I’ve spent my life working in Audio, and some of the posts above are substantially correct. The real issue is so what does this tell you? B&M retail is in decline for many reasons. The vast variety of products that can be found on the internet, many now “direct to consumer”, skew the perception of value, and what is possible for a dealer to support. Face to face discussions with experienced pros and live demos can be very valuable to the audio buyer, and they take time and care to set up. Most dealers pay a bonus for sales at retail (no discounts guys) and that salesman has mouths to feed too. Sure, I can save you some $$ on that, but it’s going to cost me a lot to do so. Audio retail does not pay all that well. Our customer typically has a much higher income. Those of us who still do this love the work, love to help customers enjoy music and sound, but our market is aging out (we too), and CV is going to take a big toll as well.
What is the average dealer mark up?
What is an "average" mark up on quality or high end audio gear? I realize that there are many manufacturers who force dealers to hold this tight and not disclose, but surely without naming specific manufacturers there are some here that do in fact know the mark up.
Let the fun begin!
Let the fun begin!