Is the World's Oldest Record Shop in Wales? Spillers Records Explained

Yes. Guinness World Records recognises Spillers Records in Cardiff as the oldest shop selling records, with continuous operation dating from 1894. The shop is now at 27 Morgan Arcade, where it sells vinyl and CDs and continues to host live music and in-store events.

The claim is more interesting than a simple birthday. Spillers has survived repeated changes in recorded music, from early cylinders and shellac discs to vinyl, CDs, downloads and streaming, while remaining a physical place where people browse and talk about music.

Why Spillers is called the world's oldest record shop

Guinness frames the record as the oldest shop selling records and dates Spillers to 1894. Wales.com uses the same year and describes it as the oldest record store in the world. The strength of the claim is continuity, not the idea that the shop has always looked the same or sold one unchanging format.

In 1894, the modern vinyl LP did not exist. Recorded sound was an emerging business. A shop that stayed connected to recorded music while formats, buying habits and city streets changed has a stronger story than a preserved Victorian display.

Where is Spillers Records now?

Spillers is in Morgan Arcade in central Cardiff. Its official contact page lists the address as 27 The Morgan Arcade, Cardiff, CF10 1AF. The arcade setting is part of the experience: a glass roof, narrow walkway and shop windows put the music store inside one of the city centre's historic shopping passages.

Opening hours, live events and stock can change, so check the current Spillers website before making a special journey. The world-record title does not turn it into a museum. It is a working independent shop.

How the shop changed without losing its identity

A record shop survives by changing what it stocks while keeping a reason to visit. Spillers has moved location during its life and has sold the music formats customers were actually using. Its current identity includes new vinyl, CDs, ordering, live performances and local scene support.

That combination matters. A shop can be historically important without becoming frozen. The racks, releases and customers change; the continuing purpose is helping people find recorded music.

Who runs Spillers Records?

Wales.com profiles Ashli Todd as the owner. She explains that her father ran the business from the 1970s and that she bought it from him in 2010. Her account gives the record a human scale: a family connection, regular customers and the practical work of keeping an independent shop viable.

Todd also describes live in-store music as central to the shop. Performances can draw people along the arcade, including passers-by who were not planning to attend. That makes Spillers part retailer, part meeting place and part small music venue.

Why Spillers matters to Welsh music

The shop's age attracts visitors, but its local role prevents the title becoming a novelty. Wales.com records Todd's emphasis on Welsh music, local labels, independent suppliers and live performance. A world record brings people through the door; the current Welsh music scene gives them something new to discover.

This is also why the best answer to "Is the world's oldest record shop in Wales?" is not merely yes. It is in Cardiff, it still trades, and it still helps musicians and listeners meet in person.

For more of that scene, see the guide to Welsh words and phrases for the National Eisteddfod and this look at Welsh music and songs for Eisteddfod 2026.

What should a first-time visitor expect?

• A compact independent shop rather than a heritage attraction.
• New vinyl and CDs across a wide range of music.
• Staff knowledge and an ordering service, subject to current availability.
• Occasional live events that should be checked on the shop's own channels.
• A central Cardiff location inside Morgan Arcade.

Go because you want to browse, not only to tick off a record. The title is the invitation; the pleasure is finding something you did not know you wanted.

The short answer

Spillers Records in Cardiff is recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest shop selling records, continuously operating since 1894. It remains a living music business in Morgan Arcade, not a shop preserved behind glass.