New Marshall Music megastore opening soon - is the biz really that big?

Jack-Flash-Jr · 2010-07-27T14:28:26+00:00

So I popped into Builders Warehouse in Constantiaberg (near Muizenberg for fishing villagers, south of Cape Town for others) and lo-and-behold an industrial size Marshall Music is nigh to opening its doors... (there's been no ads or anything, nor is there any opening date posted on the doors, only a bunch of fellars unpacking boxes of awesomeness). I spent a few minutes squinting at the guitars on the back wall, leaving a nose print and evidence of heavy breathing... GAS taps on. But then I wondered how mega retailers like this expand... I have a fair amount of disposable income and I'm not shy to treat myself every now and then but are there really that many folks out there spending mega bucks on equipment? Are strings and cymbal polish keeping these guys in business? Does Cape Town really need so many huge stores? And are small retailers in the vicinity going to cope? Is Marshall Music hoping to tap into the drum circle culture beyond the Lentil Curtain?

ZarK

Viccy wrote
I believe when you go into a Music store you have to show that you're the boss, have confidence and be a loud mouth...that's the way to get their attention and service...and the biggest discount
Wa ha ha, or have an air of starving artist about you, like I unfortunately seem to have. I go shopping so seldom that prices invariably go up drastically in the interim. The look of disbelief on my face must be quite bad, because I get a discount without asking for it. They must think I'm on the wrong side of the breadline or something.

I felt just plain bad last time I went to look at prices for the express purpose of knowing in advance what things cost, but they were so willing to sell that I ended getting another discount because I didn't have just the right amount with me. Is this some kind of complex reverse psychology of sales people to get you to dish out more in the long term because you don't want to look like a cheapie again?

You're funny... Please don't feel too bad that you're getting discounts by basically just entering the shop! I have to negotiate until someone bleeds... (usually them -and my bank manager) Track record, cash and loyalty being the primary bargaining chips. If I had to walk in and just get discounts, I'd probably pinch myself and most certainly wake up soon after... lol ?

AlanRatcliffe

singemonkey wrote 'Cos James is as wicked a drummer as he is a guitar player - and he's a smokin' guitar player.

That he is. When I met him, he was drumming for a band I was recording (Purple Fish). A few years later he was playing guitar in Nine and I was regularly battling to find a way to stop his damn Steinberger from breaking strings (long before Graph Tech saddles were available).

Jack-Flash-Jr

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
singemonkey wrote 'Cos James is as wicked a drummer as he is a guitar player - and he's a smokin' guitar player.
That he is. When I met him, he was drumming for a band I was recording (Purple Fish). A few years later he was playing guitar in Nine and I was regularly battling to find a way to stop his damn Steinberger from breaking strings (long before Graph Tech saddles were available).

Also a genuinely nice guy! (And you can always tell the guys who really love music) Ask for him when you go into the Claremont branch...

Keira-WitherKay

yeah discounts are everything in my mind.........and have no loyalty to one specific store but i now have a great relationship with marshall music in woodmead........ but they know if i can find it cheaper elsewhere i will go elsewhere...... i believe once sales staff know this they are ussually willing to beat any price offered elsewhere ...... and that keeps me buying from them and recommending my students too so win win situation all round......we get great prices they get regular and more biz via the recomendations.......

but just the other day i was in pta and wanted to buy a capo....i lost mine .....somehow between gigs and it needed to be one for classical guitar which needs be dead flat . ( COS CLASSICALS HAVE FLAT FRETBOARDS NOT CURVED LIKE STEEL STRING ACOUSTICS AND MOST ELECTRICS)

but the sales person spent a few minutes trying to sell me a curved capo which he claimed he sells to all the classical players in the area...........and was quite insistant to the point of almost argueing with me that it works on a classical guitar .......... .... which is total Bulls&*t ..

this is the attitude of staff at stores i hate......... cos most of us on this forum won't be burnt cos we know what we want but how many other young players/or even older beginner players will be conned by that ............

i was furious........ if they don't know about the product cos i'm sure there's not a lot of classical players that use that store so not a fault of theirs ......... BUT JUST SAY SO......... A SIMPLE .... "THIS MIGHT WORK?... BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE .....WE SELDOM GET CLASSICAL PLAYERS IN HERE " a salesman being uncertain and looking up specs ect ect is fabulous....... but don't try tell me something i know to be a blatant sales pitch just to sell something........and on top of it ...it's a lie ....... DO I LOOK THAT GULLABLE...............

JohnnyReggae

Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away ? If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....

inflames

Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away Smiley If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....

So the store opened?

I'm heading to Blouberg this weekend, will have to pop in!!!

Jack-Flash-Jr

inflames wrote
Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away Smiley If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....
So the store opened?

I'm heading to Blouberg this weekend, will have to pop in!!!

It's open and there's some nice gear... not BLOWN AWAY by the selection (especially wrt amps) but I did manage to find a little something ?

JohnnyReggae

inflames wrote
Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away Smiley If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....
So the store opened?

I'm heading to Blouberg this weekend, will have to pop in!!!

Tokai is a fair distance from Blouberg ?

Tokai-SA

I spent some time at Marshall Music Woodmead today, they're preparing for their MEGA SALE which starts on the 7th.

It's huge, they have enormous stock of everything going at crazy prices...guys were coming in and out pre booking gear before the sale starts.

Don't miss it.

Ray

Tokai SA wrote I spent some time at Marshall Music Woodmead today, they're preparing for their MEGA SALE which starts on the 7th.

It's huge, they have enormous stock of everything going at crazy prices...guys were coming in and out pre booking gear before the sale starts.

Don't miss it.

I am planning to go there but if everything's prebooked what will be left? Crumbs?

Tokai-SA

Ray wrote
Tokai SA wrote I spent some time at Marshall Music Woodmead today, they're preparing for their MEGA SALE which starts on the 7th.

It's huge, they have enormous stock of everything going at crazy prices...guys were coming in and out pre booking gear before the sale starts.

Don't miss it.
I am planning to go there but if everything's prebooked what will be left? Crumbs?

lol

Let me re-phrase.
What they're booking/buying is one of many of the same thing..they've got tons of everything.

singemonkey

JohnnyReggae wrote
inflames wrote
Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away Smiley If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....
So the store opened?

I'm heading to Blouberg this weekend, will have to pop in!!!
Tokai is a fair distance from Blouberg ?

Tokai, eh? I can think of one brand they should be carrying. ?

I've wondered a couple of times how that suburb got that name. Tokai - Japan - refers to the Eastern sea, apparently, and to the eastern seaboard there? I wonder if there's any connection at all.

string_slinger

Jack Flash Jr wrote
inflames wrote
Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away Smiley If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....
So the store opened?

I'm heading to Blouberg this weekend, will have to pop in!!!
It's open and there's some nice gear... not BLOWN AWAY by the selection (especially wrt amps) but I did manage to find a little something ?

So JFJ, what little something did you find...?

Jack-Flash-Jr

string_slinger wrote
Jack Flash Jr wrote
inflames wrote
Went into the new Marshall store yesterday. Some nice kit up.... had to wipe the drool away Smiley If only I had a few thousand R's spare ....
So the store opened?

I'm heading to Blouberg this weekend, will have to pop in!!!
It's open and there's some nice gear... not BLOWN AWAY by the selection (especially wrt amps) but I did manage to find a little something ?
So JFJ, what little something did you find...?

Check out my NGD topic under My Gear thread ?

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