Where have all the AV stores gone?

[Barry]

 After 2 ½ years in Covid prison, I wanted to treat myself.  I was hoping to trade in my JVC 3000, complete wit a brand new bulb for the new RS4100.
 
My brother and I sold two items over the internet and I just was not comfortable doing that, so I went to my dealer/installer for a trade in. Also, I wanted the removal of one unit and the installing of the other to take placc at the same time so I don’t have any down time.
 
Just before Covid, in January 2020, he closed his store and just became an installer. He says he has never been busier, but cannot take trade in anymore.
 
Between where I used to work, and when I first moved out to the suburbs, there were over a dozen AV stores and dealers. No more.  I just saw one or two, none that carried JVC. (One carried Sony.)
 
There are no longer any book stores, music stores or video stores.  I used to love to browse. But people are still buying receivers and such.  Why are those stores gone?  Has the internet and Best Buy taken over?

[David Vaughn]

After 2 ½ years in Covid prison, I wanted to treat myself.  I was hoping to trade in my JVC 3000, complete wit a brand new bulb for the new RS4100.
 
My brother and I sold two items over the internet and I just was not comfortable doing that, so I went to my dealer/installer for a trade in. Also, I wanted the removal of one unit and the installing of the other to take placc at the same time so I don’t have any down time.
 
Just before Covid, in January 2020, he closed his store and just became an installer. He says he has never been busier, but cannot take trade in anymore.
 
Between where I used to work, and when I first moved out to the suburbs, there were over a dozen AV stores and dealers. No more.  I just saw one or two, none that carried JVC. (One carried Sony.)
 
There are no longer any book stores, music stores or video stores.  I used to love to browse. But people are still buying receivers and such.  Why are those stores gone?  Has the internet and Best Buy taken over?

Simple reply....Yes. The world has changed (a lot). 

[DLCPhoto]

As Dave said, the answer is simply yes.

That said, I'm in NC, and a few years ago I was somewhat shocked to find Audio Advice, with showrooms in Charlotte and Raleigh. A really wide array of audio gear, home theater setups, along with home automation and a lot of other stuff. I had no idea places like that still existed.

But yeah, they're probably the exception to the rule, unfortunately.

[Paul Heroy]

But people are still buying receivers ...

Are they? There aren't many left. Seems like the vast majority of people are good with a soundbar and phone/earbuds. Many people don't get much exposure to quality audio and aren't aware of what's possible. 

[bmoney]

Sad really. Used to love going to best buy

[TRainH2O]

Even in my little town, I had a local dealer. He did some installs but he also had some nicely decorated demo rooms filled with a variety of equipment. It was fun to drop by and see what was new.

After the 2006-ish recession, after the housing market crashed, he moved to a much smaller building, more of a warehouse/office and concentrated mainly on installs and prewiring houses and commercial space for phone, Internet, and music distribution. 

I miss sitting in those demo rooms and dreaming about my next upgrade.

[Barry]

Even in my little town, I had a local dealer. He did some installs but he also had some nicely decorated demo rooms filled with a variety of equipment. It was fun to drop by and see what was new.

After the 2006-ish recession, after the housing market crashed, he moved to a much smaller building, more of a warehouse/office and concentrated mainly on installs and prewiring houses and commercial space for phone, Internet, and music distribution.

I miss sitting in those demo rooms and dreaming about my next upgrade.

Exactly what happened to my guy.

[tripplej]

Lot of the places close to me where I could demo are all closed.

Sign of the times.

[bmoney]

Mom and pop stores have no chance especially in this area 

[AVSCraig]

Mom and pop stores have no chance especially in this area

Back in the day, the HT stores I went to either did a bait and switch ( said they had one thing and tried to sell me another thing ), couldn't tell me what the screen material or size was, and refused to budge on the price from full MSRP. They weren't helpful. That included the Sacramento CA and San Francisco bay areas. 

[bmoney]

Back in the day, the HT stores I went to either did a bait and switch ( said they had one thing and tried to sell me another thing ), couldn't tell me what the screen material or size was, and refused to budge on the price from full MSRP. They weren't helpful. That included the Sacramento CA and San Francisco bay areas.

I was referring to niche home theater stores as “area” not geologic location

[AVSCraig]

I was referring to niche home theater stores as “area” not geologic location

Not really sure what you mean by that. I thought The Sony Store in New York City kinda sucked too when I went there. So the area where niche home theater stores have been a disappointment for me would be the continental United States of America. 

[bmoney]

I’m meaning area as in area in retail of what they sell. Aka. Mom and pop “clothing store”. Where their area of sales is clothes. Not mom and pop clothing stores in Rhode Island. (Where RI is the actual area)