A mental wellness gift shop in Toronto known for its curated, locally sourced products and care packages is officially closing its doors next month. 

Crying Out Loud, located at 2005 Danforth Ave., first opened its doors in 2019. The shop was co-founded by Shannon, Sarah, Alexie, and Janice, who met through the shared experience of losing a partner at a young age. 

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The humble store grew to offer a wide selection of products that promote self-care and the care of others, including books, journals, clothing, bath and body items, games, plants, drinks, and chocolate. 

The business also sought to redefine the journey of mental wellness through thoughtful care packages centred around self-love, infertility and pregnancy loss, cancer and recovery, healing heartbreak, and navigating grief. 

In a bittersweet announcement posted to their social media pages on Monday, co-founders of Crying Out Loud announced that their brick-and-mortar store would be closing on Oct. 1 and moving their operations online. 

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Co-founder Sarah Keast, who spoke on behalf of all the founders, told blogTO that the business faced many challenges over the years, including lockdowns, record-high inflation, and associated economic effects that made it difficult for the small business to stay afloat. 

"Our customers have understood the importance of shopping small and shopping local since we opened, but our customers are also living in these wild economic times and everyone is feeling the pinch," Keast explained. 

"I feel sad for us closing our doors, but I also feel sad for many of our small business friends in the neighbourhood and in the city. It is so tough for everyone, and more losses will be felt, I'm sure." 

Despite the impending closure of its physical store, the business has had the privilege of sharing a special kind of intimacy with customers that typically isn't achieved by most retailers. 

"When you're trying to show up for a friend who just lost a child, or whose partner has been diagnosed with cancer, shopping suddenly becomes an experience fraught with complex emotions," Keast said. 

"We feel proud we created a space where customers knew they could pop into our store or check out our site online, reach us by email or by social media – and however they choose to connect with us, they would receive an attentive, compassionate, and genuine interaction with our team."

Since announcing the shop's closure, the business has received an outpouring of support from the community, with special mention of the team's dedication to providing a non-judgmental space for healing. 

"We created the space, but the magic energy has come from all the people that have come through the doors, all the stories told, all the laughs (and tears) shared, all the hugs given," Keast told blogTO. 

There are still several ways to show your support for the store in the coming weeks, including shopping their curated selection of products in-store (until Oct. 1) or online, sharing their page, engaging with them on social media, and helping grow their corporate gifting program. 

"Making the decision to close our brick-and-mortar location has not been an easy one, but we know it's the right one. We are soaking up the joy of being in the shop for these last few weeks, and we are looking forward to getting to know the new version of Crying Out Loud," Keast said. 

"We've always been good at reminding ourselves we can do hard things, crying and laughing as we do it. This is no different and we are here for all the feelings this will bring."