Gen Zs + Millennials Are the More Aggressive Vinyl Collectors, Says Plaka MNL Owner

(SPOT.ph) What started as a pandemic side business for Plaka MNL owner Jayson Manalo has flourished into a brick and mortar shop in Santa Mesa in Manila. The four story building stands in a small street in front of a school, catching the eye of many passersby. One student walking by looked up and told his schoolmate, “Ganda! Library ata ‘yan!”

Plaka MNL is a one-stop shop vinyl record store - with about 2,500 records to choose from, record players, vinyl care essentials, and even wooden furniture for your setups. “Only two floors are currently being occupied by Plaka MNL. The ground floor is the demo area and the listening station for various turntable setups,” Manalo explains. “People can find entry level setups for beginners and they can also find intermediate or audiophile setups for those who want to upgrade their current setup.”

There’s a variety of turntable brands to choose from that you can request to take for a spin in this demo area. Three special turntables are displayed in the center that Manalo collaborated with artist HK NIU. HK NIU took Rega turntables and made custom artwork dedicated to a certain musical artist, namely Coldplay, Eraserheads and Taylor Swift. The platter on the Taylor Swift turntable has paintings of a white bird on it and is animated when the record spins.

Upstairs you will find the main store with bins and shelves full of vinyl records. A huge part of the vinyl record culture is digging through crates with an assortment of records and in the process discovering new music. Album artwork is larger on this format and can be appreciated in its full glory versus the small thumbnail that Spotify offers.

Although Manalo personally loves listening to smooth jazz or The Beatles, he prefers to keep a healthy variety in stock. “As much as possible, we want to cover all genres," he says. "A bigger majority of the demographic here is the Gen Z and the millennials. They’re more aggressive in terms of collecting records because new artists are also releasing their albums in vinyl format such as Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Olivia Dean and Sabrina Carpenter.”

But their buying approach is unlike that of the much older folks. “Gen Z and millennial buyers don’t really just buy ‘music’ on vinyl anymore. They’re buying into the artist, the Fandom, the aesthetic and the whole moment around an album,” says Manalo. “That’s why certain names consistently move in the shop.” Names like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, he means. These are always strong sellers, he says, especially when there are multiple variants on a release or limited releases. He's also seeing a lot of demand for the more "'aesthetic-driven' indie and alt pop artists like Lana Del Rey, Beabadoobee, Gracie Abrams. Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers. These really connect with the Gen Z crowd, not just sound-wise, but visually as well. They’re drawn to limited editions, colored pressings, and alternate cover art, and (them) see these as part of a personal collection, not just something to play.”

Contemporary pop acts that usually move quick are Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, and Doja Cat, thanks largely to the younger buyers. In the hip-hop genre, fans often pick up releases by Tyler The Creator, Travis Scott, and Playboi Carti. "We do carry K-pop as well: artists like BTS, Blackpink and Twice, including solo releases from members. These are usually bought by younger customers and they’re very engaged. They message us for updates, ask about incoming stocks, and often reserve copies ahead of release."

There’s a science to keeping a sense of balance in the collection a store tends to keep. “I want my collection to be curated. I don’t want it to just be a bigger collection for the sake of making it bigger. I want it that when a customer browses, they aren’t overwhelmed with records that they’re not familiar with. I went to another store once and when you don’t know any of the records, you leave,” Manalo reveals.

A mix of popular records with more obscure ones encourages one to browse through more bins. For instance, Grammy-award winning Olivia Dean’s The Art Of Loving is shares the wall together with Odette Quesada’s Ultimate Collection album. The surge of vinyl collectors through this era of automatically generated playlists on Spotify prove that tactility and deliberate listening still have a place in our society.

Prior to moving his business to this building, Manalo operated in his living room. Although it was easier in the same way a work from home setup is for many people, the new Plaka MNL allows him to meet his customers and talk music. He can invite them to listen to records in the demo area. “It feels more natural now that we get to share this passion face to face. I think this building is a good complement with the business,” he says and adds cheekily that his wife enjoys having a living room again.

Plaka MNL is located at 2nd Floor, 3357 Magistrado Araullo Street, Bacood, Santa Mesa, Metro Manila. 10am - 5pm