One big reason why brick and mortar high end audio dealers struggle.

I still say a majority of the decline can be attributed to generational proclivities. There's virtually little to no input from any of the thirty-somethings in this thread. 

Blaming "tire kickers" (the first I've heard this term applied to audio shoppers was in reading this thread) wholeheartedly for this is unfair, just the same as blaming snobby salesmen. 

I can see the issue from both perspectives but I have to offer an analogy of car shopping for further clarification:

The shopper knows full well what they can reasonably afford. Over 90% of the average demographic will purposely avoid entering a Bentley/Rolls Royce or Lamborghini dealership because there's nothing there affordable (this is the equivalent of visiting an audio shop you know has stratospheric systems in there that you know you cannot afford). You will, however, have persons that are either serious ("I want an S Class Mercedes S65 AMG Black Series with custom Designo leather interior, upgraded wheels and Burmester sound system") and those that are browsing (or "tire-kicking" as some pejoratively refer to them). The browsers, in my opinion, are comparison-shopping, as they have more than likely visited other dealerships and are looking for the best value for their money. 

If you're wanting to purchase an upscale luxury vehicle, will you only visit the BMW dealer if you don't know precisely what you want? Wouldn't you read internet reviews, watch review videos of the interested vehicles? Wouldn't you also visit Mercedes, Lexus, Audi? Someone will get your sale. You may have really liked the features and performance of the Lexus but the salesperson treated you as a "waste of time" so you decided to buy the BMW instead because, not only was the vehicle comparable but the service was more accommodating. The salesperson realized the customer was making an important decision and spending a large amount of money and didn't want to make any mistakes. True, this does not bode well for commissioned sales staff, but it's the nature of the business. You never know if that person will actually return and purchase from you because of your patience. Not everyone is a walking sack of money (even if they're in a BMW or Lexus dealership). The internet direct-order equivalent for something like this would be Carvana or similar.

Apply this to high end audio and you'll get a clear picture. The disadvantage of high end audio is the lack of financing options industrywide. This one aspect alone would expand the customer base (especially for millennials already wrestling with student loan debt). Until then, every high end salesman is Captain Ahab.

In other words don't go looking at a Focal Grande Utopia/Naim system with Martin Logan/Benchmark money. As much as I would want to hear a pair of Focal Grande Utopias, I couldn't just go down there and expect them to turn them on for me (if I don't know the owner). For sellers, don't write off a customer as a waste of time because they're just listening to a system. They probably traveled from out of state to listen to it, and if it is not an "appointments only" type of establishment, it makes sense to accommodate this because this person may return after they've done their comparison-shopping. Service is expected to be paramount in brick-and-mortar establishments. Not every customer that walks through the door of an establishment will buy something. Maybe that's my millennial logic.

I can tell you why some dealer succeed while others struggle. Dealers who are successful number one work hard, very hard. They visit their customers homes and set everything up. They have a consistent approach where the speakers they sell, their components and cables and accessories all work well together to create synergy. And again, they go to peoples houses and set it all up with the knowledge of how to deliver great sound. They also focus on established lines *people want to buy." They do not chase the flavor of the month. They are relationship focused, both with their customers and their vendors. They have demo items to loan out and demonstrate in their stores. They often work late nights *at their customers houses* because successful people work during the day, they avail themselves to accommodate their schedules.

Dealers who are not successful tend to be lazy from their customers perspective. They don’t go to peoples houses to set everything up, instead they glad hand their customers with a product and a hand shake, no in home set up, and often times no chance to audition before purchase unless in their store that often times does not sound all that great. They waste time with non serious customers or they cannot tell the difference between a real audiophile and a poser. In short they understand neither high end audio or business so they pick the wrong lines, can’t get good sound because they are clueless, they spend too much of their profit and so, have thin demo inventory and they don't know what they are doing.

Yours in music,

Ted Denney III Lead Designer/CEO Synergistic Research Inc.

@ted_denney 

+1 exactly.

@ted_denney 

+1 And an interesting view from the manufacturing end of the industry.

Somehow, B&M retailers must rediscover the "value added" that used to come with shopping with a specialty store. It may actually cost too much money off the bottom line for many small shops to stay operating. They must begin by offering everything the online dealer offers (price, loaners, shipping) and add-on: service of all kinds.

Right On! Ted.

Happy Listening!