The only way into Cloverdale Mall is through a parking lot. Here, in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke, the world of retail is languid and sprawling, with a noticeably older demographic than in its downtown equivalents. A walk through the one-storey mall will take you past discount clothing outlets and an all but forgotten bookstore chain. Around a corner, past a Chinese food stall called Pick ‘N’ Chus, is a familiar red and black sign: SUNRISE.
A series of mostly unadorned shelves are packed with DVDs, vinyl records, and CDs organized by genre: punk, metal, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Near the front is a slogan: “Canada’s Record Store.”
