What do you value about your local music shop?

[MiltyG565]

I've been thinking quite a bit about retail recently, and as some of you may know I used to work in a small music shop a few years ago. I think that music shops really add something different to the standard town-centre offering of hairdressers, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants, but for them to be sustainable businesses, they rely on our custom, so I'm curious to know - What do you like about your local music shop? Why do you shop there? Would you say you're a loyal customer? What don't you like about it?

[mentalextra]

I often wonder what my local music shop would say to me to encourage me to walk in their door instead of shopping online?

[MiltyG565]

24 minutes ago, mentalextra said:

I often wonder what my local music shop would say to me to encourage me to walk in their door instead of shopping online?

What could that say or do that would encourage you to shop there rather than online?

[Roger2611]

I have brought a fair bit of new stuff from PMT in Northampton, they have always been straight with me, they know their stuff but they never seem to promote second hand stuff so I rarely go in there now.

My favourite non local shop is Richtone in Sheffield as they have a good range of used stuff which has always been pretty keenly priced

I like to go in to a music shop not necessarily looking to buy something specific and just have a browse of the used stuff and see if anything takes my fancy, I am less likely to do that with new gear when you have to factor how much you are going to lose in 1st owner depreciation 

[Dad3353]

1 hour ago, MiltyG565 said:

I've been thinking quite a bit about retail recently, and as some of you may know I used to work in a small music shop a few years ago. I think that music shops really add something different to the standard town-centre offering of hairdressers, coffee shops, bars, and restaurants, but for them to be sustainable businesses, they rely on our custom, so I'm curious to know - What do you like about your local music shop? Why do you shop there? Would you say you're a loyal customer? What don't you like about it?

There are three of us at home (drummer, guitar, bassist...), but our annual consumption of anything at all, be it strings, heads, instruments... whatever... would be less than noticeable on the balance sheet of any local outlet. The nearest to us is fifty km away; I've not been there for... well, even longer than that. Our Eldest (guitar...) is making his own electric guitar; we even had to scour t'web to find the pick-ups he wanted; no chance of 'em being in stock. They came direct from the States in the end, even cheaper than Thomann. Loyal customer..? Yes, in the sense of, if they have what we want/need, we'd go there, but it's so rare as to not be worth considering. The shop survives thanks to the music schools and private teachers, plus their local musicians that live in that town, but there's no money to be made from our commerce. I'd say, too, that we're not, in general, 'consumers' (swapping 'phones, buying CD's, 'fashion' stuff, hair-cuts...), and already have all we want/need.

Edited August 6, 2018 by Dad3353

[MiltyG565]

5 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

There are three of us at home (drummer, guitar, bassist...), but our annual consumption of anything at all, be it strings, heads, instruments... whatever... would be less than noticeable on the balance sheet of any local outlet. The nearest to us is fifty km away; I've not been there for... well, even longer than that. Our Eldest (guitar...) is making his own electric guitar; we even had to scour t'web to find the pick-ups he wanted; no chance of 'em being in stock. They came direct from the States in the end, even cheaper than Thomann. Loyal customer..? Yes, in the sense of, if they have what we want/need, we'd go there, but it's so rare as to not be worth considering. The shop survives thanks to the music schools and private teachers, plus their local musicians that live in that town, but there's no money to be made from our commerce. I'd say, too, that we're not, in general, 'consumers' (swapping 'phones, buying CD's, 'fashion' stuff, hair-cuts...), and already have all we want/need.

Ok, fair enough - You don't buy loads of stuff, and you don't have a shop within a handy distance from where you live. Those seem like pretty compelling factors to not go to a music shop, or maybe to only go once or twice a year as a bit of an outing. What I'm really trying to get at is exactly what you do value about high street retail as opposed to online retail, not necessarily the value of your custom. What would be something worth making the 50Km trip for? Maybe there's nothing that could be offered that would entice you?

[paddy109]

42 minutes ago, MiltyG565 said:

What could that say or do that would encourage you to shop there rather than online?

Mine could actually talk to me/smile at me and make me feel more welcome.

I’ve had 2 negative experiences and I won’t give them the chance for a third.

[Roger2611]

4 minutes ago, MiltyG565 said:

Ok, fair enough - You don't buy loads of stuff, and you don't have a shop within a handy distance from where you live. Those seem like pretty compelling factors to not go to a music shop, or maybe to only go once or twice a year as a bit of an outing. What I'm really trying to get at is exactly what you do value about high street retail as opposed to online retail, not necessarily the value of your custom. What would be something worth making the 50Km trip for? Maybe there's nothing that could be offered that would entice you?

I value above anything else the ability to try gear before you buy it, that is priceless but, as I think is standard practice with PMT, if they haven't got it in stock you are required to pay a fairly hefty deposit for them to get it in to the local store, which I guess is fair enough, but it does make you want to be more certain before going to that length. Also I have to add from previous experience the shop were not good at getting it to the store on the day they said and remembering to tell me they had got it in...that coupled with an overly aggressive parking strategy from Northampton Council (yep, the bankrupt one!) it does make online more and more appealing.

