+1 for the free candy.
Oh and the fast free shipping. Love sweetwater. Where I live, I usually get my stuff next day from them.
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Guitar Center in trouble?
- Thread starter Maxdusty
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+1 for the free candy.
Oh and the fast free shipping. Love sweetwater. Where I live, I usually get my stuff next day from them.
Keep predicting the inevitable long enough and you'll eventually be proven prescient.
Bankruptcy most likely would mean GC can keep operating because it would lessen their debt load.
I agree with that. A lot of player seem to have an irrationnal fear that if they don't play it they won't like it or on the spec sheet it says this dimension and bla bla and they won't be confortable because of that extra 1mm ... come on...
Anyway
I also think that there is less musicians nowaday. The only one left are the one that like it, they don't do it just because everyone do it or the get chicks or whatever. So you have less demand for everything.
I made my first purchase from GC in over a decade just last week. I was online looking for a bass speaker for a practice amp cab and the search led to a Fender Rumble 75 in pristine condition for a C note. I still can't believe it. No one in the store, maybe thirty basses and a couple of dozen bass amps. No off key guitar wailing at 130 dB. In and out in fifteen minutes. Must have hit it just right.
When I travel for work I try and visit whatever music store is in town. The Sam Ashe in south Charlotte is one of my favorites. Great pedal selection.
I will agree that GC has seemed meh for the last few years. You could basically predict what would be hanging on the wall before walking in.
When I am in KC, I hit the Overland Park GC. Somehow it feels as if that store is not infected with whatever is happening with the rest of the chain. Was there today. HUGE selection of guitars and Basses (did not count though). And there was variety at price points from $199 to $2000+. I Bought a new bass; first from GC in years. More importantly I was impressed with the steady stream of children in for lessons. Overall a pretty good experience.
Their pedal selection was pretty bad tho. Only downside of my visit.
I will agree that GC has seemed meh for the last few years. You could basically predict what would be hanging on the wall before walking in.
When I am in KC, I hit the Overland Park GC. Somehow it feels as if that store is not infected with whatever is happening with the rest of the chain. Was there today. HUGE selection of guitars and Basses (did not count though). And there was variety at price points from $199 to $2000+. I Bought a new bass; first from GC in years. More importantly I was impressed with the steady stream of children in for lessons. Overall a pretty good experience.
Their pedal selection was pretty bad tho. Only downside of my visit.
To me, they are all just retail outlets designed to squeeze as much money out of you and me as they can. They live. They take our money. Something else comes along. They die. Meh. Someday Starbucks will close and we'll be getting coffee drone delivered from Faceboogleazon and everyone will be sad they're gone
You win the internet for today for this perspicacious observation. However, your insight is nearly overshadowed by the awesome amalgamation "Faceboogleazon". I'll be laughing about this for weeks.
Yeah - this topic has been beat to death before. But since everyone is still chiming in, here are more opinions.
Guitar Centers problem is that they have too many stores in places that don’t warrant it. It costs them too much money to have the inventory profile they have (even greatly reduced).
Compounding the problem is the fact that they locate their stores in high traffic retail areas. That means they’re paying big rent and they have to be open long hours 7 days a week to meet their lease obligations. Expense on top of expense on top of expense.
As we’ve seen in other markets, if GC goes away, the business they do won’t go away but will gravitate to other places. That means new opportunities for other companies that manage their capital better than GC has.
Guitar Centers problem is that they have too many stores in places that don’t warrant it. It costs them too much money to have the inventory profile they have (even greatly reduced).
Compounding the problem is the fact that they locate their stores in high traffic retail areas. That means they’re paying big rent and they have to be open long hours 7 days a week to meet their lease obligations. Expense on top of expense on top of expense.
As we’ve seen in other markets, if GC goes away, the business they do won’t go away but will gravitate to other places. That means new opportunities for other companies that manage their capital better than GC has.
A lot of people misunderstand the nature of bankruptcy. Frequently, it means (under Chapter 11) that a heavily indebted organization can continue to operate instead of closing its doors. Chapter 7 would involve GC closing and liquidating its assets, but I think the latter is less likely.
Well, I certainly wouldn't be surprised. I wish there was a way for small family owned stores to get a break. But online sales are going to kill all retail businesses in the long run. Just my .02.
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