Yes, people are still opening record stores in Canada

One of the biggest music retail stories of the past year has been the ascent of Sunrise Records and their takeover of over 80 locations of the now-defunct HMV Canada. A lesser-known success story is the continuing efforts of The Beat Goes On, a scrappy chain of stores run by founder John Rochetta.

John started the company in 1991 when everyone was buying CDs and pre-recorded cassettes. Later, the chain moved into the used market, offering customers a chance to create wishlists of discs. When someone traded in a desired disc, customers were alerted that it was now available. There’s also an e-commerce component that allows people to search the stores’ inventory for that special CD or DVD.

While the chain has seen some consolidation and closures, there are nine locations in Southern Ontario. A store in Waterloo has been expanded, combining the space of one closed shop and another that is slated to be closed. The result is a new 2500 square-foot space. John told the Waterloo Chronicle that he needs the space to move more inventory. “Our best year was last year, and our best year before that was the year prior.”

The new space has a big garage door that can be opened to hold special events and live performances. Oh, and John is looking for some pinball machines and jukeboxes.

The official opening of the new store at 341 Weber St. North in Waterloo is August 17.