Charles Lawing, left, and Chris Lovell, right, with Car's
guitarist Elliot Easton at the June '83 NAMM Expo. top
UPBEAT MAGAZINE ARTICLE - February 1984 - Page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
Retailer flourishes despite flaming setback
and rigors of the rock 'n' roll "trade"
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When your clientelle consists of pro and semi-pro musicians, and most of them are rock musicians at that, you do some rather un- conventional business-the likes of which would push your banker's blood pressure to the limit. Chris Lovell, national sales manager of Strings & Things In Memphis, calls rock 'n' roll retailing a "flakey" trade at best and adds that "every possible way in the world to lose money is potent- ially there if a dealer isn't pretty hard-nosed." But Strings & Things isn't reaching its potential |
store operation in Memphis, TN the combo shop is realizing sales of $2 million a year with a 10% profit margin and that figure doesn't include the store's recent successful efforts at wholesaling its own line of electric guitars. Fifteen years ago, Chris Lovell and Charles Lawing worked in the combo departments of com- peting music stores and between them serviced most of the combo business in Memphis. After a chance meeting and a couple of beers, the two complained enough about their positions at |
inal plan was for Lawing to run the store during the day and gig at night while Lovell would work another job during the day and run the store at night. Well, the business took off too fast and neither partner could keep to the initial plan. "We started with sev- en or eight used guitars and a couple of amps, a Bogen p.a. and some mics- you know, just a handful of used gear," said Lovell, recalling the store's mea- ger beginnings. "We didn't sell any new (continued on page 2) |
Charles Lawing, left, and Chris Lovell, right, with Car's
guitarist Elliot Easton at the June '83 NAMM Expo. top
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