Tweeter closing 1/3 of all stores [Archive]

ledhed

03-21-2007, 11:23 PM

The article says it is closing all of its stores in TN. Maybe I can snag some deals? I wonder if that includes the "HiFi Buys" Store on Nolensville Rd. I think that it is owned by Tweeter. I'll have to stop by there and see what I can find out.

Robert

Let me know what you find out. There is also a Tweeter on West End and one in Franklin. I would love to get some hot deals on new stuff.

BaggedLancer

03-21-2007, 11:24 PM

Since the chain itself isn't closing I have a feeling there won't be too many good deals. They will probably just shift merchandise from the closing store to the nearest non-closing store.

RuSsMaN

03-21-2007, 11:39 PM

Awesome! Thank God the bought out one of the longest standing, best hi fi shops in Dallas, Hillcrest Hifi. I bet those will be the first to go.

Oustanding. :rolleyes:

TN_Polk_Lover

03-21-2007, 11:57 PM

Speaking of Mantis, Is he still around? I don't think I've seen him post in a while.

Robert

billbillw

03-22-2007, 12:04 AM

Usually these store closings result in good deals on the floor models, but otherwise, the just move the stock around.

F1nut

03-22-2007, 12:20 AM

"There is a market for a kind of ultra high-end consumer. They (Tweeter) are selling a niche product at high prices to a limited, more aware audience,"

Funny, I never thought of them as the ultra high-end consumer type of audio store.

hearingimpared

03-22-2007, 12:49 AM

Awesome! Thank God the bought out one of the longest standing, best hi fi shops in Dallas, Hillcrest Hifi. I bet those will be the first to go.

Oustanding. :rolleyes:

They bought out Bryn Mawr Stereo (good mid-fi to highend shop) many moons ago . . . thems where I purchased my first Polks the SDA/SRSs and the NADs to power them.

audiobliss

03-22-2007, 12:52 AM

They also bought out Now! Audio Video around here. Great people, good products, great service.

I miss them.

sucks2beme

03-22-2007, 09:32 AM

They never caught on to the changing market. CompUSA tried a lame entry
into HT and let their pc business lapse. They got killed on one side by
Best Buy, and Fry's from the other.
Tweeter never really set up to demo/handle the better stuff. The
lower end stuff was always cheaper somewhere else. These two
things killed them. I tried M/L speakers in one store, and their amp was unable to drive them well.
Forget about the LSI's, the receivers they used had no airflow around them and would go
into protection with any volume.
I think anyone left in higher end audio is struggling. The big dollar buyers
are rare now, and often guys demo the good stuff there, and buy online.
I have tried to buy locally when possible by watching for good deals, trade ins, and demo clearances.
If it goes all online, good luck. It will be a crap shoot.

shack

03-22-2007, 10:19 AM

Well, there goes the LSi dealers in the Mid South. Another classic example of a big chain buying up some local and regional stores....then screwing it up! HiFi Buys and NOW Audio/Video were decent stores with good product lines before Tweeter bought them. FUCK Tweeter...I'll never spend another penny in one of their stores.

venomclan

03-22-2007, 10:24 AM

Interesting. Around here it is Sound Advice that has been going into lower end products. They have very few if any seperates anymore. Which will bring their speakers lines lower. As they are doing this, it seems that Best Buy is killing them. The only thing SA has is a larger tv selection, but not by much.
V

Demiurge

03-22-2007, 10:43 AM

Never shopped at Tweeter, but is it Tweeter's fault some of the mom and pop audio shops closed up shop because the owner that chose to sell to them? :confused:

There's a couple small high end audio and video stores up here that manage to make a mint in their little corner of the market. They've found a niche that Circuit City, Best Buy, and Tweeter can't offer. The biggest ones are good customer service and a knowledgeable sales staff.

markmarc

03-22-2007, 11:27 AM

Interesting that Tweeter did buy out their smaller competition in some areas, good for them.

The problem in the industry is margins. The big boxes are now paying for their killer instinct. In the end, Walmart will be the only one left standing. That actually could be good news for the Mom and Pop shops in that would have opportunity to carry mid and hi fi gear under the radar of Walmart.

