Music Stores (HMV, Virgin, Sunrise)

[bAuHaUs]

I loved going to the Record Peddler on College, scored some great 12 in import finds. Bring it back I say.

 

[Skeezix]

The music retail scene started to lose its romanticism with the popularity of cassette tapes in the 1980s.

 

[JasonParis]

I loved going to the Record Peddler on College, scored some great 12 in import finds. Bring it back I say.

Hmmm, I could be remembering wrong, but I remember the Record Peddler on Yonge (south of Bloor somewhere) and then on Queen (around Bathurst). But never on College. Where on College was this outpost?

 

[Bruno Republic]

Hmmm, I could be remembering wrong, but I remember the Record Peddler on Yonge (south of Bloor somewhere) and then on Queen (around Bathurst). But never on College. Where on College was this outpost?

Actually it was on Carlton, on the south side just east of Yonge during the 80s. I think it might have been in one of the spaces under 45 Carlton but it could have been further west. The very first location was on Queen East (never saw it there; that was before my time), then it moved to Carlton in the mid-80s, then Yonge, then to Queen West.

 

[JasonParis]

Thanks for the history lesson. Appreciated!

 

[GKW]

HMV Eaton Centre location's lease is ending at the end of December and most items are now 30% off
http://www.blogto.com/music/2016/10/hmv_pulls_the_plug_on_eaton_centre_location/

 

[Towered]

Shocking that store was still open. Even more shocking is that they opened a brand new location at Dufferin Mall last year. I can't imagine that lasting much longer.

Only the finely, intelligently curated hipster indie music shops are still relevant.

 

[Skeezix]

HMV is in trouble. May go into receivership as soon as tomorrow.

HMV could face beginning of the end after years of sliding sales

Marina Strauss, The Globe and Mail, 26 January 2017

"A victim of the rising digital world, HMV Canada Inc. may be close to playing its last song.

"HMV could face the beginning of the end on Friday when an affiliated company – and a lender to HMV – asks the Ontario Superior Court to put the country's largest specialty music chain into receivership and close all of its more than 100 stores. [...]"

 

[Retail-Insider]

Sad news, it's confirmed all 102 Canadian HMV stores will close: http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/hmv-canada-to-close-all-102-stores

 

[crooked soul]

uhh... am crushed....it is the END of an era... no cd stores will be left but best buy and Walmart.. doesn't even compare to HMV -- the only one in my area is 333 Yonge St. Toronto
still am one of the folks who actually BUY cd's to support Artists I love.. I download iTunes time to time-- but I still make trips out to buy... nothing like holding a physical cd and buying it the same day it releases..
if you get items in amazon chances are it doesn't come the day of-- unless you spend extra $$ to ship it- but if you want that deluxe cd and you know you can just walk down to get it right away-- NOW WHAT?--
kills the already struggling music industry.. man, times have effin' changed... I remember when I first moved here over 20 years ago- it was AMAZING.. we had all in the same block-
Tower Records
Music World
Sam the Record Man
HMV
it was awesome to spend time shopping store to store-and it was an outing with friends- cause that is what we did back then- had no cell phones- and actually went out-
and I would compare prices - go back and buy ones that are cheaper
and I always purchased cd's in bulk every Friday.. and found rare imports to boot.. good thing I got what I did then- was a great experience, that now I cherish...

 

[gabe]

Not many CD shops left. The indie vinyl record stores are thriving, I think Kopps Music has opned three stores just in the last year or so. Used vinyl is where the money is. You can by new vinyl pretty much anywhere these days. I even saw Winners selling new vinyl records.

The last HMV i was in recently was at a mall. The music selection was minuscule, most of front of the store was filled with cheap novelty junk with stupid prices.

 

[Johnny Au]

Blame it on the popularity of MP3s and online streaming.

HMV even sold video games (despite there being plenty of other places to purchase them, including online).

 

[Admiral Beez]

I haven't bought a CD this decade. Who's keeping these guys afloat?

 

[Johnny Au]

I haven't bought a CD this decade. Who's keeping these guys afloat?

HMV sold more than just music; it also sold DVDs and video games, but again, Best Buy (including Future Shop before Best Buy erased Future Shop branding), Wal-Mart, Target (when it was here), and Amazon sold everything HMV sold and more.

 

[Admiral Beez]

HMV sold more than just music; it also sold DVDs and video games, but again, Best Buy (including Future Shop before Best Buy erased Future Shop branding), Wal-Mart, Target (when it was here), and Amazon sold everything HMV sold and more.

I suppose I'm not their core customer. I haven't played video games since my Colecovision days (I've never understood the culture of the 20'something living in mom's basement spending hours a day gaming). All my movies are streamed, haven't bought a DVD either this decade.