Drum shop

[SomeBadDrummer]

I'd have a two-story shop: the first stocked with lots of brands, the second stocked only with Pearl.

Okay but only if you promise to visit at least once. You don’t even have buy anything! I’ll reserve the second floor for Pearl only stock (would it be okay to have some cymbals up there?)

 

[rhumbagirl]

What about a jam space at street level, perhaps on a corner, that also sells gear. You get the kids that want to be seen playing, and you sell their parents the gear when they come to pick them up. Charge per hour for the "Street Stage". Have it ventilated with Merv-13 filters, air coming in from floor vents and sucked out at the top.

But it probably won't work unless it's in a downtown or busy section of Atlanta where you get a lot of foot traffic.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

What about a jam space at street level, perhaps on a corner, that also sells gear. You get the kids that want to be seen playing, and you sell their parents the gear when they come to pick them up. Charge per hour for the "Street Stage". Have it ventilated with Merv-13 filters, air coming in from floor vents and sucked out at the top.

But it probably won't work unless it's in a downtown or busy section of Atlanta where you get a lot of foot traffic.

I was thinking this too....like a place with open rooms/spaces to play.

Possibly do a live show space if you want to get ambitious...for after COVID, but a place where bands could play in the weekend

 

[MusiQmaN]

More and more companies rather sell on sites like Amazon and Reverb directly.

Years ago I was in talks with one of the big brands of opening a shop for them. Like Apple.

I still think this online/offline sales model is the way to go, and seeing how it goes nowadays, I might be right and I had a good foresight.

Here in downtown Amsterdam, all the small, older drum shops closed because of the new age and crazy high rent and other costs.

Sometimes a shop moves to another city, or opens again but without a drum section.

As drums take up a lot of m2.

We have one big mostly drum shop that is hit hard with Covid and one small (but packed to the ceiling) only drum shop that has the stock in his house, so probably is more ok and doesn’t bother too much.

There is a big retailer with medium shop, but a really small drum section, so they have most of their income from stuff like DJ @ studio gear, and keyboards.

The same thing goes for live musis spots. We lost most of themdue to hugh costs, and complaining neighbours.

And then Covid hit, which basically anihilated the general Live scene.

I really wonder what will return after this. And if it returns, how many (paying) audience, places to play, or even players will be even left.

 

[cbphoto]

Besides giving the 2nd floor to Pearl, and the main floor to Tama, make sure you stock a lot of odd pieces, and electronic drums, and get some antique collectibles going too! Example: Pete Engelhart Metal Percussion.

 

[NouveauCliche]

My buddy Brandon was the Bosphorus rep for the US for a long time - he's actually who signed me to them - he left Bosporus and opened a beautiful high end drum shop in Philadelphia. I'm he isn't rolling in it: but he makes a living and can support his family - so it absolutely CAN be done.

Just expect to do a lot of selling online and invest a lot of time into making quality demos of the drums you carry - social media is key for that these days.

 

[GetAgrippa]

Two of my daughters live in Atlanta area both their significant others play drums. I go visit so I can visit your store and bust your "chops" LOL. Just kidding-I'd love it so will there be a DW forum member discount wink, wink, LOL. Good luck man.You can call it Dessert Drum or Grabbem and Robbem with 50 flavor of drums. If you need a marketing guru well I wouldn't hire me. So will it be Just Drums or all percussion so mallets, piano etc. ?

 

[Sakae2xBopster]

I used to sell books. People would always look at our books, write the titles down, and then go order them from Amazon. It was very frustrating. I came across very few people who were willing to pay a bit of a premium (plus sales tax) to support a local venture.
Still, a few years ago I bought my Sonor Bop SE locally from Columbus Pro Percussion. It cost a little more than online, but I was happy to support a great drum shop.