US retail – the full picture

If, as an exporter, you have ever wondered just how many US dealers there are and how they are spread out across the country, MMR’s latest analysis has the answers.

A few years ago, MMR retooled aspects of its auditing methodology, employing more accurate data collection and analysis tools, which resulted in numbers for 2014 that were, at the time, somewhat at odds with figures presented in previous years.

However, three years into the improved system, we’re now seeing relatively few “surprises,” with figures largely in line with last year’s Profile.

The 26th Profile of the American Music Dealer reports a slight bump in the nation’s overall MI store- count, with an overall total of 7,679 – up six from 2015’s tally of 7673. But while the nationwide count remains nearly level with last year’s data, that doesn’t mean that everything was “static” in the past 12 months: a number of states saw either sizable increases or decreases.

There were no “bombshell” acquisitions or MI chain closings in the past year, but there were still developments worth noting with respect to retail’s biggest player: Despite periodic rumblings of impending doom, Guitar Center continues to open new outlets at a healthy clip – two in the month of June, alone – but GC also closed a location in Terre Haute, Indiana back in May. The decision to shutter that location’s doors, however, seems to have been based less in the store’s ability to maintain a profit and more due to an inability to come to terms with the landlord regarding lease renewal

Another major force, Sweetwater, purchased Fort Wayne, Indiana’s Mynett Music back in December of 2015. Mynett’s has been serving local schools and musicians for over 80 years in the area. At the time, Sweetwater founder and president Chuck Surack noted, “Mynett Music is a true Fort Wayne institution. As a saxophone player, I have been a devoted customer for decades and have always been impressed with their first-rate customer service, the quality of their instruments, and their excellent repair work.” In additional Sweetwater-related news, the company announced plans to expand even further in the years to come, creating approximately 285 new jobs by 2018.

Here’s how the 2016 Profile of the American Music Dealer numbers break down: