Capacity

As of May 2021, Culture Clash has a store capacity of six (6) adults. This capacity allows concurrent shoppers to keep a safe distance and be at ease, regardless of the vaccination status of their fellow shoppers.

Private Browsing

Culture Clash continues to provide scheduled browsing appointments for all shoppers.

Customers can schedule a convenient time to shop inside the store here. If the store is at capacity, unscheduled customers will be asked to wait in the parking lot, next door at The Switchboard, or to schedule an appointment for a later time.

Again, appointments can be made here or by calling the store during normal business hours - usually within the same day!

Masks

It’s simple, really. We require masks covering the mouths and noses of every person who walks through our door.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pretty clear on this. “We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”

The May 2021 CDC update relaxing mask requirements for fully vaccinated individuals does not imply that small businesses should not continue to do everything possible to protect customers from contracting the virus.

Gloves

It’s nearly impossible to browse a record store without actually flipping through dozens - if not hundreds - of new and pre-spun records. While the transmission of COVID-19 is primarily person-to-person, the virus can live on surfaces like record jackets and sleeves for several days.

Because we cannot sanitize each of our tens of thousands of records daily, we provide non-latex gloves - they’re actually vinyl gloves, which is appropriate! - at both store entrances, and we encourage serious browsers to wear a pair.

Sanitizer

Our friends at Toledo Spirits stepped up early in 2020 to produce and distribute a moonshine-inspired hand sanitizer that meets World Health Organization and FDA guidelines. It’s 80% alcohol, and any gloveless hands must be sanitized upon entering Culture Clash.

We sanitize high-traffic surfaces regularly and offer contact-free service + payments when possible.

Community > Commerce

Culture Clash has been proactive and extremely cautious in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We remained closed for public browsing from March 17, 2020 until we relocated to our larger social-distance-friendly space downtown in August. We provided a combination of curbside service, local delivery, and fast USPS shipping while also introducing a vinyl curation subscription service, and keeping our vibes alive online.

We have customers, family members, and friends with greater health risks and we believe that the service we provide as a local, independent record store is to support and share arts and culture in our community. While so many small business owners have been faced with the impossible decision to fully re-open or risk the livelihood of their families and employees, Culture Clash’s owner (Tim) and store manager (Torch) worked tirelessly in 2020 to keep the store open while the door was closed. We talked daily about operating in today and tomorrow’s world while holding firm to our convictions to encourage safe and healthy decisions from our customers during a confusing time. Serving our customers without seeing them in the shop was a rewarding challenge. After all, isolation sounds a hell of a lot better with good music playing.

We will continue our commitment to fostering safe choices from first-time browsers to returning regulars alike.