It looks as though the sun will be setting on Sunrise Records' remaining Toronto stores. The flagship store at 336 Yonge St. and its nearby franchise at Yonge and Bloor are both scheduled to close their doors for the last time in mid-November.
Owner Malcolm Perlman cites rising rent and a changing music industry as the main factors in the decision to close. "It is a very sad time, having to close the stores on Yonge," he said in a statement. "Unfortunately, rent on Yonge Street has become too prohibitive to be able to profitably operate stores there."
In 1986, Sunrise Records opened it flagship store at 336 Yonge St., and in the early 2000s, it expanded into a number of malls across Ontario, as well as to Yonge & Bloor. And though the mall stores have been shuttered as their leases expired, a deal trying to re-open and revitalize some of these locations is currently in the works. These will be under new ownership staffed by some seasoned Sunrise management.
"We have many loyal customers to whom we always strived to offer superior service and a wide range of products at reasonable prices," said Perlman. "We also helped support local independent artists by carrying their CDs. Over the years, I've witnessed the evolution of the business from LPs to cassettes to CDs and now remarkably, back to LPs and turntables. The electronic media has presented a major challenge but in my opinion, also an opportunity to be inventive. Music is with us forever."
A sale on remaining merchandise began on September 20 and will continue until all inventory is sold.
Owner Malcolm Perlman cites rising rent and a changing music industry as the main factors in the decision to close. "It is a very sad time, having to close the stores on Yonge," he said in a statement. "Unfortunately, rent on Yonge Street has become too prohibitive to be able to profitably operate stores there."
In 1986, Sunrise Records opened it flagship store at 336 Yonge St., and in the early 2000s, it expanded into a number of malls across Ontario, as well as to Yonge & Bloor. And though the mall stores have been shuttered as their leases expired, a deal trying to re-open and revitalize some of these locations is currently in the works. These will be under new ownership staffed by some seasoned Sunrise management.
"We have many loyal customers to whom we always strived to offer superior service and a wide range of products at reasonable prices," said Perlman. "We also helped support local independent artists by carrying their CDs. Over the years, I've witnessed the evolution of the business from LPs to cassettes to CDs and now remarkably, back to LPs and turntables. The electronic media has presented a major challenge but in my opinion, also an opportunity to be inventive. Music is with us forever."
A sale on remaining merchandise began on September 20 and will continue until all inventory is sold.