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
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.