 725410.