Taylor Guitars : Direct to Consumer

[jjbigfly]

So….if you want a (brand X) direct purchase it’s going to be difficult to try one out….and then if you extrapolate further it is going to be a marketing game. Some brands are better than others at that…. Media marketing is about selling. It’s the EXTRA SPECIAL sauce on your latest burger. Tone and quality does not HAVE to suffer, but here in the real world….well, we have seen this before.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Two things:

1. Yes, Taylor used to be extremely controlling of their dealers and in return didn't sell direct. But... new minds, new ideas, new environment

2. Martin has been doing this for at least two years.

Bob

I didn't think this was something that just happened.

I don't know as much about being a Taylor dealer as everyone else seems to, but the independent guitar shop where I do pretty much all my guitar shopping, and that is a Guild dealer, along with Fender, Martin, Yamaha and any other brand I can think of, just picked up Taylor last fall and they don't seem to be over burdened by it. In fact I was talking to them right after Christmas and they were saying just the opposite, that Taylor was great to work with and had approached them about carrying their guitars. Maybe it wasn't that way in the past, like I said, I've never been a Taylor dealer so I don't know, but it does seem to be that way now.

[slaminsam]

I worked in the Retail business years ago so things may have changed some. But in my days retailers would get credit for the sales that were through the direct manufactures site. So, in a sense it's a win for the retailer and the manufacturer in that regard. So, if a customer did have an issue, they could take it to a local retailer and they could deal with the manufacturer with warranty issues. Retailers do not have to carry a large volume of inventory, yet they get a cut because they may ultimately service the customer. Plus, the manufacturer has a larger market presence than maybe a smaller retailer in a remote location where a product may not be as popular. When you think about it more in these terms it can be a win for both manufacturer, retailer, and customer.

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by Tony Burns

cutting out the middleman -smart . thou bad if your taylor dealer .
wish i could buy a car at the bottom line with a direct buy from the manufacturer .


.

Originally Posted by GCWaters

Interestingly, I believe that there are federal laws that stop you from doing that. Supposedly one of the major manufacturers (Ford?) is looking at ways to get around that with their EV's....

One word: Tesla https://www.tesla.com/

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by zeebow

saw something rather interesting today, noticed that a few guitars from Taylor are now available to buy direct from Taylor.

This is a large shift from my experience with Taylor - when i first started playing Taylor in 2010, i remember them expressing how much their dealer network meant to them as a brand - Taylor wanted to focus on building quality guitars, and wanted to let the dealer be the customer facing representative.

that now appears to have shifted, as you can buy a 314ce, 814ce and even the mexican made gs mini rosewood direct from taylor.

just curious how you guys feel about this - but to me, it’s a bad look. i have always considered taylor to be passionate and stewards of the environment. this move just makes them appear to be chasing improving profit margins.

love to hear your discussion, bc maybe i’m just missing the point.

Not particular to Taylor, but are the guitars discounted now that the middleman is out of the picture? In the bike industry there are direct-to-consumer brands which sell for a lot less than comparable brands which can only be found at a dealer. I assume they're not changing pricing, but I'd personally rather a local shop got the cut of my money than all of it going to Taylor. Depending of course on how one feels about their local shop. I feel really good about mine...

[GCWaters]

Originally Posted by Talk2Me

One word: Tesla https://www.tesla.com/

Slightly more than one word:

https://vehiclewisdom.com/why-cant-c...-to-consumers/

[scotchnspeed]

Originally Posted by fpuhan

It might be helpful to note and remember that Taylor is now an employee-owned company, as of last year. That means decisions such as this affect all the employees, and they would likely not support it if it were detrimental to the company.

This has no bearing on the matter at all. As many threads have fleshed out, employees have zero legal ownership (i.e., they do NOT make decisions) and their equity takes the form of a stock retirement plan in lieu of a more stable 401(k) type model. This is a cost savings move that made Bob and Kurt millions. And good for them, but it is not nearly as progressive or altruistic and most would like to think.

But good for them! I think this makes sense. At least in the Denver area, dealers of all brands carry little stock (and have been this way for decades) and we don't have the selection other areas seem to enjoy. So any route to a new guitar is welcome...even from Taylor...

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by pagedr

I don't see any options on the Martin site to purchase a guitar directly from them. Am I missing something?

Whoops. The BUY NOW option just takes you to a list of preferred Internet dealers. Sorry.

Bob

[rllink]

I would assume that selling direct is not as lucrative as it appears on the surface. They have to create a retail sales department and staff it. That isn't something you do as a sideline.

[Dwight]

It's better for the environment as you don't have to ship it twice.

[baseball]

I Love and Play baseball. Once upon a time there was a baseball glove company called
"Kelley"
They made outstanding gloves for more advanced players. They had arguably the best gloves in the world in the late nineties/early 00's.
They were only carried at Boutique "Pro" Baseball stores

THEN, they went 'direct'

I went to my local store to get a new one, and they only had a few left. This store used to carry their whole line... but now?

I asked the owner why he didn't have a selection and he told me he was angry with them for doing the online 'direct' thing and undermining the dealers. Well.. I didn't want to buy a glove I couldn't put on my hand and feel..it's as personal as a guitar.

..and apparently I wasn't alone. They quickly went under, even though the shrinking number I saw on fields were still pretty awesome.

Guitars are a lot like baseball gloves..they are all different and very personal.

OUT!

[Rev Roy]

Pretty sure when you buy direct from the factory there’s no negotiating. You pay full freight. Dealers, of course, will almost always give a discount of some kind. So dealers still have an edge that blunts the effect of any supposed “undercutting” factory direct produces.

[GCWaters]

Originally Posted by Rev Roy

Pretty sure when you buy direct from the factory there’s no negotiating. You pay full freight. Dealers, of course, will almost always give a discount of some kind. So dealers still have an edge that blunts the effect of any supposed “undercutting” factory direct produces.

I think the direct from the dealer customers are probably a lot like the customers that pay sticker price for a new car. This will probably get Taylor a few new customers, but I can't imagine it will be many and I can't imagine it will hurt the local dealers--so long as the local dealer is good.

When I bought my first Taylor back in '99, the local dealers were a**hats. I wanted an 814c with a 1 11/16 nut and a Baggs Ribbon Transducer instead of the barn door Fishman. They wanted an arm and a leg. Since it was a custom order with no chance to play before purchase, I found another dealer--online--and got a much better deal.

Now, my local Taylor dealer is a gem and their prices are great. I'll buy from them even if it costs me more. According to them, they have a great relationship with Taylor (and with PRS, interestingly).

They also told me that Taylor closely monitors sales and adjusts output based on that. So, no new 512's if there's a lot of inventory languishing in the shops. Other companies--they mentioned Fender as an example--just churn out whatever's on the list for the day. As an individual not in retail in any way, I found that very interesting...

[zeebow]

someone pointed out that when he ordered a guitar directly from taylor on tuesday, he got notification that it’s being shipped from a “strategically placed” warehouse that wasn’t in el cajon.

i wonder how well this “strategically placed” warehouse is properly maintaining the guitars in storage.

bonkers!

[soups]

Originally Posted by zeebow

someone pointed out that when he ordered a guitar directly from taylor on tuesday, he got notification that it’s being shipped from a “strategically placed” warehouse that wasn’t in el cajon.

i wonder how well this “strategically placed” warehouse is properly maintaining the guitars in storage.

bonkers!

Maybe the “strategically placed warehouse” is actually a dealer.