AKRON — The Akron community has said goodbye to longtime record store Square Records.
“I'm not too pleased about it, because this was my favorite spot to go,” said customer Brian Corrigan.
The store opened back in 2003 in Highland Square and quickly became a community staple. It was known for its wide selection of post-punk, new wave, independent, hip-hop and jazz.
“One thing that really drew me to this place is it has a more curated selection compared to other record stores,” said customer Aidan Miller.
For over 23 years, the record store became a hotspot people looked forward to visiting.
“The people I’ve come into contact with in there have been marvelous, the owner has a great reputation for being really helpful in helping people find what they need,” Corrigan said.
The store sold its last record on Saturday, Dec. 28. The owners say the closure is due to a medical issue.
Long-term supporters of the record store did not want to see it go.
“It brings character to the to this little area, the area is a cultural center, and I feel like Akron generally needs that. And without this place I feel like it's not going to be nearly as complete,” said Corrigan.
After hearing it was the last day, customers showed up on Saturday to clear the shelves.
“It's pretty empty in there now and I am very happy to see that a bunch of customers have showed out to help clear up the space and take what's left of the stock,” said Miller.
The owners say it could come back to life in some form, but that wouldn’t be for a while.
