Keep it Local

There is no doubt that the indigenous retail music industry has suffered in recent years – not just from the effects of the recession, but from heavy and sustained competition from international online retailers. Add that to higher business costs here, combined with punitive VAT rates and what have generally been unfavourable currency fluctuations with Sterling and the US Dollar, and you get some idea of the pressure the industry has been under. But, as Niall Stokes said in his introduction to this special Hot Press Feature, Irish retailers are now fighting back, winning the hearts, minds and, more importantly, the financial commitment of musicians on the home front.

They’re doing this in a number of ways: first by offering the full range of instruments, equipment and accessories demanded by customers; secondly by matching – or in many cases beating – prices on offer elsewhere; and finally by underlining to all and sundry the core importance of maintaining a healthy, local retail industry.
As Hot Press has been saying for some time, this last point is crucial. A vibrant music scene going into the future needs a healthy local music retail sector. Of that there is no doubt. Where else can a budding musician try out a guitar, keyboard or drum-kit before taking the plunge, but in a well-stocked music shop?
There are encouraging signs that the worst may be over for the retail music industry and that the message is getting through that value for money can be had without going online. Hot Press has spoken to a number of music shops around the country and – despite the recession – the mood is overwhelmingly positive about the future.
Conor Mulhall, Sales and Marketing Manager with the Sound Shop in Drogheda, is very bullish about the shift that has been taking place.
“The shops are fighting back,” he says, “not only against the recession and the internet, but also against outlets like Aldi, Lidl and Argos. I think people are realising that in a shop like The Sound Shop, we sell real instruments that a kid can actually play, not toys that are essentially useless. And our prices are as good as you’ll get, if not better. They can’t help you if a string breaks or you want some advice about your instrument. Shops like ourselves are selling to genuine musicians, or to people who want to become musicians, and we can put real musical expertise and experience behind every instrument we sell including what we sell to beginners. That’s what a good music shop does that simply can’t be matched elsewhere.”
Niall McClean at the Monaghan Music and Piano Centre points out that business has been building steadily in recent months.
“We’re as busy as we ever were right now,” he enthuses. “The first eight months of the year were quiet, but since about September things have picked up a lot. We’re very busy with digital pianos. The thing is, we – and other Irish retailers – give an after-sales service. If someone buys, say, a Yamaha piano we don’t just deliver it to them – we’ll set it up, plug it in and give them a guarantee.”
McClean suggests that the notion that everything is cheaper in the North has become part of a mindset that needs to be challenged.
“We had a customer in recently looking for something she had priced across the border, which we had at a lower price,” he explains. “She said, ‘You can’t be cheaper than the North – it’s impossible’. I told her to check the prices again, and come back to us. She was convinced in her own mind that we couldn’t be cheaper, but we were.”
Reynolds Music have also been showing that it’s best to shop local rather than crossing the border. With outlets in both Letterkenny and their traditional Raphoe base, they provide a county-wide service in Donegal, which is second to none, providing a one-stop shop for musicians, DJs and venues, as well as families looking for Christmas presents of a musical variety – aimed at everyone from beginners upwards.
Russell’s Music in Cork are also upbeat about prospects, having re-opened in Parnell Place. They’ve promised customers who buy a guitar from them their first service free. It’s an example of the kind of added value that Irish retailers are successfully throwing into the mix to attract customers.
“Irish music shops have had to raise their game,” agrees Steve Knight, sales and marketing director of X Music – Ireland’s first music superstore, which opened for business just over a year ago. “We have to put in an extra effort in terms of the service we offer. At X Music, the best, most experienced guys are on the floor – they’ll take you through everything you need to know about any instrument.”
According to Knight, Irish musicians should stop and think before deciding to click on a purchase from an international online retailer.
“The hype is far greater than the reality when it comes to shopping abroad,” he proffers. “There are transport issues, VAT issues and currency issues. At the end of it all you might be saving a tenner on something. Do you really want to go international just to save a tenner? Apart from that, if you have a gig tomorrow and you need a set of strings or a lead, no internet site will help you out.”
Some Irish musicians seem to want to have it both ways – to have their local shop available to them to sample the piece of gear they want and the web to make that final purchase.
“There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that people come into an Irish retail store to try out, say, a Fender Stratocaster. They find what they like and then they spend the next two weeks hunting around the web for a better price. People should be asking if they can get a better price or a deal on an item they want to buy. We’ve been running price matching on a lot of items and it works – try it!”
Blanchardstown School of Music and Shop offer a different kind of added value. Based in the Coolmine Industrial Estate, they educate people from the greater Blanchardstown area, and further afield, in the joys of making music, covering piano, keyboards, guitar, drums – in fact the whole gamut. In doing so they bring something special to the local community, but it’s crucial that they can compete with the best in terms of pricing, advice and after sales service.
Gerry Crowe of Perfect Pitch in Dublin’s Wicklow Street agrees that a corner has been turned in the music retail business.
“Last weekend was the start of the Christmas shopping season and for the first time in a long while, there was a real buzz around town. We’ve just set up our Christmas window display and it got a great reaction.”
He points out some of the bargains on offer at Perfect Pitch.
