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You’re An Independent Dealer, Which Companies And What Products Would You Represent?

Hey All!
 I live in an average sized city where there are two brick and mortar audio stores. One is modest in both budget and square footage but has great customer service, offers quality products from entry level to high end and works with customers on price. The other one is a mega store with a huge inventory from entry level to very high end, has great customer service but won’t budge on price and wants to be the biggest store on the east coast. Personally, I like rooting for the underdog. So today, I stopped in and chatted with the salesperson at the small store, who I’ve come to know over these many years. He was telling me that the bigger store was carrying the same brands and products that they’ve been carrying but that they were buying inventory in mass quantity. And, that the only way for the small store to separate themselves from the mega store would be to represent companies and products that the mega store can’t or won’t showcase. However, which companies and which products, this is the question. The first thing of course that popped into my mind was to regurgitate everything favorable that I had read about on these forums and from the reviews on 6 Moons, What HiFi, Stereophile, etc….But I stopped myself and I’m glad I did and I said, ‘well there’s certainly a lot to choose from.’ And this is where you come in. So, if you were the owner of a smaller (think size of an average three bedroom house), independent brick a mortar audio store, what companies and products would you ideally choose to feature in your showroom? As I mentioned previously, anything (pragmatic) from entry level to high end. Let’s say for clarification that the $50,000.00 McIntosh subwoofer would be thought of as too extravagant. Eventually, my hope is to direct my dealer friend to this post as a means of inspiration.

Thanks!

 

128x128goofyfoot
ghdprentice
7,262 posts
 

From experience with several small dealers that have built up a sizable / respectable business over the 20 years.

 

Rega

Rotel

Audio Research

B&W

Pass

McIntosh

Sonus Faber

luxman

DynAudio

Nordost

Cardas

 

 

Most of these brands are not available to just anyone, they have only one retailer covering a territory. You must prove yourself to them, that you have integrity, provide great support, and have volumes to justify their giving you the territory. It takes years to develop a retail outlet of high end brands.

It also takes money. Often you have to purchase upfront lots of product. So as a part of developing a store you need to develop a cash flow to support purchases in advance of sales.

 

One of the real keys to success is to have it in stock… the sale if a $10K component is having it in stock. So, success can be contingent on carrying half a million or more of inventory.

 

My friend has higher level brands… but it took years to get them. Companies like Boulder, TechDAS, Linn… they don’t just sell to anyone. You have to prove you are worthy… I am not kidding… this takes work.

 

He better be willing to work his butt off… to be passionate about what he is doing and willing to invest 70 hours a week for the next ten years to get going.

goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,380 posts
 

@ghdprentice The store I’m referring to has been around for at least thirty five years now. They are a top selling Martin Logan dealer. Focal, Totem, Naim, Bryston, Rogue Audio, Rega, ClearAudio, Audioquest, Straightwire, Wireworld and others. I know they select certain products from the dealers they represent, they don’t showcase everything however they can order anything from those companies. Audio is a tough business.

czarivey
5,946 posts
 

Akai

AKG

JBL, EV, B&W, Klipsch, Paradigm, Yamaha, Bryston, Panasonic (including Teac, Tascam  and Technics products), Carver, Crown, MeyerSound, Roland, Mogami, dw, Kurzweil, Gibson,  Fender, Taylor, M-Audio, DBx, Behringer, Furman, Shure, AudioTechnica, Zildigan...

Perhaps I should've listed everything alphabetically, but you got an idea...

 

inna
7,330 posts
 

Anything but 'audiophile mass market'.  No Rega, Rotel, B&W, Dynaudio, Luxman, ARC, McIntosh, Sonus Faber etc. This is all boring stuff, let that megastore handle it.

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