COVER STORIES
Under The Tree
The Music & Sound Retailer’s annual Holiday Sales Guide spotlights dozens of products that manufacturers affirm will be their absolute hottest sellers this coming holiday season. Leaf through page after page of amazing gear, and then get ready to see a whole lot of “green” when Christmas comes!
Inside The Mind Of An Indie
In the first part of our Independent Retailer Roundtable, our panelists delve into their relative optimism about the industry, the strength of particular categories, the trend toward selling boutique brands and the challenges associated with competing against both Internet retailers and other brick-and-mortar shops.
INTERVIEW
Five Minutes With
The Retailer speaks to Doug Lady, Senior Vice President of Hal Leonard, who has been with the company since 1991, about the organization’s history, its unbreakable partnership with the dealer channel and its extensive involvement with online content, as well as its potential to reach even greater heights.
FEATURE
MI Spy
Some cities are just known for rock ‘n’ roll. Detroit might lay claim to being the crown jewel among them, but there’s also a case to be made for Seattle. This month, our intrepid MI Spy once again heads to the Pacific Northwest, scoping out Seattle’s coolest shops for a great electric guitar.
COLUMNS
The Music & Sound Independent Retailer
An update on your fellow Independent Retailers.
Shine A Light
Community and family loom large over day-to-day business at Westmont IL-based Uncle Jon’s Music, permeating every aspect of the store. Join us for a look inside.
Retailer Rebel
Gabriel O’Brien, a retailer himself, argues that it is complacency—not competition—that’s killing us, and that complacency’s effects are observable in how we work every day.
Business & Marketing
David Hall encourages you to have the guts to charge a fair price for your store’s quality service. Your service department is there for one purpose: to produce a profit.
Veddatorial
Our industry lives by its relationships, even though, sometimes, they do turn sour. Nevertheless, Dan Vedda encourages you to calibrate your BS meter and take the plunge.
Under The Hood
The beautiful, hardcover, keepsake-edition “The Christmas Family Songbook,” the latest from Alfred Music, might just be the perfect stocking stuffer—or gift beneath the Christmas tree—for any musician or music lover
And much, much more!