Sam the Record Man

Infobox_Company
company_name = Sam the Record Man
company_
company_type = record store
slogan =
foundation = 1937
location = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
key_people = Sam Sniderman, Jason Sniderman, Bobby Sniderman
num_employees =
industry = Retailing
products = Music
revenue =
homepage = [http://www.samtherecordman.com/ http://www.samtherecordman.com]

Sam the Record Man is a Canadian record store chain that, at one time, was Canada's largest music recording retailer, with 130 stores. The Internet age, the competition with the powerful HMV (HMV stores lowering prices in stores near Sam the Record Man locations) and other factors, forced the chain into bankruptcy on October 30, 2001, although its flagship location remained in business until 2007.

Two independent franchise stores, in the Ontario cities of Sarnia and Belleville, continue to bear the Sam the Record Man name.

Founding

The chain was first launched in 1937 by Sam Sniderman, as a record department in his family's existing radio store in Toronto.cite news
last = Black
first = Debra
coauthors =
title = Sam the Record Man finally signs off
work = News
pages =
language =
publisher =The Toronto Star
date = 2007-05-30
url = http://www.thestar.com/News/article/219252
accessdate = 2007-05-30] In 1961, the store moved out to its own location on Yonge Street, and its location at 347 Yonge Street has become a Toronto landmark. The four-storey record store was located close to the flagship store of the competing A&A Records chain.

Neon signs

The Yonge Street location was always noted for its kitschy signage.cite web
last =VINCENT
first =DONOVAN
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Heritage designation saves signs from Sam's
work = Toronto News section
publisher =The Toronto Star
date = 2007-06-23
url =http://www.thestar.com/News/article/228652
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate = 2007-06-23] Its first neon signage included the store's address in large neon "347" numbers vertically aligned between two windows.cite journal
last = Simpson
first = Scott
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Sam The Record Man - About That Neon
journal =Cygnals Zine
volume = 1
issue = 8
pages =
publisher =
date = Summer 1996
url = http://www.cygnals.com/zine/complete/sam.htm
doi =
id =
accessdate = 2005-05-30 To see a facsimile of these signs, check out the "Cygnals" story] On the left side was a thermometer made from neon. On the far right was a neon multi-sectioned triangle similar to the one on top of the Canada Life Building, which indicated weather conditions depending on how it was blinking. In the late 1960s, the iconic double disc, spinning records neon sign replaced the previous neon signs.

Building the chain

The flagship Sam the Record Man store was also famous for its Boxing Day sales. Shoppers would line up over many city blocks, in the cold, to get one-day-only specially discounted records, and eventually, as the technology changed, CDs, and videos.

The chain stores were early promoters of Canadian artists, because they prominently featured their work with in-store displays, and concerts. Sam Sniderman played a role in getting the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to implement Canadian content (Can-con) regulations for radio stations in the early 1970s. The move to Can-con allowed many Canadian musicians to gain a voice in their own country.cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = 'Sam the Record Man' files for bankruptcy
work =
pages =
language =
publisher =Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
date =2001-10-30
url = http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2001/10/30/sam301001.html
accessdate = 2007-05-30]

In the late 1960s, Sniderman expanded the business with franchised and corporate stores outside of Toronto. The chain subsequently expanded to 130 stores across Canada, before the recorded music and media business started to decline in the 1990s. At one time, the chain was the leading music retailer in Canada. [cite news
last = GANDHI
first = UNNATI
coauthors =
title = Toronto's Sam the Record Man closing
work = National News
pages =
language =
publisher =The Globe and Mail
date = 2007-05-29
url = http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070529.wsamsclose0529/BNStory/National/home
accessdate = 2007-05-30]

2001 bankruptcy

In 2001, tough competition, narrow margins, and the availability of free music downloads from the Internet, forced the chain to declare bankruptcy. Most of its 30 corporate-owned stores closed. The Sniderman family was underwriting the chain's debt of $15 million for the previous five years and finally could not continue to lose money. Under new management, Sam Sniderman's sons Jason and Bobby Sniderman reopened the Yonge Street store in 2002, along with 11 franchise stores outside of Toronto. The franchise stores were not a part of the bankruptcy filing.

Eventually, most of the stores were closed, along with a corporate store in Halifax, Nova Scotia being shut down on February 20, 2007. [cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = Sam no longer the record man in Halifax
work =
pages =
language =
publisher =Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
date =2007-02-20
url = http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2007/02/20/sam-record.html
accessdate = 2007-05-30]

Yonge Street flagship store closes

On May 29, 2007, Jason and Bobby Sniderman announced that the iconic flagship store, on Toronto's Yonge and Gould Streets, would close permanently on June 30, 2007.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =Canadian Press
title = Sam the Record Man to shut its Yonge St. doors
work = Entertainment section
publisher =The Toronto Star
date = 2007-05-29
url =http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/219283
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate = 2007-05-30] They stated that "their decision reflects the increasing impact of technology on the record industry."

On May 30, 2007, supporters started a Facebook group to save the store's neon spinning record signs titled "Save the Sam's Sign!!!"; the group, and its attached online petition, garnered more than 18,000 members. [cite web
last = Seatle
first = Pam
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =Sam The Record Man's Flagship Store To Close After One Last Big Sale
work =
publisher =Citytv
date = 2007-05-30
url =http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_11504.aspx
format =HTML/Windows Media
doi =
accessdate = 2007-05-31] On June 14, 2007, it was announced that the sign, and the contents of the store would be auctioned-off by Benaco Sales on June 27. [cite web
last =Marlow
first =Iain
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Sam's sign set to be sold
work = News section
publisher =The Toronto Star
date = 2007-06-15
url =http://www.thestar.com/News/article/225709
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate = 2007-06-15] However, on June 22, 2007, the Toronto city council voted in favour of designating the entire property as a heritage site, protecting the entire building, including the landmark signs.The entire building was designated because the Ontario Heritage Act has no provisions to protect store signs.

On January 18, 2008, Ryerson University officially acquired the property for future expansion of its nearby campus. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Ryerson acquires Sam's property and three others
work =
publisher =Ryerson University
date = 2008-01-18
url =http://www.ryerson.ca/news/news/General_Public/20080118_RyeProperty.html
format =HTML
doi =
accessdate = 2008-01-20] Signs in the windows now announce the former Sam's store as the future location of Ryerson's Student Learning Centre.

On October 4, the iconic Neon Signs were lit for the last time as part of Toronto's Nuit Blanche festivities. As of October 8th the signs have been removed and the building awaits demolition.

The last remnants of the Sam the Record Man retail empire are the two franchise stores that remain open in Sarnia and Belleville.

References

External links

* [http://www.savethesamssign.ca/ Save The Sam's Sign]
* [http://www.samtherecordman.com/ Sam The Record Man]
* [http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=c10e357cac3e20624b77b83ef4bbaac7&prevstart=0 Sam The Record Man on Google Earth]