Best Buy Opens in-store Music Center


Best Buy has announced that they will set aside store space for an array of musical instruments and gear. They plan to open as many as 85 of the music centers inside its stores by the end of the year. Best Buy first opened a musical instrument store-within-a-store concept in Riverside, Calif. in 2006.

Hoping to accommodate everyone from the garage guitarist to a recording musician, each site will use approximately 2,500 square feet of store space and include around 1,000 different products with well-known brand names such as Fender, Gibson, Drum Workshop and Roland.

Kevin Balon, VP of musical instruments said "We're not just extending the shelf space in the store, we're creating a designated area specifically for this experience," and we're trying to create an authentic and genuine musical instrument store look and feel inside of Best Buy."

Best Buy's selection will include everything from accessories, picks, sheet music and cases, to high-end basses, guitars, keyboards and DJ equipment. Instruments will be housed in separate rooms and the company also plans to offer group music lessons. Acoustic guitars will sell between $89.99 and $3,200 and drum kits will retail for as much as $5,000.

Based on number of locations Best Buy will become the second-largest instrument seller in the country.

I’m sure this has Guitar Center and Sam Ash looking in their rear view mirrors.