A press release went out late this morning announcing that Sonic Boom, the venerable CD/Vinyl/DVD retailer and sometimes concert venue at Bloor and Bathurst, will be pulling up stakes and moving around the corner. "It may be viewed like we’re struggling," says founder and manager Jeff Barber. "But that’s not the case." Sonic Boom won’t go down as a casualty in the ongoing war between brick-and-mortar record stores and digital downloaders. But it may go down as another tenant unceremoniously ousted by landlords eager to bolster their bottom line.

Advertisement, the Toronto Star, November 11, 1931. Full-size version. For several years, local lovers of Target (or, as some fans call it, Tar-zhay) have drooled at periodic rumours that the American discount retailer would set up shop north of the border. Time and time again they were let down by failed courtship attempts between Target [...]

Every Saturday at noon, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Holiday shopping at Yorkdale in the 1960s. Illustration by Brian McLachlan/Torontoist. Christmas shopping is upon us, which means it’s time for the claustrophobic to avoid approaching most of Toronto’s shopping malls. [...]

Photo by Jamie Bradburn/Torontoist The current economic situation has not been kind to American retailers. With sales sinking and several wobbly chains going the liquidation route, the U.S. retail landscape might not be the best model to emulate at the moment. This brings us to Yankee Stuff, a store proudly displaying the red, white, and [...]

King Street East is known for its high-end furniture retailers like Roche Bobois and UpCountry, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see the logo for everyone’s guilty pleasure, IKEA, on a classy King Street storefront. Torontoist reader Sofi Papamarko asked us to investigate this mysterious downtown presence of the eco-conscious Swedish giant, suggesting [...]

Last Wednesday, legendary Canadian music retailer Pindoff Record Sales sold off their 72-store Music World chain. Two days later, the new owners filed for bankruptcy protection and and will likely lay off 648 employees by the end of January. And so it goes. According to court documents, Music World plans an "orderly wind down," including closing stores and liquidating inventory. The retailer has been in dire straits for years, propped up by the Toronto-based...

“Hey kids, let’s dig out that cowboy gear we bought for Halloween last year and hum the theme to Bonanza on the way to the Western Days hoe-down in Don Mills! Don’t forget the toy gun, pardner!” Suburban shopping centres used plenty of gimmicks in the early days to get consumers to hop in the [...]

The Apple Store Yorkdale will feature the second Toronto Area Photobloggers event on Sunday, February 26th at 6:30pm. Presenters include Chris and Jessica of istoica, Payam Rajabi of ColourBlind.ca, Irina Souiki of StillMemory.ca, Sam Javanrouh of Daily Dose of Imagery, Shahin Edalati of Foto Project, and Taku Kumabe of media smaku with the latest issue [...]