What would it be like without B&M dealers?
My last purchase from a B&M store was a positive experience. The owner (who had never seen me before) allowed me a two week loan on a set of speakers, spent ~ 2-3 hrs with me and gave me a great price on some used stuff I wanted to unload. He was rewarded with a sale. I will certainly return to that store when its time to upgrade. What is interesting is that this was 9 years ago. He is still in business and appears to be doing quite well selling equipment that is well beyond my budget in a medium sized Midwestern city. My guess is that he will still be their 20 years from now, because he has made himself a unique asset that can't be replaced. If he doesn't survive, something valuable will have been lost. I'd be in the store more frequently, but I just can't do $10K for a new amp. He respected me, so I respect him and won't abuse in store time or home loaners.
During the same period of time another half dozen B&M stores have come and gone. My experience with those stores was a waste of time. See the post of Stubby above. Nothing of value was lost at their closing.
Look, this is an expensive hobby that is fueled by discretionary spending. Most of us have limited time, and little patience with arrogant salespeople who don't respect our time and money. I'll pay within my budget for service, but I can get insults and irritations for free at work and at home. It's really pretty simple.
My last purchase from a B&M store was a positive experience. The owner (who had never seen me before) allowed me a two week loan on a set of speakers, spent ~ 2-3 hrs with me and gave me a great price on some used stuff I wanted to unload. He was rewarded with a sale. I will certainly return to that store when its time to upgrade. What is interesting is that this was 9 years ago. He is still in business and appears to be doing quite well selling equipment that is well beyond my budget in a medium sized Midwestern city. My guess is that he will still be their 20 years from now, because he has made himself a unique asset that can't be replaced. If he doesn't survive, something valuable will have been lost. I'd be in the store more frequently, but I just can't do $10K for a new amp. He respected me, so I respect him and won't abuse in store time or home loaners.
During the same period of time another half dozen B&M stores have come and gone. My experience with those stores was a waste of time. See the post of Stubby above. Nothing of value was lost at their closing.
Look, this is an expensive hobby that is fueled by discretionary spending. Most of us have limited time, and little patience with arrogant salespeople who don't respect our time and money. I'll pay within my budget for service, but I can get insults and irritations for free at work and at home. It's really pretty simple.