Last year’s iteration of our yearly MI dealer count and breakdown was characterized by numbers that were, in some cases, radically different from the years immediately preceding 2014.
Far more accurate data collection and analysis tools provided for figures that were more in line with how many dealers currently are in operation throughout all 50 states.
With the same models in place for 2015, it’s therefore not particularly surprising that the 25th Profile of the American Music Dealer has far fewer “surprises,” with state and national totals remaining fairly well in line with last year’s report. That said, there is an overall uptick in the country’s MI store-count. We report 7673 storefronts in the current year, up 23 from 2014’s total – nothing earth-shattering and there’s no call to bust out the bubbly, necessarily, but any good news is… well, good news. While (in most cases) the gains or losses, per state, were minimal – usually plus or minus two or three stores compared to 2014 – it’s also a positive to report that 27 states were in the “gains” category, even if the gains were (again, in most cases) minimal.
Among the notable openings, closings, and “other” from the past 12 months… Despite the semi-frequent rumblings of impending bankruptcy and all other varieties of “corporate doom,” Guitar Center continues to roll out new retail locations at a healthy pace, having launched 28 new stores in 2014 – including the new 28,000 square-foot flagship store in Times Square – with an additional three already having opened in the current year. Steinway & Sons opened Steinway Piano Gallery – Charlotte, the North Carolina Piedmont region’s only exclusive Steinway showroom in August of last year. The 8,000 square-foot Foster Family Music Center closed in late December of 2014 after having served the Mississippi Valley region for over three decades. Mike Green, longtime owner of San Diego’s Greene Music, retired in January, having sold the store to Music Exchange. More recently, on June 1st of this year Sweetwater opened it’s completely redesigned and expanded Music Store in Fort Wayne, Indiana – now one of the largest MI retail locations in the Midwest. To the north, Tredwell Music Centre – the last print music store in Winnipeg, and by many estimates all of Canada – closed after 80 years in June of this year.
Here’s how the 2015 numbers break down:
Percentage Shares By Product Type*
Sell Keyboard/Piano/Organ
2015: 64%
2014: 55%
2013: 48%
2012: 48.7%
2011: 50.3%
————-
Sell Band & Orchestra Instruments
2015: 46%
2014: 50%
2013: 43%
2012: 43%
2011: 41.9%
————
Sell Drums/Percussion
2015: 52%
2014: 81%
2013: 47%
2012: 47.1%
2011: 46.7%
————
Sell Sound Reinf./Recording Equipment
2015: 47%
2014: 53%
2013: 47%
2012: 49.4%
2011: 47.9 %
———–
Sell Fretted Instruments
2015: 62%
2014: 70%
2013: 63 %
2012: 62.2 %
2011: 60.5 %
———–
Sell Print Music
2015: 49%
2014: 51%
2013: 46 %
2012: 46.5 %
2011: 45.5 %
*Percentages listed above are based upon the total number of responses from MMR subscribers who identify themselves as retailers, minus a large number of retailers on the file who did not answer the question, “What product categories does your store carry?” because they were added on from a list source that MMR acquired. The numbers above are much closer to the 2013 file number percentages than the 2014 percentages.
2013 State-By-State Breakdown
Total Stores 2014 Total Stores 2015 Unit Change
Alabama 111 111 0
Alaska 21 23 +2
Arizona 116 113 -3
Arkansas 88 79 -9
California 1052 1054 +2
Colorado 126 127 +1
Connecticut 104 111 +7
Delaware 14 22 +8
District of Columbia 3 3 0
Florida 377 374 -3
Georgia 248 245 -3
Hawaii 37 31 -6
Idaho 54 54 0
Illinois 341 340 -1
Indiana 175 177 +2
Iowa 86 84 -2
Kansas 86 82 -4
Kentucky 131 128 -3
Louisiana 77 88 +11
Maine 36 35 -1
Maryland 108 116 +8
Massachusetts 184 186 +2
Michigan 208 200 -8
Minnesota 156 161 +5
Mississippi 62 58 -4
Missouri 164 162 -2
Montana 35 36 +1
Nebraska 54 56 +2
Nevada 58 54 -4
New Hampshire 52 55 +3
New Jersey 198 196 -2
New Mexico 46 49 +3
New York 488 481 -7
North Carolina 217 220 +3
North Dakota 23 27 +4
Ohio 301 292 -9
Oklahoma 89 92 +3
Oregon 119 125 +6
Pennsylvania 345 347 +2
Rhode Island 24 26 +2
South Carolina 109 113 +4
South Dakota 18 21 +3
Tennessee 183 187 +4
Texas 453 454 +1
Utah 81 80 -1
Vermont 26 26 0
Virginia 191 186 -5
Washington 168 171 +3
West Virginia 50 45 -5
Wisconsin 141 158 +12
Wyoming 16 17 +1
7650 7673 +23
State Gains
Biggest gains by number of units were Delaware, Maryland, Louisiana, and Wisconsin.
State Losses
Biggest losses by number of units were Arkansas, Hawaii, Michigan, and New York.
Even (4)
Alabama, Washington D.C., Idaho, Vermont.
Gains (27)
Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Losses (19)
Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Utah, Virginia.
Ten-Year State Count
2006 8223 Stores
2007 7957 Stores
2008 7980 Stores
2009 7981 Stores
2010 7993 Stores
2011 8084 Stores
2012 8038 Stores
2013 8004 Stores
2014 7650 Stores
2015 7673 Stores
