Taylor Guitars : Direct to Consumer

[Murphy Slaw]

Originally Posted by zeebow

i have always considered taylor to be stewards of the environment.

What's the difference if they sell direct, or to a dealer, as far as the environment?

I seriously don't get that.

[fitness1]

Has anyone considered the fact that many of the small "mom and pop" dealers may have closed in the last couple years.

To me, it seems like a pretty wise move.

[rmp]

as already was mentioned

Gibson and Fender have been doing this for a while now too

and yet, they're still available from retailers as well

The one thing that comes to mind is the likely hood of being able to find a local store with anything other than entry level or intermediate level instruments is getting more prevalent as time goes on.

The only option for people in my area is a place like Guitar Center, or a very few privately owned stores that cater to the more high end consumers.

on line buying is pretty much the "new" standard.

[Rudy4]

One of the advantages in owning a Taylor is the NT neck joint. Many dealers are trained in how to correctly calculate and replace the tapered shim sets, so that's an advantage to purchasing from a shop that you know and love.

Most guitars need eventual neck resets and Taylor guitars are designed to quickly and easily accommodate that, also at about 1/10th the cost of a traditional dovetail reset.

I'm really not getting how Taylor selling guitars online suddenly steers them away from being "passionate, and stewards of the environment".

On top of all the other hullabaloo, I just don't know many people that purchase instruments before trying them out, unless it's someone wanting an inexpensive starter guitar at a low price.

[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 .


.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by zeebow

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.

I don't see environmentalism and increasing profit margins as mutually exclusive in any way, and that seems to be what you're suggesting. I'd also suggest that people who buy directly from Taylor might be a bit foolish since it's unlikely Taylor will negotiate price where a store, more eager for the sale, will. I've owned two Taylors (still have one) and didn't pay the ticket price on either.

[mawmow]

I am aware of a former Taylor dealer nearby that does not sell Taylor guitars anymore…

[jaymarsch]

My understanding from a few local & regional mom & pop stores here in California is that pre-pandemic, Taylor was increasing demands on dealers in regards to inventory requirements and one manager told me that it no longer made economic sense for them to continue to carry Taylors based on what their customer base was asking for. Taylor lost some dealerships as a result and, as another poster mentioned, probably lost more dealers as a result of the pandemic’s toll on small businesses. So, it would make good business sense to me for them to offer guitars directly as well.
It also makes me wonder about the impact of how shipping has been affected over the past three years. Selling direct gives Taylor more control over what could happen to the guitars once they leave the factory. Were they getting more warranty/repair issues due to shipping/handling/environmental changes as the guitars went through the supply chain? Just curious as so many factors can go into these kinds of decisions.
Best,
Jayne

[ghostnote]

I worked for a large company (bigger than Taylor) who did the same thing many years ago, while keeping, and even expanding, their dealer network. It was a huge success, and they still do it now. (They are not a musical instrument maker) As long as you don’t undersell your dealers and give them some incentive to sell your products, all should be well. I have no problem with Taylor adapting their business model to improve the bottom line, but they aren’t “environmental stewards” - they’re a business who cuts down trees for profit. It’s in their own best interest to make sure there’s a steady supply of those trees available, so they do that. Let’s call it “environmentally conscious”. Like any business, they are actually fiscal stewards, and rightly so.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by mawmow

I am aware of a former Taylor dealer nearby that does not sell Taylor guitars anymore…

Taylor did "thin the herd" several years back. They made a conscious decision to cut back on their dealer network to eliminate dealers that didn't carry their full line or simply didn't move much product.

One could make the argument that watering down your brand too much simply makes for poor economics.

Whatever they are doing is working out quite well for them, so I wouldn't attempt to disparage their marketing practices.

[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

[Racerbob]

What so far is missing here is that to be a Taylor dealer comes with a number of specific terms and conditions. The dealer can't just stock some specific models they prefer only and in the quantity they prefer. There are company specified ranges of models and minimums on numbers. This is why dealers by and large have some sort of bank financing plan just like car dealers.

The smaller the shop the harder it is to maintain being a dealer. When the factory starts in essence completing with them it makes it harder for them to meet the minimum requirements to continue being an authorized dealer. It can put pressure on them to stock more models which may well become a financial burden.

In my eyes this has the appearance of the ever more common move these days in business to squeeze the dealer network into expanding their in stock commitment by completing directly with them. I say this because I have seem this up close before.

[GCWaters]

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 .


.

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....

[GCWaters]

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

Well, if Martin's doing it, people will give themselves whiplash retracting their earlier, critical comments....

[pagedr]

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