The Drum Shop North Shore

The Drum Shop North Shore | Owner Nate Morrison | Beverly, MA | Founded in 2012 | thedrumshopns.com

Secret to survival as a small, independent store: Work your ass off. I work 80 hours a week!

How to stand out: In a world where online retailing is so important, sometimes people lose the local element. I’m trying to build a neighborhood shop when everyone else’s local shop is dying.

More than sales… I don’t only want to serve the drummers who are already here, although that’s part of my goal; I want to create new drummers. There are people who played 20 years ago, but don’t play anymore – I want to see them pick their sticks up again. And I want to build a community.

Community outreach: We have a “drum hang” once every month, a free event usually featuring a clinician. We also have clinics and other events in the store.

Online retail: I do the online thing – you have to. I just sold a snare to a customer on eBay who lives an hour away and drove in to come pick it up. So that can also help drive your local sales.

Best customer feedback: One of my customers told me, “Once you opened up the shop, I felt like I had blood in my veins again.”

Biggest reward: Getting a sense that we’re bringing a level of joy to our customers by doing something that I love is the most rewarding.

Biggest challenge: Profitability. Some people believe that I buy drum sets for $10 and sell them for $1,000.

Personal touch: I don’t hang my hat on a product, so much as my personal relationship with people. I do my best to get to know what customers really like. I remember it, I write it down, and I think about it. If I get something in that will be right up someone’s alley, I’ll give that person a call and let them know before I start posting about it online.

Lessons learned about manufacturers: The smaller the company, the better they are to work with, as a retailer. I don’t want to call anyone out, but some of the bigger companies have given me really bad customer service.

Best brands: I’ve really jumped on the Mapex bandwagon. I think they’re the best drums in the world for the money. There might be better drums out there, but not for the price. And they have the best customer service. If anything comes in damaged, they replace it right away – there’s not even a question. I also really get behind boutique companies like RBH Drums.

Stocking inventory: When I first opened up, I made big, blanket orders, in part because I didn’t know what was going to sell. A year and a half in, there are some things I’m still sitting on. I’ve learned to be very careful about what I order for the shop, because

Best sellers: Snares and cymbals. Those are comfort food for drummers. People will spend $600 on a high-end snare drum three or four times in two or three years, but they won’t buy a new drum set every two or three years.

Inspirations: Gary Forkum at Fork’s Drum Closet: he has the most comfortable, warm, no-pressure vibe in his shop. Steve Maxwell: not that I want to be like him, because who possibly could be, but I love that he just went out and does what he wants. Who else has a 24-karat, gold-plated Louis Bellson kit? The final one is the Drum Shop in Portland, Maine, where I worked for several years before opening my own shop. That’s the shop I grew up going to, and they had so much inventory and such a knowledgeable staff.

What gets you out of bed: This, every day. I live for the drum shop. I never oversleep, and I don’t drink coffee. This shop just drives me, because I see results every day. I see happy customers and meet inspiring drummers every day, and I just don’t want to miss a moment of that.

Social media: It’s incredible. We have a huge fan base on Facebook, which is just awesome. Instagram, YouTube – those are huge. We’re up to 650 videos on our YouTube channel. It also gives people a tangible way to be a part of the community we’re building, even if they can’t be right here.

Plans for the future: I see this not only being a local drum shop, but I see us expanding our teaching – maybe someday moving into a free-standing retail location with separate access to a music school and recording studio.

Measuring success: Profit is almost a byproduct of what I’m trying to build – it’s not my goal. I have to make a profit, but I’d much rather see my vision fulfilled than just make a profit.

And the vision is… to build a community of drummers. And I think that’s being accomplished. And the byproduct of making a profit, although it may be small, it’s there!