Music Villa has been a part of the Bozeman MT music scene since the 1970s, but it’s under the leadership of Paul Decker that the store has really taken off, growing not only in its physical footprint but also in its online presence and its value to the community.
Decker took over the store from his father in 1997, coming back to his hometown after spending time in Seattle WA. Although he had no business experience to speak of, Decker had spent a lot of time around the music scene as a drummer and a record store employee, and he had the interest and ideas to take Music Villa to the next level.
“At the time I had moved back, the mail-order catalogs were gaining popularity and I noticed a lot of gear in town was not bought at Music Villa,” said Decker. “I knew this had to change.”
In the 17 years since Decker took over ownership of the store, he has learned to walk a fine line between competing with mail-order operations and e-commerce companies on a national and global level and serving the needs of his community, bringing some of that lost business back to the local store. One of the ways he did this was to launch two distinct Web sites for the store.
Log on to acousticletter.com and you’ll find an incredible selection of high-end acoustic guitars. Even though Music Villa is a full-line music shop, Decker decided to focus on these instruments for the business’ online sales because, “We stay very competitive online by having a niche in acoustic guitars,” Decker said. “We decided not to try to be everything to everybody online.”
Look at the store’s main Web site, musicvilla.com, on the other hand, and you will see that the site very specifically says, “This site is not a shopping cart.”
“We decided with our musicvilla.com Web site that it was important to cater to the local community and the local musicians,” said Decker. “This has worked out well in keeping people locally and statewide interested in our store.”
On the site, Decker and his staff post daily updates on the used gear they have in stock, show the latest and hottest products, and let people know about the shows and events going on in the area. The site offers links to many other Web sites that promote and showcase the music scene in Bozeman, and that community spirit has helped Music Villa stay relevant and active in the community.
“With the Web and all our social-media avenues, we have built a nice community of music enthusiasts, which draws great traffic,” Decker said.
The traffic to his store has grown so much, in fact, that Music Villa now occupies approximately five times more space than it did at the start of Decker’s tenure. From 1,900 square feet in the 1990s, Music Villa has expanded to the point where, today, it measures an incredible 10,000 square feet. The space features a design that Decker said was “innovative at the time.” The store is segmented into departments with “cool stuff” hanging from the large beams at the top of the tall ceilings, and a main counter that looks toward the entire store.
“Any store just has to have a good vibe,” said Decker, who is continually updating the store’s design, replacing displays and even redesigning fixtures as they become outdated. In 1999, Decker remodeled the store and added an enclosed wood cabin that serves as an acoustic room. Last year, he remodeled the effects pedal display and, according to Decker, “sales doubled.”
With this growth, Decker’s staff has also multiplied. When he first took over the store, Decker was working alongside one other salesperson and one repairperson. Today, that roster has swelled to include eight salespeople, two repair techs, two administrative professionals and two employees who handle Web issues. Ten teachers are also on staff, teaching 200 lessons per week.
“I’m always looking for more ways to be profitable and keep 25 people employed,” said Decker. “It is becoming harder to make any money with merchandise alone, so we always have to be changing and looking for new avenues.”
The store hosts a wide range of events, repairs guitars and amps, and offers back-line rental and PA systems. That contrasts with before, when, according to Decker, “It was just buy stuff and sell stuff. We made a little money and never had to answer an e-mail or a text.”
Although Decker has continued to explore these new avenues on local, statewide, national and global levels, his main focus remains on making Music Villa a friendly, welcoming place where people want to come and want to spend money.
“Most music stores always had the vibe that you had to be a good player to come in and hang out,” Decker said. “We are all musicians and we all remember our first experiences walking into a music store. We often discuss this at meetings and try to make sure our customers have a good experience and feel welcome.”
He continued, “A music store should be fun. The lesson program should be fun. The staff should have fun working in a music store. We want to welcome everyone and also bring in fun, cool products that may not always be the norm.”