An independent record store owner in Wisconsin is thanking his lucky stars after a box of signed Taylor Swift albums was handed over by a loyal fan following a delivery issue.
The pop superstar recently decided to give independent retailers a big boost by sending autographed copies of her latest hit release, Folklore, to select stores around the U.S.
Tom Smith, manager of Green Bay's Exclusive Co., discovered he would be receiving the special CD shipment on Saturday, but the box was dropped off before the store opened, and the courier driver simply had a fan camped outside the shop sign for the goods.
Recalling the incident to U.S. breakfast show Today, Smith said, "I walk up, and one of the people standing outside the store handed me the box and said UPS had her sign for it."
Inside were 30 copies of the signed CDs, which could have easily been sold online, and Smith expressed his gratitude to the lady, who was there to purchase one of the $11.99 albums, once the shop opened for business.
"I said, 'Thank you for not walking off with this,'" Smith shared. "She goes, 'Taylor would have not wanted me to walk off with this'.
"It's really endearing. Taylor Swift does so much good with her celebrity, and you can see how it also trickles down to her fans... It's encouraging."
And Smith is also grateful to Swift for thinking of struggling independent music retailers, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Before the Internet, the record stores were the ones doing all the heavy lifting and helping make and break artists," he said. "It's not like Taylor is up and coming and has to jump through hoops to get her name out there. She has made it, so to see her showing this love to indie stores is really great and appreciated."
