M
miketoronto
Guest
Hi
In this day of power centres, international chain stores, and Walmart, people seem to forget about our great local stores.
So lets take a look at some of the local stores that are a part of Toronto.
One of them is Bay Bloor Radio. I never knew much about this store untill a co-worker told me to go down there for the best CD Walkmans. So I went and bought my CD walkman there. And it is great. Anyway here is some info from the Bay Bloor Radio website about the history of this store. Plus pics from the website. There is lots of history in this store.
In the Beginning
In February 1946, in the beautiful community of Toronto, Canada, a young man named Sol Mandlsohn started fixing radios in a little store at the corner of Bay and Bloor streets. Sol had learned his trade while in the Canadian army during the Great War, and Sol had learned it well.
Sol Mandlsohn believed in honesty, integrity and fairness, and his customers always came first. Because he gave good service, his little radio store grew… and grew… and grew.
The Fifties
In the early fifties, Sol moved into a larger store two doors away, expanded his Service Department and opened Canada's first Hi-Fi Studio. He sold and serviced radio phonographs from Westinghouse and Marconi, and televisions from Philips and Electrohome. The people of Toronto came to Bay Bloor Radio for his personal attention and expert advice.
Soon, Sol began customizing component high fidelity systems for an emerging group of hobbyists and music lovers.
And his little Radio Store grew. So Sol went out and hired people who cared about customers just as much as he did.
The Sixties
Bay Bloor Radio had now become a magnet for both customers and vendors (who would always take their new products directly to Sol). The first Fisher Stereo Receivers, the first Sony Trinitron Colour TV's and the first Dual Turntables all brought more and more customers to Bay Bloor Radio.
The do-it-yourselfers came in for their Dynakits that they built themselves, and a growing number of audiophiles came in to audition the latest McIntosh amplifiers and Tannoy speakers.
The Service Department became legendary, because Sol always hired the best technicians.
And Bay Bloor Radio continued to grow.
The Seventies
Toronto was booming, so Sol took a giant step forward with a brand new 10,000 square foot store in the Manulife Centre, one of Downtown Toronto's first megaprojects. Noted Canadian architect Ron Thom designed an incredible multi-level store that proved to be the perfect venue for Toronto's growing community of music lovers.
It worked. Sol's wife Peppie added a terrific accessory and tape department. Sol's son Mark joined the company, as did many of the expert staff who are still there today.
Component Stereo was hot, and Bay Bloor Radio continued to grow, with the best available products, and the very best people to back them up.
The Eighties
Bay Bloor Radio was now famous throughout Canada, always first with the latest technology. When the first CD Player arrived, Sol predicted that it would be a hit, and it was. Bay Bloor Radio quickly became Toronto's Digital Audio Headquarters, and a whole new generation of music lovers came in to experience the magic of music.
In the late eighties, Sol and Mark could feel the market changing once again. Mini Systems were coming on strong, and Home Theatre was on the horizon. With the help of world famous Canadian Architect Raymond Moriyama, Bay Bloor Radio expanded again, with an ultra-modern award winning design that would make the store world famous.
The Nineties
It was amazing press for a Canadian retailer. Hi Fidelity Magazine of London England rated Bay Bloor Radio "One of the 5 Best Hi-Fi Shops in the World" in May of 1990. But now technology was moving even faster, and there was more than just Hi-Fi to sell and service.
Now there were Home Theatres, Camcorders, DVD Players, Micro Systems, and CD Portables. The marketplace had changed, and Bay Bloor Radio had changed with the marketplace. But, what hadn't changed was the personal attention, expert advice and exceptional customer service.
Sol Mandlsohn passed away in November 1998 at the age of 80. His legacy is a store that still believes in honesty, integrity and fairness... a store where customers still come first.
And we still fix radios.
In this day of power centres, international chain stores, and Walmart, people seem to forget about our great local stores.
So lets take a look at some of the local stores that are a part of Toronto.
One of them is Bay Bloor Radio. I never knew much about this store untill a co-worker told me to go down there for the best CD Walkmans. So I went and bought my CD walkman there. And it is great. Anyway here is some info from the Bay Bloor Radio website about the history of this store. Plus pics from the website. There is lots of history in this store.
In the Beginning
In February 1946, in the beautiful community of Toronto, Canada, a young man named Sol Mandlsohn started fixing radios in a little store at the corner of Bay and Bloor streets. Sol had learned his trade while in the Canadian army during the Great War, and Sol had learned it well.
Sol Mandlsohn believed in honesty, integrity and fairness, and his customers always came first. Because he gave good service, his little radio store grew… and grew… and grew.
The Fifties
In the early fifties, Sol moved into a larger store two doors away, expanded his Service Department and opened Canada's first Hi-Fi Studio. He sold and serviced radio phonographs from Westinghouse and Marconi, and televisions from Philips and Electrohome. The people of Toronto came to Bay Bloor Radio for his personal attention and expert advice.
Soon, Sol began customizing component high fidelity systems for an emerging group of hobbyists and music lovers.
And his little Radio Store grew. So Sol went out and hired people who cared about customers just as much as he did.
The Sixties
Bay Bloor Radio had now become a magnet for both customers and vendors (who would always take their new products directly to Sol). The first Fisher Stereo Receivers, the first Sony Trinitron Colour TV's and the first Dual Turntables all brought more and more customers to Bay Bloor Radio.
The do-it-yourselfers came in for their Dynakits that they built themselves, and a growing number of audiophiles came in to audition the latest McIntosh amplifiers and Tannoy speakers.
The Service Department became legendary, because Sol always hired the best technicians.
And Bay Bloor Radio continued to grow.
The Seventies
Toronto was booming, so Sol took a giant step forward with a brand new 10,000 square foot store in the Manulife Centre, one of Downtown Toronto's first megaprojects. Noted Canadian architect Ron Thom designed an incredible multi-level store that proved to be the perfect venue for Toronto's growing community of music lovers.
It worked. Sol's wife Peppie added a terrific accessory and tape department. Sol's son Mark joined the company, as did many of the expert staff who are still there today.
Component Stereo was hot, and Bay Bloor Radio continued to grow, with the best available products, and the very best people to back them up.
The Eighties
Bay Bloor Radio was now famous throughout Canada, always first with the latest technology. When the first CD Player arrived, Sol predicted that it would be a hit, and it was. Bay Bloor Radio quickly became Toronto's Digital Audio Headquarters, and a whole new generation of music lovers came in to experience the magic of music.
In the late eighties, Sol and Mark could feel the market changing once again. Mini Systems were coming on strong, and Home Theatre was on the horizon. With the help of world famous Canadian Architect Raymond Moriyama, Bay Bloor Radio expanded again, with an ultra-modern award winning design that would make the store world famous.
The Nineties
It was amazing press for a Canadian retailer. Hi Fidelity Magazine of London England rated Bay Bloor Radio "One of the 5 Best Hi-Fi Shops in the World" in May of 1990. But now technology was moving even faster, and there was more than just Hi-Fi to sell and service.
Now there were Home Theatres, Camcorders, DVD Players, Micro Systems, and CD Portables. The marketplace had changed, and Bay Bloor Radio had changed with the marketplace. But, what hadn't changed was the personal attention, expert advice and exceptional customer service.
Sol Mandlsohn passed away in November 1998 at the age of 80. His legacy is a store that still believes in honesty, integrity and fairness... a store where customers still come first.
And we still fix radios.