“Electric guitar packages start at around €179,” he explains, “and we’ve got some keyboards at €99.95 – that’s a full-size keyboard with all the facilities such as midi included. We’ve a full-sized electric digital piano at €549 – an incredible price. We set one up in the morning and had sold two of them by the afternoon.”
Another Dublin shop, Goodwin’s Music Store in Capel Street, have extended their opening hours to Sunday. For them it’s all about service.
“We cater for all levels,” Goodwin says. “We give advice and demonstrations and answer people’s questions. Our staff are really friendly, which is something we pride ourselves on. They love music, and so they’re all the better able to help customers choose the right instrument.”
Talking about the right instrument, Crowley’s Music Centre in Cork is most famous as the place that Rory Gallagher bought the legendary Fender Stratocaster, which became his signature guitar. A better example of someone finding the right instrument would be impossible to cite and it was Michael Crowley himself – who still runs the shop – who sold the guitar to Rory. No wonder there’s a plaque outside the McCurtain Street premises!
For some stores, specialisation has been the key. Jimi’s Music Store in Dublin focuses on high-end vintage guitars including names such as Fender and Gibson. According to Jimi, buying from international online sellers offers little advantage and several downsides.
“It doesn’t make sense to buy online from abroad anymore,” he ventures, “as there is little or no saving to be had. There are ten or fifteen shops competing with me on price alone so there is good value out there for customers. Then there’s the one-to-one service you get from a local retailer. That’s special. For example, I’m delivering a Gibson Les Paul to a customer on Sunday afternoon – he’s too busy and can’t make it into the shop so I’m going to him. You can’t get that kind of service from a German website.”
The Naas Drum Centre are a dedicated drum store, whose USP is that they know just about everything there is to know about percussion.
“It’s about depth of knowledge,” John Connolly reflects. “We understand drummers better than anyone. We know what they want from a kit. We have a feel for the different playing styles. If they need something we have it. If they have a problem we can fix it. There is no better place for a drummer to shop. And our prices are really keen too.”
Kevin Connolly of DK Music in nearby Newbridge also believes that shopping local makes sense.
“We’re matching UK and internet prices as much as we can,” he says. “And it’s working. The truth is that we’re all in this together. We’re probably taking a bit of a hit on some items, but it’s important to keep the business in Ireland.”
One of the impressive things is the extent to which music enthusiasts are better served than ever before by shops all over the country. In Wexford, Trax Music Store are flying the flag, in the form of an excellently appointed locally based superstore at the corner of St. Aidan’s Road and White Mill Road, under the stewardship of the indefatigable Tony Barnes.
Michael Nichols of Opus II in Galway points out that the early part of the New Year is just as important as the Christmas period when it comes to instrument sales.
“We’re looking to a good Christmas and a good January,” he says. “We sell a lot of guitars in December – but when it comes to bigger ticket items like digital pianos, people will often wait until January in the hope of getting a better deal. So we see the current upsurge extending into the New Year.”
It’s not just the retail sector that is fighting to maintain a viable local instrument and equipment industry. The hire and rental sector is an important component of the live business and one that can’t be delivered by international internet operators. Colin Goodhall of Session Music Dublin, who hire out backline and PA equipment for bands, both local and visiting, reckons the support from international acts confirms that Irish companies are more than capable of delivering the goods.
“Touring bands coming into the country tend to use an Irish backline company,” he explains. “I’m putting a tour together right now for The Wailers. I take pride in delivering a good service. I get people involved. For me it’s important, because some of our customers are people who don’t have a background in music and need the kind of expertise we can offer.”
The service provided by The Guitar Workshop is all about expertise. Ed McLoughlin worked for eight years as repairman in Musician Inc before setting up on his own in 1999. With a huge amount of experience on the road to his credit, Ed is well aware of how important it is for a gigging musician to know that they can rely on their instrument. He handles all class of repairs and servicing as well as customising in whatever way suits the needs of a particular musician.
In the end, that makes a crucial difference: the expertise, insight and good advice that is available throughout the Irish musical instrument and equipment business is impossible to put a true value on. But for musicians who know their stuff, that and the after service are a vital part of why it makes sense to shop local.

Localmusic.ie
Localmusic.ie is a major new initiative, inspired by Walton’s Music Distribution, bringing together a number of Irish music retailers under the one ‘Web Umbrella’ to combat the growing threat to the local industry from big international online retailers. Essentially an online catalogue of the instruments and audio gear, it aims to offer value for money on a select range of items to customers anywhere in Ireland. At the heart of the concept of Localmusic.ie, is the fact that you are still dealing with your local music store. You buy online, but nominate your participating local music shop – who will then provide the back-up service.
Participating local music shops include many of the long established retailers, as well as some more recent newcomers. Conor Long, a director of Walton’s, who are main distributors of a range of instruments and gear including Gibson and Epiphone guitars, explains the reasoning behind Localmusic.ie.
“The motivation for doing something like this was that we were looking at what was happening to our retailers,” he says. “The biggest problem they had was in trying to find a level playing field to compete with the big international internet dealers. Many of them couldn’t afford to have a website of their own – so this idea came about as a way of filling that gap. It’s basically an umbrella organisation of dealers around the country. The dealers now have a website that allows them to compete with the big players on price and range. It’s a two-sided thing - the dealers get the benefits of scale and it means we can run a national promotional campaign.”
In the current climate, it’s an idea that makes a lot of sense.