This comment applies to the pre and post pandemic world. My beef with audio dealers regards their lack of musical promotion of any kind. Too hard to organize a showroom concert or that rare demo? There are a couple of relatively well known audio "salons" near me and neither have mailing lists to announce interesting new things, much knowledge of or interest in local music events, and no willingness to change. A nearby famous guitar store emails about shows featuring great guitar players that pack the place. Brick and mortar audio dealers seem not to care about developing more business which leads to no business.
Local dealer cuts store in half says audio is dead
My local dealer that has been in business since 1979 has given half his store up for a marial arts studio. He told me that 2 channel audio is dead and people just come in to audition gear and buy off the Internet. He says custom installation is the only thing keeping the doors open and that has slowed down alot lately. Through the years I always tried to give this dealer business but things never worked out. The owner was very arrogant and everything had to go his way. I tried to buy my first system there 15 years ago and he would not budge on price. So I took my business somewhere else and they were happy to have my money. A couple of years ago I was looking at some new speakers so I went up the street knowing that they carried the brand. I asked the owner if I could audition them at my house for a day. He said absolutely not. He told me to bring all my equipment to the store and listen there. It's alot easier for me to take the speakers home than to take my TT, 100lb amp and tube pre-amp to the store. BTW-He had a demo pair on the floor so he could of given those to me for the night. I even told him I would give him my CC# to keep on file. Still he said no.
Well it doesn't surprise me that this dealer is giving up on audio. He never tried to offer the service that is necessary to be a 2 channel dealer. I told him that there are still a few 2 channel stores that are still surviving in these economic times. He told me he didn't believe that and that I knew nothing about the business. With that I left never to return. I hope next time I drive by he will be out of business period. He doesn't deserve to survive with his bad attitude.
Well it doesn't surprise me that this dealer is giving up on audio. He never tried to offer the service that is necessary to be a 2 channel dealer. I told him that there are still a few 2 channel stores that are still surviving in these economic times. He told me he didn't believe that and that I knew nothing about the business. With that I left never to return. I hope next time I drive by he will be out of business period. He doesn't deserve to survive with his bad attitude.