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-First ever M.I. video webcast
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-Table of Contents
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-Our 25-year magazine retrospective begins on p. 20 and runs all of the way to (with some stories in between). Wow, a lot has happened in that time.
-Whoa Canada! Attendees were upbeat during MIAC, which took place in Toronto in October. Is the Canadian MI retailer different than the U.S. one?
-Percussion Pointers. We serve up some tips about how you can help band directors select the right percussion products for their schools.
-The Survey Says...Reader surveys always reveal a lot of information. This year is no different. Find out what you said about several topics, including how your holiday sales are expected to stack up this year.
-Rode to Success Rode Microphones made a big splash, literally, with the launch of Opal from its Event Electronics division. Find out much more about the Las Vegas bash and the studio monitor that packs 750 watts of punch.
-Under Lock and Key
In our third annual Independent Retailer Roundtable,
we gather more participants, who provide even more information. Which manufacturers are you happy with? Find out. Did Summer NAMM work out? Find out. What bothers you the most? Find out.
-DJ For Hire These manufacturer employees still find the time to perform DJ/lighting gigs.
-An Early Summer Night’s Dream!NAMM returned with a vengeance in Nashville. Learn what people were saying and why there could be a rebirth of independent retailers in the future.
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-The Latest, Industry, Dealers, People and Product Buzz and Showcases.
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-The Music & Sound
Independent RetailerWe honor Lou Kraus Music in Nebraska, celebrating 25 years of service and California's Zone Music, celebrating its 25th anniversary.
-Bags/Cases Update Marty Harrison of Access Bags and Cases, Agatha Gerutto of Road Ready Cases, and Jonny Edwards of Coffin Case give you tips on selling bags and cases in these brutal economic times.
-Special Guest
EditorialMusic & Sound Retailer assistant editor Michelle Loeb reflects on her past five years with the magazine.
-Spy Travel & Leisure recently said Charleston, S.C., has the nicest people and best antique shops in the country. But, does it have the nicest store owners and best music instrument stores? Let’s find out.
-Five Minutes Hohner’s Scott Emmerman talks about the huge Bob Dylan harmonica launch and a whole lot more.
-Sales Guru.Gene Fresco explains why you MUST set goals as a salesperson.
-Veddatorial.Dan Vedda opened his store right around when the Music & Sound Retailer began. He takes a look back at how he became an MI dealer and reflects on his 12 years writing this column.
-MSR Anniversary
—Lee Oskar.We take a look at 25 years of Lee Oskar by asking the man himself. We talk about how the company got started, what he thinks of the market now, and his times with the ultra popular band War.
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-Vikki Hayward, Gator Cases marketing manager, was a huge fan of the company years before she joined it. Learn about her future goals, why she enjoys her job, and much more.
-Roxana Ramirez, Being in the music industry, you’re probably very aware of the soundtrack of your life. If Roxana Ramirez were to have a theme song, it would probably be “We Are Family.”
-Susan Lipp, is always busy. She helped break ground on the company’s huge future facility in Madison, Wisc., last month. She does NAMM Congressional “fly-ins” too
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-Steve Stevens, Rock and Roll may be known for its wild behavior, but the genre has at least one law abider in Steve Stevens.
-Frank Black of the Pixies credits Haley's Comet for starting him on his career path?
-KT Tunstall dismounted from her horse and climbed out of her cherry tree to talk with us.
-Peter Frampton comes alive to tell us what guitars, effects, and amps he loves.
- John Flansburgh, They Might Be Giants’ John Flansburgh is a big fan of several independent dealers as well as a host of manufacturers.
-Matt Rubano the bass player for the red-hot band Taking Back Sunday. Even better, he likes to shop for MI gear.
-Paul English ,Willie Nelson has had four wives in 40 years, but only one drummer in that same time frame.
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An
Early Summer
Night’s Dream
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| By Brian Berk |
[August 2008 - Page 1] |
If you move it, they will come. Move locations that is. Summer NAMM in Nashville from June 20 to 22 was a huge hit, with a 36 percent increase in the number of people walking through the turnstiles to 17,473. Most manufacturers were upbeat throughout, including one who told us they had more traffic on the first day of the show compared to the entire show in Austin in 2007. The stellar turnout clearly cements Nashville as the home of Summer NAMM for the foreseeable future, especially with a new convention center expected to be ready by 2012.
 The popular Friday morning NAMM University breakfast session featured NAMM President and CEO Joe Lamond hosting “The State of the Industry Address.” NAMM’s theme during the show was to celebrate the independent retailer. “America is small business,” said Lamond. “Ninety percent of all businesses in America employ less than 20 people…Small business accounts for 40 percent of our [Gross Domestic Product] and 66 percent of all jobs. Our membership numbers are reflecting this as well. There’s a very interesting trend we’re seeing. NAMM’s membership numbers grew significantly over the last year. Many of these stores are small stores that are just beginning today.”
