It’s safe to say that guitar stores have been in the news recently – and not for a very positive reason. In the States, the institution that was Sam Ash Music closed shop last year, while in the UK and mainland Europe, GAK, Bax Music, and PMT announced their bankruptcy in very quick succession.
Yet, according to high-profile UK-based guitar store, online retailer and social media brand Andertons' main man, Lee Anderton, there are lessons to be learned from these closures – and, in fact, he can confidently say that in-person guitar retail isn’t going away anytime soon.
“We’ve been getting all sorts of comments coming through with orders saying, ‘Please confirm that you’ve definitely sent this today, because I’m a bit nervous that you’re gonna go bust tomorrow as well,’” Anderton tells Guitar.com.
“So it’s really important, I think, that we put some balance back into the debate. Because the underlying guitar business is actually pretty resilient… you don’t have to worry about the good retailers.”
And with massive online retailers and superstore juggernauts getting involved in the guitar game, the question on everyone’s mind following these high-profile closures is whether there’s space for dedicated music stores anymore.
“I’m still a complete sucker for getting a lump in my throat every time I see parents with their 10-year-old kid coming in and buying a starter guitar pack,” he asserts. “We mustn’t take for granted what a profound moment that could be for that kid’s life, you know? And if they go on to be a superstar, what a profound moment that could be for millions of people!"
“So I never want to lose that. And I suppose, to a certain extent, I do think it’s slightly sad when you periodically see [the UK supermarket giant] Tesco selling guitar packs at Christmas. I do accept that if it reaches a wider audience and gets more people playing, it’s a good thing.’
As he aptly puts it, “Do I really think that the best way for you to start your guitar playing life is chucking it in with a half a chicken and a pound of potatoes in your shopping basket? No, I’m not about that.”
And if he were starting today, Anderton has one sage piece of advice: “It’s a fruitless task for that music shop to think they’re going to be able to service the same kind of customer that one of the big guys will be able to service,” he says matter-of-factly.
“If I was starting again today, I’d be diversifying, I’d be shying away from anything mainstream – I wouldn’t be stocking any new Fender, Gibson, PRS, or Ibanez.
“I still think that a small guitar shop that really, really specializes in what it does can work. There’s bucketloads of used gear around now, so just get into that – buy used gear, give it a really good overhaul, sell it for more than you paid for it.
“There’s a business there. And find all the weird and wonderful brands that are making really cool stuff, but just can’t get their voice heard because the big brands make so much noise.”
Recently, Paul McCartney's favorite music store, Hobgoblin, launched an innovative campaign to ensure their business's survival – showcasing an alternative route to ensure that brick-and-mortar stores remain and thrive as part of local communities.
