Name

Kops Records

Legal name

Kops Records

Website

https://kopsrecords.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Record Sales: Physical and online retail sales of new vinyl, vintage records, and collectibles. Sells to consumers directly through storefronts and e-commerce.
2. Used Record Acquisition and Resale: Buys records from collectors and individuals, then resells them. Offers fair pricing (up to 2/3 of sale value on certain items) and consignment opportunities for rare items.
3. Shipping Revenue: Free shipping on orders over $110 within Canada, providing margin on smaller orders through shipping fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kops Records is an independent record store that retails new vinyl, vintage catalog titles, and rare collectible pressings across multiple genres through two physical locations (Toronto Danforth and Oshawa) and a Canada-wide e-commerce site. The store also buys used record collections from individuals and offers consignment for rare items, creating a two-way flow of inventory between the public and the store.

Product overview

Kops Records operates as a multi-category vinyl record retail business, functioning as both an e-commerce platform and physical retail store. The core product portfolio consists of New Vinyl (new releases and reissues), Katalog Vinyl (vintage catalog titles), and Kollectibles (rare and collectible pressings). Supporting offerings include Pre-orders for anticipated releases, Nick's Picks (staff-curated selections), gift cards, and the We Buy Records service for purchasing customer collections. The store organizes inventory by genre (Pop/Rock, Jazz, Soul, Hip Hop/R&B, Electronic, Punk/Metal, Roots, World, Classical/Ambient, Canadian, Spoken, Soundtracks) and special categories including Japanese Vintage Pressings, Persian music, and seasonal releases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Vinyl Newly released vinyl records and reissues across all genres, featuring hot new releases and long-awaited reissues from major and independent labels. Sold to individual consumers through the Kops Records storefronts and e-commerce site.
• Katalog Vinyl Vintage and catalog vinyl records, including classic titles and back-catalog releases across various genres. Targeted at collectors seeking titles beyond current new releases.
• Kollectibles Rare and collectible vinyl records for collectors, featuring limited editions, picture discs, and hard-to-find titles. Targeted at serious collectors seeking high-value, rare pressings.
• Nick's Picks Staff-curated selection of vinyl records chosen by Nick, featuring rare and noteworthy titles including hip hop, soul, and pop collectibles. Targeted at collectors seeking expert hand-picked recommendations.
• Pre-orders + Events Advance ordering for highly anticipated vinyl releases and event-based vinyl releases. Targeted at collectors and fans wanting to secure limited or upcoming editions before general availability.
• We Buy Records Record buying service where Kops purchases vinyl collections from sellers, offering fair evaluations and individual assessment of each record with consignment opportunities for rare items. Pays up to two-thirds of sale value on certain items. Targeted at individuals looking to sell or downsize their collections.
• Japanese Vintage Pressings Specialized category featuring Japanese vintage vinyl pressings including City Pop and Japanese language releases. Targeted at collectors of Japanese music and City Pop enthusiasts.
• Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase to give as presents to music enthusiasts. Targeted at gift-givers shopping for record collectors and music fans.
• Persian/Farsi Vinyl Records Dedicated selection of Persian and Farsi language vinyl records and music. Targeted at collectors of Middle Eastern and Persian-language music.
• Seasonal & Occasions Vinyl Seasonal vinyl records including Christmas releases and other holiday-themed music. Targeted at consumers shopping for holiday and seasonal music.

Quantifiable outcome

• Will pay upwards of 2/3rds on certain items for record collections

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• UMUSICcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Kops & UMUSIC present Pop Girl Summer 2026 campaign featuring exclusive Universal Pop Girl releases including Olivia Dean, Olivia Rodrigo, Role Model, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and more. The partnership includes exclusive swag and concert ticket giveaways as part of the promotional campaign.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Dr. Disc: Long-established independent record store in Hamilton, Ontario (operating since 1979) with vinyl, CDs, and music merchandise. Closest regional Ontario peer to Kops with comparable vintage heritage and similar product focus.
• Sonic Boom Records: Independent record store in Toronto (Bloor West) selling new and used vinyl, CDs, and music merchandise. Direct regional competitor in the same Toronto market with similar product mix and target audience of vinyl enthusiasts and collectors.

Direct peers

• Rough Trade: Independent record store and label with locations in NYC (Brooklyn) and historically London. Sells new vinyl, exclusives, and rare pressings, hosts in-store performances and label events. Directly comparable specialty record retailer with similar curation-first philosophy and event-driven marketing.
• Criminal Records: Independent record store in Atlanta, Georgia with new and used vinyl, comics, and music merchandise. Comparable specialty retailer serving collectors and music enthusiasts across multiple formats in a regional market.
• Elusive Disc: Online retailer specializing in new vinyl, audiophile pressings, and music accessories. Comparable to Kops's online catalog business model targeting dedicated vinyl collectors and music enthusiasts with curated premium offerings.
• Vintage Vinyl: Long-established independent record store in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1978. Specializes in new and used vinyl across multiple genres and hosts in-store performances. Directly comparable specialty record store with similar age, scale, and product mix.
• Amoeba Music: Iconic independent record store chain operating in California (Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco). Sells new and used vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and music merchandise across genres, hosts in-store events. Closest direct comparable to Kops's omnichannel record store model at a larger multi-location scale.
• Music Direct: Online-focused vinyl retailer (formerly Acoustic Sounds) specializing in new audiophile vinyl, reissues, and turntables. Competes with Kops's online channel for serious collectors and audiophile buyers across broader geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KopsRecords
• Facebookfacebook.com/kopsrecords
• Instagraminstagram.com/kopsrecords
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kops-records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kops Records