Atlanta music stores not worried about Best Buy’s in-store music centers
August 12th, 2008 by Erin Everhart in Music newsBest Buy Co. Inc. recently announced its plan to open as many as 85 in-store music instrument centers by the end of this year in time to service all your holiday musical needs.
No word yet if one of the dozens of Best Buy stores in the Atlanta area will grab a golden ticket, but Atlanta’s indie music stores aren’t fretting over the possibility of new competition.
“I’d rather them not be selling exactly what we’re selling, but I really don’t see it as a threat,” said Dave Strohauer, president of Earthshaking Music, about one mile from a Best Buy. “Maybe, I’m wrong, but I don’t think they can offer what we do in terms of sales and service.”
While the Associated Press reported that the up-and-coming instrument retailer is “hoping to cater to everyone from the garage guitarist to a recording musician,” it’s pretty vague on exactly what type and what level of products will be carried.
“It would seem that a primarily electronics and media retailer would lack the credibility to be able to support the advanced [musician],” said Aaron Rathone, manager of Dirt Cheep Music in Smyrna. “I think they will stick to what they do best, which is sell the top name brands at the lowest price.”
That they will.
Such well-known brands as Fender, Gibson, Drum Workshop and Roland will sell for between $89.99 to $5,000 in the 2,500-sq. foot retail space. (That’s about the average size of a three or four bedroom house if geometry isn’t your forte.)
Best Buy hasn’t said anything about the knowledge and experience of its soon-to-be-staff, but there is always the risk of sub-par service when stepping into unfamiliar territory.
“If a prospective employee is sufficiently advanced in their field, why aren’t they working at a true musical instrument retailer? Wouldn’t that type of qualified person want to work at a true musical instrument store?” Rathbone asked.
That same question probably resonated around independent record store owners when Best Buy burst into Atlanta in 1993 to challenge the way people bought their music.
“A lot of mom and pop and independent stores have suffered, of course,” said Mel Pinson from Criminal Records, who’s sales weren’t affected when a Best Buy opened in 2005 one-half mile up the road. “People who are going to go to Best Buy will.”
Indie stores may not be able to offer the low prices that the mega electronic retailer can, but Atlanta stores are surprisingly confident that their level of service can outmatch a lower price sold by a common name.
“It takes more than just having a guitar in a box on a shelf,” Strohauer said. “There has to be interaction with someone who can teach them something about guitars. [Instruments] are not a commodity like televisions or calculators. People who play music don’t do it because they have to; they do it because they want to. It’s passion.”
Send to a friend:
September 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Buy a guitar from Best Buy?
Not in a million years!
That idea is going to crash and burn.
Have you guys ever heard of Mars Music?
They’re currently residing in the “where are they now” file.
If I owned Best Buy stock I’d be selling it REAL FAST - these guys don’t know what they’re getting into.