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Today's Cleveland Plain Dealer had an interesting (if not sad) article about the dwindling piano stores in our area, along with the plight of the piano industry in general. It's a decent article:

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/01/piano_sales_hitting_new_notes.html

I'm not sure I buy the claim that homes are shrinking in the USA considering my 1961 home is 1200 square feet and you can't hardly find a home that is newer and smaller. Not to mention people in other countries with much smaller spaces still manage to fit a piano. It seems more likely that people have too much "stuff" and choose to make room for it rather than a piano.

In my area we're shrinking down from 3 to 2 piano dealers. The two remaining dealers are well known and respected so I hardly shed a tear at the idea of them both increasing in sales volume.

IMHO it's not about the number of dealers but the proliferation of a great number of constantly improving makes at a time when the beginner market is not increasing.

What "is" growing however, is a new and more demanding class of consumers seeking top quality at realistic, i.e. affordable prices.

Among those are many adults getting back into piano playing especially after professional success in life. Many of them are treating themselves choosing or upgrading to a fine grand.

Those who specialize servicing this market segment offering best possible quality at best possible price, are doing well.

All others better deal with Craigslist.

Norbert

I am not sure what this means Norbert. Are you denying that there has been a sharp decrease in the number of piano dealers over the five years or so? Or are you saying that this statistic is unimportant?

There certainly has been a large decrease in the number of dealers in North America, perhaps not so much in your particular market, but this has occured. It is a known stat.

Please let me know if I misunderstand your statement.

I won't say this is the case everywhere, but it appears that, in Cleveland at least, a narrowly focused, single-brand dealership has lost out to a market that demands a much wider range of brands and options.

Look who's sticking around:

• The one-year-old multi-brand dealer that is not only surviving but growing offers new Bosendorfer, Schimmel, Petrof, Kohler, and Knabe pianos, restores Steinways and M&Hs, and shows a wide range of specific used pianos on its website. (That's all in addition to top-of-the-line Yamaha digitals.)

• The now-oldest dealer in the area, in business for 53 years, sells new Kawai, Palatino, Pramberger, Ritmuller, Remington, Sohmer, and Weber pianos, plus a wide range of used instruments, and a variety of technical services. (Admittedly, the business is limping along, but it hasn't gone under yet.)

• A fourth dealer, in business for 18 years, is focused on selling band/orchestra instruments to parents and only sells lower-end digital pianos. (But there's a market for low-end digital pianos. Especially when selling to parents. Especially in this economy.)

By comparison, the Steinway & Sons dealer that is closing was apparently a multi-brand store from 1909 until it went S&S in 1996. Since then, it's only sold S&S, Boston and Essex, and apparently only restores Steinways. According to the website, they offer other brands preowned, "If the timing just isn’t right for you to invest in your new Steinway" — a charming bit of misdirection, since they sell S&S not Steinways — but they don't deign to identify any other brand of piano by name. Gotta love that Steinway marketing. And they can't bring in enough business? "Inconceivable!" (Sometimes, only a movie quote will do.)

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edited for typos

Interesting thread...

However, it seems to me that lots of businesses, not just piano stores, have closed in the last few years. It's a tough economy out there for everyone.

I'm sure there is a certain trend regarding the change/decline in the piano business. Of course, I'm no expert on piano economics.

Hopefully, things will pick up in the coming months...

Rick

The decrease in piano sales(number of new pianos sold) in the period from 2005-2010 is much higher than I think most non industry professionals realize.

I think one could paint a much broader picture.

How many pianos do you think was sold in Shanghai 2012? 2002? 1992?

What is the focus of the younger generations in western countries? Train and learn or relax and enjoy? In China?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment#2009

Massive social and economic trends are going on right now and I think piano sales are a nice indicator of what's going on in different locations.

Who has the need to show newfound wealth with the purchase of a high end piano? Where does parents buy the very best for their children?

