Beloved Toronto record store Soundscapes will be closing its doors after over two decades of operation at the city's west end College Street location.
The store's website has been updated to notify customers of its closure, scheduled to happen by June 1, and that Soundscapes will be making an effort to sell off its remaining inventory — including "thousands of play copies, many of which are rare and/or out-of-print, never to be seen again" — until then.
"The last 20 years have seen a golden age in access to the world's recorded music history both in physical media and online," a statement on the shop's website reads. "We were happy to be a part of sharing our knowledge of some of that great music with you. We hope you enjoyed most of what we sold & recommended to you over the years and hope you will continue to seek out the music that matters."
Soundscapes staffer Phil Liberbaum told NOW Magazine that the closure is a direct result of financial strain caused by the pandemic. Without concert tickets to sell and under Ontario's ever-shifting lockdowns and gathering restrictions, the store, unfortunately, was not able to make ends meet.
"We had a significant number of loyal customers who came in during the reopening in June after the first lockdown," he said. "But it wasn't enough."
Soundscapes will stay open until 6 p.m. today and is expected to reopen on Wednesday (April 7) following the Easter holiday. While the shop is planning to permanently shutter its doors in May, no firm date has been set.
The store's website has been updated to notify customers of its closure, scheduled to happen by June 1, and that Soundscapes will be making an effort to sell off its remaining inventory — including "thousands of play copies, many of which are rare and/or out-of-print, never to be seen again" — until then.
"The last 20 years have seen a golden age in access to the world's recorded music history both in physical media and online," a statement on the shop's website reads. "We were happy to be a part of sharing our knowledge of some of that great music with you. We hope you enjoyed most of what we sold & recommended to you over the years and hope you will continue to seek out the music that matters."
Soundscapes staffer Phil Liberbaum told NOW Magazine that the closure is a direct result of financial strain caused by the pandemic. Without concert tickets to sell and under Ontario's ever-shifting lockdowns and gathering restrictions, the store, unfortunately, was not able to make ends meet.
"We had a significant number of loyal customers who came in during the reopening in June after the first lockdown," he said. "But it wasn't enough."
Soundscapes will stay open until 6 p.m. today and is expected to reopen on Wednesday (April 7) following the Easter holiday. While the shop is planning to permanently shutter its doors in May, no firm date has been set.
