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EDITORIALLY SPEAKING
PROPER RETAIL DISTRIBUTION
AN OUTSTANDING PROBLEM
CLEAN PIANO NAMES ARE
STILL WORTH-WHILE ASSETS
T
N
O T so many years ago pride of name in the piano
HIS Fall, and for months to come, the piano manufac-
industry was one of its outstanding characteristics.
turing industry, even in its curtailed state, is going to
With most manufacturers the name of their product,
face one of the greatest problems that have confronted
generally a family name, was almost a sacred thing
it for many years and that is the question of the dis-
tribution of pianos at retail. As a matter of fact this has to be protected at all hazards through the medium of fine
always been a problem although not so generally recognized materials and expert workmanship. This pride of name was
as it might have been. Even in boom years the number of passed along to the piano owner, who was most generally in-
dealers in proportion to the population, and we speak now of clined to boast regarding his instrument.
Despite changed conditions, and, contrary to the views of
dealers operating warerooms and equipped to give proper rep-
some pessimists, the piano name still has a definite value in
resentation, was discouragingly low.
It is not a question of a manufacturer having one, two or the field where it has been properly protected. The question
three hundred dealers scattered about the country, but the big at issue is just what is to become of those piano names, rich
factor is how they are scattered and w T hether they are located in tradition, which through circumstances have passed into
strategically in order to take care of any business revival. strange hands, and have been bandied about in sensational
Right now there is an upward movement in industry. Fac- and cut-price advertising in the newspapers. The value has
tories are resuming full time and in some cases overtime op- been killed for many years to come.
erations. Employes are being added and, in some instances,
Dealers who, with the upturn of trade, seek pianos of strong
wages increased to offset in part previous curtailments. It name value, with a view to building up a permanent following,
happens, however, that this revival is not national but is ap- might well investigate the status of said instruments during
parent in industrial localities here and there throughout the the past year or two. Fortunately there still remain those in-
country. To enjoy any business that may accrue from this struments which have maintained both their reputation and
turn toward normal, and there is going to be business, it is their standard of value. They have been and are going to be
necessary to have satisfactory distribution in the sections the recognized leaders.
directly affected.
The piano man who travels, and he is somewhat of a rarity HERE'S A FUTURE PIANO MARKET
'V
today, is going to say that it is impossible to tie up with deal-
WELL WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION
ers in every promising section of the country; that many of
S the business skies became darker the future of the
the good dealers have quit or have branched out into other
piano market became brighter, paradoxical but
lines of activity and that those who remain do not buy enough
nevertheless true. Consider, for example, the result
to warrant intensive sales effort, especially when buying terms
of a recent survey commented upon elsewhere in
are considered. On the surface he would seem to be right,
yet it has been, and is being, found possible by certain progres- T H E REVIEW this month. It shows that 35 per cent of nearly
sive concerns to build up their retail representation even under half a million typical American homes investigated this year
existing conditions. It does not mean a rush of business at were equipped with pianos compared with approximately 40
the outset, but it does mean that these companies are entrench- per cent so equipped some five years ago. This not only
ing themselves in every possible corner of the country as a means that the potential field for piano sales has increased
form of investment for future dividends.
from 60 to 65 per cent of the homes of the country but that
With this development of retail outlets will come also a the owners of pianos are holding on to their instruments for
demand for more intensive effort; for the observance of some the most part. Certainly a dropping off. of only five per cent
sort of quota that will give the manufacturer something of piano-owning homes during the five-year period is at least
tangible to w T ork on in planning factory production. The offset by increases in population, and in the establishment of
practice of giving individual dealers control over widespread new homes.
territories has gone by the board. Under the new setup he
The piano is fast returning to its popularity as a means
is going to hold only just so much territory as he can service of home entertainment, a fact proven by the increased play-
properly and he will be expected to produce results based on ing of pianos in any ordinary neighborhood, and this, coupled
the population and the purchasing power of that territory.
with the fact also that group and individual piano instruction
It is very probable that, properly encouraged, many deal- is at its highest peak in the history of the country, serves
ers who are in business today can be moved to do a better job. to breed confidence in the future. It is not a far distant fu-
It is also likely that ways and means must be developed for ture, either, depending only upon a slight increase in earning
bringing new blood into the field. The main idea is proper and spending power to make piano-buying money available.
coverage. All the advertising, the propaganda, the child
training and the other movements designed to create interest
in the piano and piano playing are of little avail if, when
once interested, the prospect must travel through half a dozen
counties to secure the instrument of his choice.
A
THE
MUSIC
TRADE
REVIEW,
August-September,
1932