Remember, the Chinese have been buying almost 50 % of expensive swiss watches lately.

circa 30% "at home"
http://swisswatchwire.com/2012/11/swiss-watch-sales-plummet-in-china.html

and perhaps 20% on vacation abroad. My local Rolex dealer have Chinese speaking staff... 2 of 3 of the ladies when I went there lately.

But as the article above indicates, the boom might be over for China, and the global balances will again rebalance...

Rich:

Although there may be differences in different areas, I wasn't denying that there has been perhaps a sharp decrease in the number of piano dealers.

To me,it doesn't however sufficiently explain what's going on out there nor is this necessarily a 'bad thing'.

From our own experience [here on the West Coast] it's become more a question of quality versus quantity.

Those who are buying now simply seem more careful with their money but at same time insist on buying still good quality.

Which,as you and me know,not necessarily has to do with "cost"

What appears "less" to some, may be in fact "more" to others.

Changing times, that's all...

Norbert

You make a good point, Rick. One of the saddest things I've witnessed is the failure of many long-standing business that were once central to their communities. It seems that mom-and-pop stores, smaller grocery store chains, etc. are getting squeezed out by competition from the big-box stores, warehouse chains and discount outlets. All businesses that can surpass them on variety, undercut them on price, or both.

One type of retail business that is doing well in this economy is the second-hand thrift store. That's not surprising with so many people scrambling to get by on unemployment, slashed salaries, part-time jobs that have replaced former careers.

And to no surprise a song celebrating the Thrift Shop is topping the billboard list!
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS - THRIFT SHOP FEAT. WANZ (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes

This has been the trend for 30 yrs. The economy is just helping to push the trend a little faster. But, it looks like piano playing is slowly becoming "Cool" for both kids and adults. Hope I'm not seeing what I want to see.

I'm being asked about teachers and learning to play by someone every week. I think this is because the schools and the churches in the region are much less involved with music.

I don't understand the concern. There will be enough dealers and pianos to support sales. Not more or less. Only draw back is convenience in distance to stores. Best part is that businesses that are run poorly generally close first.

We don't cry over car dealers closing, why cry over piano stores. They don't care about consumers, just their money. They like to make you think they care about the artsy stuff, but it's just a front.

Probably true of some dealers but certainly not true of all.

Perhaps if you thought of it as a business you or a friend owned you would be a little more compassionate about someone's business closing. Your comment seems only to take your own interest into account.

The article is about piano stores, not friends piano stores. You are making it personal, but its about business, nothing more nothing less.

I bet competitor dealers love when the competition goes under, friend or no friend...

It has been sometimes stated here that the instrument "on top of the heap" at the moment is the guitar. But in the past six months or so there have been several articles and news broadcasts about declining guitar sales and business missteps by big guitar companies.

So we can experience schadenfreude, at least.

Guitar music dying?

I'll miss piano stores for the same reason I miss bookstores. I'll be sad when the only place you can buy anything is through the big box experience or online.


As to the second paragraph, no, I don't think the dealer I bought my piano from was my friend. I do believe he cares about me as a client by how he has handled my two warranty claims; one of which he handled as warranty even though my son broke it through rough usage. That's enough for me. One thing I know about him is he loves pianos and piano music. I suspect a lot of our dealer amigos here are the same. If nothing else, for that reason alone, I consider them comrades and not just commodities merchants.

Kurt

That's your interpretation or feeling about the article. You may have no sympathy for dealers that close or people who lose your jobs but that's you(and I hope and think not the majority). One does not have to know the specific people to be empathetic to their situation.

In addition, I think that anyone who genuinely cares about pianos would not adopt the "I couldn't care less" view of dealer closings.

Pianos are inanimate objects, I enjoy them but don't get emotional about them. Dealers and salespeople would rip off an uniformed customer in a heart beat. It's like evolution, the strongest survive and the weak die off...the mystery pricing structure is a prime example.

There too much terrible music in the world today - 'Gangsta Rap' and 'Dubstep' - Wayyy to many so called DJ's rather then classically trained pianists. Not to belittle someones skills but people don't want to take the time to learn the piano anymore and would rather just press a button on a computer to play for trending crowds.