After exactly 100 years in the musical instrument retail business, Sam Ash announced last week that they are closing for good.
Company heir and CMO Derek Ash told the New York Times that the company has struggled to attract customers in all 42 locations across the country, explaining that online shopping has brought their business to the point of no return.
PYMNTS reported that Sam Ash's closure came four years after its former rival, Guitar Center, filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
However, while some consumers pivot towards online shopping, many still prefer brick-and-mortar shops for the experience factor.
100 Years of Serving Musicians
Sam Ash was founded by Sam and Rose Ashkynase in 1924, making it one of the oldest family-owned music stores in the country. The company's namesake was a professional US immigrant from Austria who opened the first store in Brooklyn, New York, after his wife pawned her engagement ring for $400 to make a down payment.
Initially, Sam Ash sold windup phonographs and a limited selection of sheet music and violins. The business expanded across New York City and beyond over the decades, expanding its musical instrument selection and even including recording and amplification equipment.
According to former Sam Ash employee Luis Infantas, he was able to sell instruments to celebrities from musical legend Stevie Wonder to late "Sopranos" actor James Gandolfini.
Patrons and customers of Sam Ash expressed grief over the news of the store's closure.
I’d trade all 100 million of those pathetic AI songs to keep Sam Ash in business. pic.twitter.com/B7EcOVFIQM
— Ted Gioia (@tedgioia) May 4, 2024
The New York Post reported that the company is closing some of its stores across 11 states by the end of the month, with the rest closing in July.
Sam Ash's former flagship store on West 48th Street was closed in 2012.
Join the Conversation