If I want to nip into PMT then I have to pay for 2? hours parking as there is simply no free parking within easy walking distance of the store 

[Dad3353]

12 minutes ago, MiltyG565 said:

Ok, fair enough - You don't buy loads of stuff, and you don't have a shop within a handy distance from where you live. Those seem like pretty compelling factors to not go to a music shop, or maybe to only go once or twice a year as a bit of an outing. What I'm really trying to get at is exactly what you do value about high street retail as opposed to online retail, not necessarily the value of your custom. What would be something worth making the 50Km trip for? Maybe there's nothing that could be offered that would entice you?

The 'plus' that our 'local' shop had was the camaraderie and complicity with the blokes behind the counter. I worked for many years, myself, in a music shop, as technician, and always found that the 'rapport' between staff and the folks that came in was the key factor. I even repair, still, some 'customers' from those days, several decades after quitting that shop..! At that time, before t'web, having that personal interaction was what helped have them come back; I can only imagine that, with all the facilities of on-line stuff, it would be all the more important. It's really impossible for any retail outlet to have stock to cover what t'web offers, nor really match the prices, but the service and bonhomie can, and should, be a major factor. I can't see why anyone would make the effort to push the door if there was no personal interest in doing so, really.

[darkandrew]

Unfortunately my experience of local music shops has always been a bit mixed - they often mean well but their range of instruments is always pretty poor and focused almost entirely on the budget end of the market.

[Woodinblack]

Nothing compelling in my local shop. I have bought some strings in there before, but thats about it. They do at least have something other than fenders - they have one PRS (but it is a 4 string). And a few fenders. There is another guitar shop around, but they aren't really open when I can go to them.

I went in to vintage and rare in bath the other day, and it wasn't that bad an experience. And I went into the new shop in bath, they had NYXL 5 strings for £29.95 Thats cheaper than anywhere else, so I thought I would get some. They told me it was a mistaken label and they were actually 39.95. So I got no strings.

I generally don't bother with music shops.

I did go to london recently and actually got round to going into the bass gallery. 

[kodiakblair]

Our local shop is pathetic. When you ask for bass strings and they suggest you visit Cash Convertors that's the point of no return.

[dmccombe7]

My nearest worthwhile bass stockist is Guitar Guitar in Glasgow which is 40 miles from me. Friendly enough and a reasonably decent selection of basses although i feel they have more Fender or Sandberg at the moment but that's fine for me as i like both.

They are happy to let me try anything out when i visit and have only had pleasant experiences in their new downstairs bass dept.

Their selection of amps is very limited and they don't stock the full range of any gear. Recently asked about Mesa Subway range and they had the 15 cab and if i wanted anything else in i had to fork out approx £500 as a deposit altho its fully refundable either way so why have it ? If i try and don't like i still get my deposit back and they have to sell the amps anyway. That annoys me a bit.

Generally i find their prices a fair bit higher than other on line shops i use like GAK or Bass Direct which are the 2 shops i use most.

I never buy strings locally as they charge full price by looks of it.

All in all i would go in and try something and then see if i can get on line cheaper. If not much in it i would go back and barter with them to lower their price a bit.

Some on line shops have a price match that they advertise quite clearly on their home page yet when you ask about a cheaper item elsewhere they told me they couldn't match that so why advertise it then. That annoys me too.

I've used Bass Direct more than anywhere else as i find i get ggood helpful advice when i call them about something. I don't get pressurised to buy by Mark. He's just a nice guy to talk with. So much so i drove down from Glasgow to find a nice 5 string bass. Had the notion for a Sandberg or similar and ended up with a gorgeous Dingwall NG2 that just blew the others away. I simply pointed to a particular bass and he handed it to me to try out. That's what i like.

Dave

 

[TheGreek]

Both of my two local Music shops are owned by horrible, patronising and rude shop keepers who take advantage both when they buy and sell gear.

The shop in Welwyn Garden City is owned by a mediocre one hit wonder from the sixties who never stops telling people about it, thinks that we're impressed and that it entitles him to talk to everybody who walks through the door like a piece of stinky poo and that everything he has in the shop is better that what you own (commonplace sales tactic in many shops I believe) and refuses to accept that the Internet exists and that you can't find the same (over-priced) item for less. I think he may have gone out of business recently - such a shame.

The shop in St Albans is well known to long term musicians in the area. Many now refuse to shop there because you're over-charged when you buy and ripped off when you sell. Owner is a proper predator and will give you the least possible if he thinks you're desperate. 

I wouldn't buy a plectrum from either of them. The only thing they'd get from me is a gallon of petrol if they were on fire. They are both examples of poor customer service and why people have turned away from shopping locally and shop online. The days when they had a monopoly locally have long gone and they are now reaping what they have sown.

Good riddance to the pair of 'em!!

[dmccombe7]

No strong feelings there then 

[TheGreek]

Long term readers of my posts will know that Tact and Diplomacy have never been my strong suit...😉😉

[MiltyG565]

1 hour ago, Dad3353 said:

It's really impossible for any retail outlet to have stock to cover what t'web offers, nor really match the prices, but the service and bonhomie can, and should, be a major factor.

