Music Store
| Music Store
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| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1972 |
| Seat | Cologne |
| management | Michael Sauer Managing Director |
| Number of employees | ≥ 315 (2010) |
| sales | approx. 100 million euros (2010) |
| Branch | Specialized retail for musical instruments, online mail order business |
| Website | www.musicstore.de |
Music Store is a specialty shop for musical instruments , musician accessories, stage, recording studio and DJ equipment. The company is located in the industrial area of Cologne-Kalk . It specializes in the needs of band musicians and modern music production.
The focus of the product range is mainly in the area of band instruments. This focus on the needs of pop and rock musicians is complemented by a range of acoustic string and wind instruments as well as musical instruments for school use.
The growth of the business made a large new building in Cologne necessary, which was occupied in May 2011.
Own brands
The Music Store also develops and manufactures its own products. Which includes:
- Fame ( electric guitars , electric basses , amps, effects units, audio equipment, drums and percussion )
- Jack & Danny (electric guitars, electric basses)
- Almeria (acoustic guitars)
- Wersi ( keyboard instruments )
- Medeli (keyboard instruments)
- Crash (drums)
- MS acoustics (acoustic modules and studio planning)
- Lightmaxx (lighting technology products)
history
1960-1970
The company's history began in the 1960s. The then managing director Arthur Sauer set up a distribution network for Farfisa . The Farfisa Organ Compact model was successful worldwide.
1970-1980
Through the Home organ - Boom the position of the Farfisa brand was consolidated and expanded in the 1970s. Michael Sauer, son of Arthur Sauer, became managing director at Farfisa. In 1972 the Music Store Cologne was founded . At the same time, further shops were opened in Bensberg , Gummersbach , Neumünster , Heide and Husum . The store chain, which was intended as a second mainstay, was a failure due to the fact that the store was too small and unprofitable: with the exception of the branch in Gummersbach, all branches were closed again. In 1973, an ad run by Music Store sparked controversial discussion and opposition from women's associations. The motif shows an unclothed woman's back in front of a Farfisa organ. In connection with the associated advertising message “A Farfisa organ is like a beautiful woman: tasteful and sensitive”, the resulting media vortex intensified the advertising success. The company's turnover reached almost DM 40 million .
1980-1994
Japanese organ manufacturers pushed into the market, causing the Farfisa brand to suffer sales losses . At the same time, the Music Store moved from Bonner Strasse ( Südstadt (Cologne) ) to Cologne city center. The music store gained popularity thanks to the improved local transport connections and parking facilities. In 1983 Farfisa was sold and left the Sauer owned building in Overath . Michael Sauer lost his job as sales manager . He took over the business management of the music store. It was considered that the music store should be relocated to the now vacant 3,500 m² building. However, the central location in Cologne meant that a decision was made against it and the building in Overath was only used as a warehouse. From the end of the 1980s, more business premises and a parking garage at the location in Große Budengasse were taken over by Music Store in order to enlarge the retail space. In 1992 the Music Store Rock School was founded , where band coaching and training on band instruments take place to this day.
1996-2009
The establishment of a central warehouse at Cologne's Rheinauhafen enabled faster shipping. In 1997 the music store turned 25. With an area of 4,000 m², it is still one of the three largest stores in Germany today. Shortly afterwards, the area was enlarged again by moving into the converted “Hohe Straße” car park. In 2001, buildings in Cologne's Rheinauhafen were demolished. The entire warehouse had to move within a very short time. The former Farfisa building in Obersteeg was available and acted as a storage facility. In 2003 the warehouse moved again: the majority of the goods are now stored in the new and modern building at the Cologne wholesale market and shipped from there. The shop also expanded: in 2004 additional test rooms for the guitar area were completed. In 2005 the warehouse was enlarged again and new rooms for a call center were completed and moved into.
2010-2011
The organ manufacturer Wersi went bankrupt . Music Store acquired the trademarks and property rights from the Wersi company. While the organ development, production and service is carried out by WERSI-Studio Hochrhein in Hohentengen , keyboards are produced together with the Chinese supplier Medeli .
The Music Store is strengthening its presence in digital and online media through the production of video content and a restart of the Music Store News blog . The growth leads to the decision to move into a considerably larger building in order to have logistics, sales and administration under one roof. On May 16, 2011, the new company headquarters on Istanbulstrasse was opened. With a total area of 40,000 m² and a floor area of 25,000 m², there is now enough space for future developments.
Individual evidence
- Music Store - the story ( Memento from September 5, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 56 ′ 45.4 ″ N , 6 ° 59 ′ 54.1 ″ E