Supporting Local Audio Stores are we?

Okay for what its worth here is more fuel for the fire.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/Magazine/viewpoint/0801/longlive.htm

Back in the day 1976 to 1983 had a high end shop. Carried NAD as entry level,Luxman as mid - level and Threshold as the high end. Turntables were Linn, Luxman, Micro Seiki. Cassette decks only Nakamichi. Speakers were Magnepan,DCM,Polk and Allison. In those days there were not many accessories such as cables and power cords.

Carried roughly $125K to $140K in inventory and had monthly sales avg of 60K. Always took trade-ins of like equipment to be applied to new gear. It did not take long to realize that the used sales were quite a viable part of the business. Used sales added very nicely to the bottom line.

Service was our forte. No matter what you purchased it was always delivered and set up for the customer and the customer was guided through its operating parameters of what to do, but more important what not to do.

The store itself was set up basically like someones living room, with couchs and chairs, tables, drapes, you get the idea. Always had refreshments and deli trays on hand for the customers. In other words a home type environment, where customers could kick back relax listen to music and the gear that was on display.

Never any pressure to buy,or to ignore the customer.

One of the important things to remember about this time, is that the manufacturers had protected territories for their dealers. Say I wanted to add Audio Research to the inventory. Audio Research would not sell to me as they already had a dealer within that marketing area. And most of the manufacturers had the same or similiar arrangements.

To anyone that has been in this hobby/business realizes that in two channel audio, this is an ever evolving hobby, with solid repeat sales. Home Theater on the other hand does not work in the same vein. It is for the most part one big sale and thats it. Out the door and gone.

Back then HT was not even a blimp on the radar as was the internet.

But business moves forward and to remain viable one has to embrace all the possibilities to enhance the bottom line.

Another key to our success was a striking employee. Her name was Candace. She started out as a customer and I ended up hiring her. She had that personality that men trusted and ,here is the good part was able to converse with wifes and girl friends why their husbands and boyfriends were in this hobby and why it was non-threatening to their relationship. One of the best hires I ever did.

Yes the business ebvironment has changed, but solid business models have a far greater chance of success, than to think of all the ways it can fail.

Tvad - Ferrari dealerships come to mind.

For what it is worth I continue to support Larry at Hollywood Sound and have done so for years. Although now it is a 90 minute drive, but has always been worth the time and dollars spent with him. Yes he is a B&M dealer, heavy into all things analog, vast experience of about some 30 years or more. Know of many more folks that make the drive. He does business as it should be conducted. Thats why he has lasted all these years.

Another insight to the dilemma and I know these folks and this article is very true.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/1997-06-26/news/twilight-of-the-tweaks/1

Five years is not even a blip on the radar. Been at this since 1957.