Stores are closing, but stores are always closing. 90% of them, in fact. Home theater has definitely made this business different, but I can tell you from our experience that audiophiles are dedicated hobbyists and they aren't going away. Home theater is wueing the middle of the road crowd and I think that's ok. People are spending more on home theaters, which are enjoyed by more of the family, than they typically spent on audio systems and I find the narrowing field of audiophiles are getting better equipment from a more dedicated group of manufacturers. I've also found that as more and more consumers are getting burned by electronic purchases from ebay etc., that the need for reliable shops is actually increasing from say, 12 months ago. For the most part, I think people respect people who take their jobs and their customers hard earned money seriously and that retailers that operate with this mindset will always be in demand. Our staff LOVES what they do. Almost half of them travel over an hour to be here every day and work for less than they could make doing something else. I believe that this dedication comes through to our clientele which is one reason I believe we thrive when so many others are falling about us. The only real complaint I have is when people treat their local retailer with malice and disrespect. Please don't ask me to take an item home, free of charge, that I have thousands of my hard earned dollars tied up in so that you can decide if you like it or not and come to these pages to find some unscrupulous dealer who will ship it into my market or buy it pre-owned. If you'd like to take your chances, you have my blessings, if, on the other hand, you'd like our expertise, please don't take advantage of it. We work hard and like to get paid at the end of the week just like you do.
Anyway, this industry's problem doesn't lie with the retailers, it's with its overly complacent and pompus attitude. This industry needs to promote itself more effectively to the masses. To groups that exist outside itself. It breaks my heart to find a dedicated member of the Met, a die hard music lover, bought his/her system from a mass retailer because they didn't know that the hi-end existed. Believe me folks, this happens. This is the problem that our industry needs to address.
Thanks for listening.
Mario
Anyway, this industry's problem doesn't lie with the retailers, it's with its overly complacent and pompus attitude. This industry needs to promote itself more effectively to the masses. To groups that exist outside itself. It breaks my heart to find a dedicated member of the Met, a die hard music lover, bought his/her system from a mass retailer because they didn't know that the hi-end existed. Believe me folks, this happens. This is the problem that our industry needs to address.
Thanks for listening.
Mario