Challenges of the Future: The Rebirth of Small Independent Retail in America is a report that echoed some of the things Lamond said he has seen in his massive travels. “Across America,” he said, “it seemed like the pendulum was swinging from big to custom, small, direct, and more customer focus in retail. In my heart, I believe the pendulum is swinging and there is going to be a rebirth of independent retailers in America.”
Jack Stanyon, writer of the report, Pat Johnson, co-founder of the Retail Owners Institute, and Otto Papasadero, director of the North American Retail Dealers Association, were Lamond’s first guests. “Part of the goal of the report was to provide some inspiration,” said Stanyon. “Generation Y is going to be the largest consumer group in the history of the United States. That’s a tremendous opportunity. I saw a trend toward personalization. We all want things a certain way. Small independents can give that service better than larger companies can. Americans are getting sick of bureaucracy.
They are tired of things that don’t work. That leads to this rebirth.”
Rooting for the underdog will also help indie retailers in the future, said Stanyon. Although he didn’t mention specific examples, we often see this factor arise in sports, such as this season, with some pledging their allegiance to the small-market, miniscule payroll of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Stanyon added that improving technologies allow smaller companies to do many of the same things as larger companies. But he brought up how amazed he was about how poor service was in every facet of our lives. “We all give lip service to it,” he said. “We understand this is the lifeblood for small independent retail, and is the most differentiating characteristic. Yet, across the board, it always seems to be lacking. Let me give you an example. We’re all familiar with Southwest Airlines and [former CEO] Herb Kelleher. Its last annual meeting was held a couple of months ago. Interestingly, over the years, American Airlines and Southwest have held their meetings on the exact same day. During American’s meeting, there were pilots picketing outside. During Southwest’s meeting, they took out a ‘thank you’ ad to Herb as he stepped down as chairman. The reason why Southwest is so successful is Herb has a philosophy of treating your employees as if they are your customers. It’s very simple.”
Papasadero continued by mentioning he was in the audience when Steve Wynn, owner of gambling operator Wynn Resorts, was asked what the secrets to his success were. “The answers were simple. Curb appeal and the frontline staff. Curb appeal is how you compare with retail expectations, which leads to making investments in your presentations and I’ve found the payback comes in about three and a-half years. That also gives your external customer a renewed energy. It’s like walking into your home for the first time after you remodeled it. As for frontline, any time an employee comes in contact with a customer, they must be excited and have a passion.”
Johnson said she “absolutely” saw a rebirth of the independent retailer, although dealers are being reborn in new ways. “You have the Baby Boomers, who can now afford to spend money on themselves. Then you have Generation Y, which is greater in number than Baby Boomers. They are the on-demand information age. ‘I want it now. I want it on my own terms.’ The opportunity of the [Internet] enables that to happen. Going forward, the three most important factors in retail will no longer be location, location, location. It will be connection, connection, connection. Specialty retailers are able to survive and succeed because they have information. You have a passion for what you’re doing. You have the knowledge. People on your staff have that knowledge. You have the opportunity to use your Web site not as a Yellow Pages ad, but as a way to connect to your customer, who is no longer in a 10-mile radius. The world truly is flat. Your customers will find you if you are able to provide the information they need.”
“I’m not sure about rebirth, but I think it’s onward and upward,” added Papasadero. “I think everyone can think of an independent business in your neighborhood that is bucking the trend and is unique.”
Lamond subsequently interviewed Gordy Wilcher, owner of Owensboro Music Center in Owensboro, Ky., and president of the IMRA/MSO consortium; Billy Bones, owner of Sparrow Guitars, and Bobby Boyles, owner of Oklahoma Vintage Guitar.
Lamond asked Wilcher about the growth of buying and sharing groups. “One of the best things to happen in my business is being involved in one of these groups,” responded Wilcher. “[MSO and IMRA] really started just as ways to communicate. The store in the next town is not my enemy. They are my friend. We have to unite and come together. There are so many little things you learn from independent retailers. For example, my store is located right next to the regional hospital. There are 250 doctor’s offices and someone on our [Internet] forum said, ‘Why don’t you take the product brochures, staple your card to them and leave them in the offices.’ How many times do you sit in a doctor’s office and read Travel and Leisure or Good Housekeeping? It was a really good idea I got from someone else to help [build customers].”
Wilcher added that although there’s no way for us to change variables such as skyrocketing fuel prices, you can take advantage of those factors. “Maybe they can’t go to Disneyland, so they can come to my store instead and find a nice Martin,” he said. “Actually, business is not that bad. We have some great opportunities.”
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