Holiday Sales Guide Issue

COVER STORIES

Gifts Unwrapped

Although it might only be September, savvy retailers know that late summer/early autumn is the season to prepare for the holiday sales rush, when demand reaches a fever pitch and retailers make a large portion of their yearly profits. That’s why The Retailer’s Holiday Sales Guide remains one of our most popular annual features.

Indie Dealers Rise Up

For its brand identity, The Music & Sound Retailer tries to be the champion of brick-and-mortar, mom-and-pop, independent music stores. Perhaps no annual feature better presses that case than the Independent Retailer Roundtable, which is now in its 11th year and which we proudly present part one of this month.

Interview

Five Minutes With

The music products industry has often been described as one big, extended family. That brings us to The Music People (TMP), which Jim Hennessey created in 1979 and for which two of his children, Sharon and John Hennessey, now serve as Co-Presidents. In this month’s “Five Minutes With” interview, Sharon dives deeply into the company’s DNA.

 

Mission Report

MI Spy

Some months, MI Spy embraces the mundane lifestyle of the “everyday person,” even approaching spy assignments with the nonchalant attitude of the typical customer. This month, though, after binge-watching a dozen “Mission: Impossible” movies, our resident super sleuth is in full Ethan Hunt mode, visiting stores in an elaborate disguise, with two swinging sidekicks in tow.

Features

The Music & Sound Independent Retailer

Columns

Special To The Retailer

The D’Addario Foundation is aware of the power of music, and it’s harnessing that power by nurturing the development of private-sector, not-for-profit music-education programs in schools where music barely exists, or doesn’t exist at all.

Front And Center

With more than 10 years’ experience in marketing, publicity, artist relations, licensing and more, Rebecca Eaddy has been pivotal to developing impressive campaigns for companies like PRS Guitars, as well as her current employer, Roland Corp. U.S.

From The Trenches

Sen. Everett Dirksen is credited with saying, “A billion here, a billion there and, pretty soon, you’re talking real money.” The MI corollary might be this: “A point here, a point there and, pretty soon, you’re talking real money.”

Shine A Light

Heid Music, owned and operated by the Heid family since 1948, has been an integral part of Wisconsin’s music community for three generations. The store has grown into a full-service music store with five locations.

Retailer Rebel

It’s easy to take the people around us for granted because they’re always there, especially the truly reliable ones who are always in the background, simply doing what needs to be done.

Veddatorial

We, as an industry, attempt to spin the best view of our growth and health, even in down years. Too often, however, we slam figures on the board and attempt to tell our story despite profound gaps in the information.

Under The Hood

One of Taylor Guitars’ most recent makeovers birthed the redesigned 700 Series, which, up to now, was one of the few remaining guitar classes in its acoustic line not to have been recently reimagined.

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