If you need something stupid put on a shirt, this is the place to go.
Off the Wall, originally a music store in the 1990s, is located on 9th Avenue North, next to CIBC.
“He (owner Dale Nagao) started this place in October, 1990, so it’s been a really long time,” said store manager Tammy Hunter.
“When he opened, he actually sold cassettes. In 1990 they actually still listened to cassettes.”
Known now as a store with a little bit of everything, back then Off the Wall was strictly music.
“It was just music, because music was huge then. Nobody downloaded anything then. Music was all he needed,” said Hunter.
Over the years with the changing face of the music industry, and the changing face of Golden, Nagao had to adapt with the times.
He found a niche in customizing items for his customers.
“Screen printing and embroidery he’s done for about 10 or 12 years now, and he used to do it in his house,” said Hunter. “So if you want something stupid put on a shirt, we can do that.”
Hunter has had a few interesting requests for customized items.
“Sometimes they won’t even tell you what they want on a shirt, they have to write it on a piece of paper. They can’t actually say it out loud,” she said.
“And then there’s the nice ones that really make people happy. We get grandmothers in here who want their grandchildren’s pictures put on a shirt.”
Since then, t-shirts have become a major part of Off the Wall. The store is full of shirts on almost every wall, adorning everything from NHL logos, goofy sayings, or TV shows.
Music is also still a part of the business. There is a section with guitars, as well as music accessories.
“He’s got a bit of everything in here, which is good, it means it’s different every day, it’s not the same,” said Hunter, one of five employees at Off the Wall.
That little bit of everything attracts a fairly broad customer base, which includes locals and tourists.
“We sell all those Golden shirts and the Golden stuff. So we do get tourists. But we have lots of repeat customers for screen printing and embroidery,” said Hunter.
“And it’s pretty steady all year. We go from hockey to contractors buying stuff for their employees for Christmas, then you’ve got soccer. Every season has its sport, so it stays pretty busy all year round.”
Off the Wall is also an outlet for UPS and Purolator. Their hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
