From what I've seen, what killed off a lot of midfi stores was the same thing that killed off so many other retailers - huge boxes like Best Buy, Walmart, etc who could get much better prices from distributors than stores that couldn't buy as much and could undercut them in sales prices. I saw this happen with chains like Pacific Stereo from the 70's, and then Good Guys and Circuit City after that.
??? Are Manufacturers Killing Our Hobby ???
I had struck me recently that there is a GLUTTONY of equipment manufacturers these days & that,if not careful,the unchecked saturation of every corner of our hobby could bring about the demise of the entire industry..
There are only so many consumers of audio reproduction equipment to go around.The younger generations,as a whole,seem uninterested in the pursuit of music reproduction in the home..Live music events are less & less about the music & more & more about the "show"being put on..
Vendors at the last hi fi show I attended recently commented on how small the crowds were compared to previous years.
Too much of anything is never a good thing in the long run...Is it possible that the unbridled ability of manufacturers to saturate the market with too many choices could be a DEATH knell to our hobby in the not to distant future?
Showing 2 responses by larsman
@mitch2 + 1 - yes, first the big boxes and then the online retailers. Same thing's happened with bookshops and other smaller retailers, but fortunately, a few still manage to survive... |