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I also wonder if their clientele are less likely to be affected, or certainly more able to absorb a financial hit and can afford to continue their patronage of boutique luthiers.
Certainly a struggle, but I do hope they can muddle through. We have some fantastic high end shops in this country and it would be such a shame to see them go.
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There will be a huge shift towards less conspicuous consumption and focus on essential living for most people .
It will be a New World when we finally come out the other end .
Incidentally, the amount of ‘will this sector survive/can I shaft a seller at the moment’ type threads are kind of depressing....
I recall on an other FB discussion, many months ago, some FB member saying 'if I purchased any guitar based on needs, then I would not have any guitar' - How true
As a result, like many other businesses, in a host of sectors, that are going to struggle, over the next few weeks/months, then it certainly won't be buoyant
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I have worked for both types of shop. The only reason a small shop might be more likely to survive this than a large one is if they’re so small that their expenses can be brought down close to zero - but that will mean cutting staff since they’re the biggest expense now that the government has delayed business rates and VAT.
Even the ones who specialise in repairs and so can normally fall back on that - which has helped them survive against online sales competition - are now facing a lack of income since they can’t take in new work or have finished work collected.
The only thing that’s going to save most of them is government help, and even that may well not be enough after we go back to ‘normal’, if ‘normal’ means a reduction in overall guitar buying - which I think it may.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
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