by Christian Wissmuller
As we wrap up 2025—and I try to remember what month it actually is—it’s time for that annual ritual in which we look back, nod sagely at the lessons learned, and pretend we had planned any of this. This issue marks the 33rd Annual MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards, and if ever there were a year where our industry deserved a big shiny “Well Done,” this was it.
The Year of Doing More With… Well, Less
If there was an overarching theme to 2025, it was resourcefulness. Dealers navigated fluctuating consumer confidence, uneven supply chains, and the eternal hunt for that elusive combination: products that arrive on time, sell quickly, and don’t eat the entire margin. (I know—dream big.)
Yet, rather than hunkering down and waiting for simpler times—which haven’t existed since, oh, 1973—most retailers leaned into creativity. Some expanded lesson programs. Others ran micro-events that felt more like community gatherings than sales pitches. A few even remodeled. (Because what better time to swing a hammer than during economic ambiguity?)
What was striking wasn’t just survival—it was momentum. Many stores reported that once they stopped worrying about whether things were “back to normal,” they were free to build something better than normal.
“It turns out people like to do things. Stores that hosted clinics, jam nights, beat-making workshops, or “Try Every Pedal on the Wall” afternoons saw real engagement.”
2025
The Trends That Actually Stuck
A few currents shaped 2025 in ways that weren’t fads—though, yes, we had those too.
- Experiences Actually Worked
It turns out people like to do things. Stores that hosted clinics, jam nights, beat-making workshops, or “Try Every Pedal on the Wall” afternoons saw real engagement. Some stores even created mini-festivals—because who doesn’t love a parking lot full of ukuleles and food trucks? - Omnichannel Wasn’t Optional
By now, every dealer knows that customers expect the digital and physical worlds to play nicely together. Shoppers want to see what’s in stock before they leave the house—or even get off the couch. Many retailers finally bridged that last tech gap, and those who did enjoyed smoother inventories, fewer surprises, and customers who didn’t start conversations with, “But your website said…” - Used and Vintage Stayed on Fire
Call it sustainability, call it nostalgia, or call it “that Telecaster just looks cool”—used gear continued to be a star performer. Dealers who embraced a well-curated, well-photographed used inventory reported healthy traffic and margins. Younger players, especially, were drawn to gear with a story. (Bonus points if it came with stickers from a band they’ve never heard of.) - Collaborative Product Runs Made Noise
Brand-dealer partnerships—exclusive finishes, limited runs, “we swear only 14 of these exist”—gave retailers something to anchor their marketing. Players like feeling in on a secret, and 2025 delivered plenty of those.
Celebrating the 33rd Annual Dealers’ Choice Awards
All of that makes this year’s Dealers’ Choice Awards feel particularly earned. Voting dealers didn’t just choose products—they chose problem-solvers, inspiration-generators, and, occasionally, instruments that simply made them smile on a Tuesday afternoon. As always, the awards reflect the real-world front lines of retail: what worked, what wowed, and what made customers hand over a credit card without needing to consult three comparison videos first.
The winners showcased in this issue highlight the best of what our industry manages to do year after year: innovate, adapt, and—when necessary—MacGyver solutions out of sheer determination and gaffer tape.
Onward to Anaheim: The 2026 NAMM Show
And now we stare down January and the 2026 NAMM Show in Anaheim. If the past year was about recalibrating, NAMM is where we all recharge. It’s the annual family reunion where you actually want to see most of the family.
Expect the usual: big reveals, bold claims, brilliant new tools, and at least one product so unusual we’ll spend days trying to figure out what it really does. (And yes, we’ll all pretend we knew before anyone else.)
NAMM is where the mood for the coming year begins to take shape, and if the conversations I’ve had recently are any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be optimistic—cautiously, yes, but genuinely.
Here’s to a Year Well Played
Dealers kept the doors open and the lights on; manufacturers kept pushing innovation forward; and musicians kept doing what musicians do: making noise, making art, and making us all grateful to be in this business and part of the culture.
Here’s to the winners, to the survivors, to the reinventors—to 2025 as it was, and to all of us gathering together once more in Anaheim as it soon will be.
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)