For music lovers, the Tiny Record Shop was a popular place in town to buy their favorite records for many years. However, after the shop closed, some people thought the closure was over for good.
Luckily, that didn’t happen. The shop owners say they haven’t closed, they’ve just become so small (physically) that you can’t find them anymore!
On July 6, 2023, Tiny Record Shop announced on Instagram the closure of its store.
They thanked their community, customers and friends and assured that this is not the end.
Tiny Record Shop was one of the few business ventures involving Maude Fallon-Davense and Trevor Larocque.
The original Tiny Record Shop at 777 Queen St. East. Photo by Matt Forsythe.
Tiny Record Shop began in the 800-square-foot back room of the Token gift shop at 804 Queen St. East, and was born because Larocque’s extensive record collection needed a little clearing out and a friend made him a kind offer for an empty space he had long been keeping free.
A few years later, they moved across the street to 777 Queen St. East for four years. Nine years of running a store gave them many memories and many friends, including a visit from former Raptor Fred VanVleet, but eventually it all came to an end.
There was no extreme reason for the store to close. The company had a great business, a good online presence, a nice landlord, a lot of paperwork filling the store, and a great customer base.
The former store at 804 Queen St. East in Riverside. Photo by Jesse Milns.
The reason for the change is heartwarming: it was about family.
“I remember thinking: Why not travel with my family?” says Larocque. “I had the opportunity and no other plans.”
The couple kept discussing more efficient ways to run their business. Saving on rent would be one of the biggest expenses that would be eliminated, and they liked the idea of working from home.
The couple traveled with their two children for a year through countries such as Italy, Japan and South Korea.
“Félix and Eno (her two children) said they didn’t want me to go back to work after our holiday,” admits Fallon-Davense.
The owners in their original store in 2014. Photo by Matt Forsythe.
“They loved this new, stress-free mom who was working in a different capacity. They found stability in the fact that we were both home to be with them and drive them to activities and friends.”
The couple works 5 days a week, Monday to Friday, and takes orders and enquiries daily. Everything is done in the basement.
“We pack and ship all orders every week to make sure they reach everyone,” says Larocque.
And even though their family vacation is over, they continue to run the business in the family.
Felix, who is only 12 years old, is just learning how to do it and is paid to help pack orders safely and securely. Valuable cargo deserves the utmost care. Packed with love and feeling is a business model that will be passed on to the next generation of Tiny Record Shop employees.
Customers love Tiny Record Shop’s collection of hard-to-find original pressings and vinyl records from the ’80s and ’90s. They put their customers’ needs first.
“We get messages every day saying, ‘You’re our favorite record store in town.’ It’s crazy because technically we’re not even a ‘store’ anymore,” explains Larocque. “It means the world to us and we’re glad we can offer that to our customers.”
