For Radio-active Records -- Fort Lauderdale's last-standing independent record store –survival is something of a back-to-the-future proposition, with the resurgence in vinyl record sales keeping the shop alive in the shadow Web-based music portals and big-box retailers.

Owner Sean Kayes notes while that many indie record stores have gone out of business, his Federal Highway store has been able to thrive largely because music lovers – including many college students – are once again buying vinyl LPs you can't find at Wal-Mart or download from iTunes.

"If we were primarily a CD store, we'd be out of business," notes Kayes, estimating CD sales have dropped by at least 50 percent from what they were a decade ago. "For instance, we used to stock 10,000 CDs now we have 4,000."

But over the past five years, Kayes says the store has seen an increase of about 10 percent each year in overall sales: "And the increase in we're seeing is directly attributed to vinyl."

In recent years, digital music sales worldwide have far outsold "physical formats," such as CDs, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Illegal downloading of music online has also bitten into the music market. Those trends have put increasing pressure on the few remaining indie record stores such as Radio-active.

But Kayes has been able to keep his 16-year operation moving by creatively expanding his offerings. He now stocks LPs, of course, but also CDs, DVDs, collectible items, posters and other music-related products that keep his regulars – and younger customers as well as the occasional Fort Lauderdale tourist – coming to the shop.

Kayes also appeals to collectors and music lovers looking for rarities and hard-to-find items. If you're looking for a limited-edition audiophile LP recording of Echo and the Bunnymen, an import recording by the 1970s Italian progressive rock band PFM or the Beatles White Album on actual vinyl, this is the place for you.

It's also a great place to hear new music you might not know, but may like, and get recommendations from Radio-active's small staff of knowledgeable employees -including his longtime store manager, audiophile/music historian Mike Ramirez.

Like most indie stores, Radio-active operates on tight margins, Kayes acknowledges. Last fall, he moved his store from Gateway Plaza to its current space on Federal highway, just north of Broward Boulevard, which cut his rent and afforded a more visible location. In addition, he created a small performance space to showcase local acts who perform at the store several times a month.

"We really are grateful to our regular customers, who keep us in going," Kayes says. "And we like to think what we offer them is a hip, independent place with people you can talk to about music. At least that's what we aim to be."

Radio-active Records
845 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale
954-762-9488, www.radio-active-records.co

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday12 p.m.-5 p.m.