I think you've really hit the nail on the head there, and from what others are saying in this thread, a large part of the reason they don't go to their local shop anymore is because they aren't getting a level of service they'd expect, and that really is something that should set-apart high street retail from online retail. That's something that customers should value so highly that they will pay a little extra over online prices for it.

I think the old retail method of stack 'em high, sell 'em cheap doesn't really work in today's world. People can get product online for the best price possible. Small establishments with expensive shop fronts simply can't compete with that. Even the likes of Poundworld, operating in a market that's seen phenomenal growth since the financial crisis, has gone under. Price is no motivator for people to leave the house - because they don't need to.

I'm a proponent of a "shopping experience", where genuine relationships are formed with customers, and they're offered something that simply can't be bought online.

[mentalextra]

2 hours ago, MiltyG565 said:

What could that say or do that would encourage you to shop there rather than online?

Price, stock, service, knowledge, who knows?

[TheGreek]

17 minutes ago, MiltyG565 said:

I think you've really hit the nail on the head there, and from what others are saying in this thread, a large part of the reason they don't go to their local shop anymore is because they aren't getting a level of service they'd expect, and that really is something that should set-apart high street retail from online retail. That's something that customers should value so highly that they will pay a little extra over online prices for it.

Agree completely...

[FinnDave]

My nearest music shop is PMT in Oxford, about 40 mins drive when the traffic's light. I do make it my first port of call if I need/want something, as they are friendly and helpful bunch, greet me by name on my occasional visits and last year, when I had problems with an item I'd bought there, drove over to replace it. That's good service! I think I bought a couple of amps there last year, and a Jazz bass this year, also a set of strings, so I'm not a big spender, but they treat me as if I am. 

I make the longer drive (well over an hour each way and a lot more road miles) to Bass Direct now and then if I want something that only they have (such as the used Alembic I bought there last month). Again, they are friendly and decent people.

Probably my favourite music shop, though is down in Devon, where we holiday several times a year (not in the music shop, though my wife might think we do), which is WM guitars in Ashburton. Always happy to see me and chat, even though I often buy nothing or just a few picks. I did buy a small combo for home use from them last year, mainly because it gives me pleasure to use something that reminds me of the place.

So overall, the common factor is personal service, which all of these three offer.

[skidder652003]

My local is Mansons which for bass is Ok but really great for guitars, Ive never bought new but they have a great pre owned selection, many times popped in for a mooch and ended up walking out with something (Ampeg SVT-CL once, didn't see that one coming!)

[Bluewine]

Excellent luthier on staff and huge selection of vintage and high end basses  Cream City Music.

Blue

[fretmeister]

My local is a PMT. The staff are friendly.

 

The choice of strings is limited. The choice of basses are limited. There's loads of cheap stuff but I'm not in the sub £1000 bracket. But when they do have something more expensive that I might be interested in (and it's almost always a Fender) they like to demo it through a tiny combo.

The approach to other instruments seems to be better but I don't spend money on other instruments.

Oh - and the parking is sufficiently far away that if I was buying an amp or cab or something heavy I'd need a sack barrow.

 

They'd have to move the shop or get their own car park to make me visit more.

[Lozz196]

If I needed a set of strings quickly then I would use my local music store, but seeing as they don`t stock the brand I use it would have to be a an emergency set, and their prices reflect that of a store and not an online outlet, i.e. much higher. When I used to use Rotosounds my local shop was selling them for £22, online I could get them for £14. I needed a set a month so doing the maths 12 x£15 = £168, or 12 x £22 = £264. Using my local shop would cost me £96 more per year - 6 sets of strings. I`d like to support the local shop but not to that extent, for the same amount of money I either got a years worth of strings, or a year and a halfs.

[MiltyG565]

I guess one of the challenges that many shops face is being able to justify stocking higher ticket price items. Generally, people who have been playing for a while are pretty clued in on what they want next, and they'll do the research and buy it, and typically that means buying online. Unless you're a destination shop, like a specialist retailer or in an area well known for the retail offering, or some kind of boutique that has a successful online sales channel, it really is difficult to cater to anything other than the beginners and low-budget buyers. This is a group that often really values the knowledge and insight of sales reps in a local shop, who should engage with these customers in a consultative way.

2 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

If I needed a set of strings quickly then I would use my local music store, but seeing as they don`t stock the brand I use it would have to be a an emergency set, and their prices reflect that of a store and not an online outlet, i.e. much higher. When I used to use Rotosounds my local shop was selling them for £22, online I could get them for £14. I needed a set a month so doing the maths 12 x£15 = £168, or 12 x £22 = £264. Using my local shop would cost me £96 more per year - 6 sets of strings. I`d like to support the local shop but not to that extent, for the same amount of money I either got a years worth of strings, or a year and a halfs.

Rotosound are generally on the cheaper side in terms of strings, so £22 seems odd, to me. I remember buying Rotosounds for £14 about 6 years ago. It seems to me that with inflation, the price would have come up a bit in the intervening years, but not by £8.

Has your local ever offered to order in your preferred string?