However, the audio model is changing to direct sales with 30-60 day in home trials. the next ten years is going to be quite interesting.

Gaara

03-22-2007, 11:39 AM

Wow, just looked through my system and the last thing I bought in a brick and mortar store was my XBR (employee discount) which was February 2006. Before that was my Cinenova (friend who is a dealer) in July 2004. The only thing I have bought without big discounts in a store was my dvd player, back in my beginnings of HT in June 2003. Back then it was a Yamaha rcvr and JBL speakers.

I think Tweeter's biggest issue is they have their high and mighty attitude and they won't budge on price. I went in there with $2000 looking to buy a B&K Ref 50 once, but the guy wouldn't even give my 5% off so I walked. They say they will price match but the ones around us won't. Hell I worked at a CC across the street from a Tweeter, had a customer try to price match a Samsung DLP and they refused, forgot the reason but the guy walked right back over and bought it from me.

AndyGwis

03-22-2007, 12:08 PM

Wonder how to figure out which stores are closing so I can ravage their floor items. Wouldn't mind grabbing a couple LSi products, maybe some Focals, hell even ML would be nice if the price is right.

sucks2beme

03-22-2007, 10:00 PM

Wonder how to figure out which stores are closing so I can ravage their floor items. Wouldn't mind grabbing a couple LSi products, maybe some Focals, hell even ML would be nice if the price is right.

The store in Southlake still has a Krell integrated on display!

sterling bug

03-22-2007, 10:33 PM

The Tweeter close to where I used to live had some of the worst demo rooms I have ever seen. Employees were a bunch of dopes too.

read-alot

03-22-2007, 11:32 PM

They also bought out Now! Audio Video around here. Great people, good products, great service.

I miss them.

If you get to missing them too much just walk in Elite Audio Video, they are still around. I still buy from the same guy who sold me my SDAs 21 years ago
Bart Near.

AndyGwis

03-22-2007, 11:37 PM

The store in Southlake still has a Krell integrated on display!

Really? If I sell some of my other gear, I'm gonna go try to buy that bitch on the cheap! Which model (300, 400)?

You know you want the matching Pro-10mc to go along with your ST-202, Keith! I've been wanting to unload all my ear to get a good integrated for a while, simplify things a bit.

iworkfortweeter

03-23-2007, 12:25 AM

i think its hilarious. most of the reason for the closings is things that everyone already knows about, but fails to do anything about. we were on conference call from 1 to 4 pm today and rumor has it, that we may file for chapter 11. but even if we do, we'll still be in business. man, whatever though, lol you know?
i doubt there will be any sort of "sale" though. we'll probably just move product around to different stores in other regions. and for the record, salespeople ARE a bunch of dopes. its the installers who know their shit.

iworkfortweeter

03-23-2007, 12:29 AM

also for the record id like to say that yes, the prices are rediculous, even with the advertised "price match" thing going on. the problem with places like Worst Buy and Circuit Shitty is that they have thousands of dollars to throw around for advertising and pure buying power that Tweeter just doesn't. We pride ourselves in the installation. its always been that way. no other company installs shit as well cleanly and professionally as we do. its The fact that we tried to actually BE a Worst Buy, was in fact part of the downfall of the company.

sucks2beme

03-23-2007, 12:36 AM

Really? If I sell some of my other gear, I'm gonna go try to buy that bitch on the cheap! Which model (300, 400)?

You know you want the matching Pro-10mc to go along with your ST-202, Keith! I've been wanting to unload all my ear to get a good integrated for a while, simplify things a bit.

I believe it was a 300. As always, you might want to call them and check.
With this announcement, the vultures are circling already. I bet several
Polkies have already been to Tweeter marking their territorial bounderies.

I did sell the Snell E's today, but the Mrs. snagged that money as soon as it
was presented. For right now, no new purchases for a while.

Vr3MxStyler2k3

03-23-2007, 12:39 AM

Ive been to Tweeter one time.

I left highly unimpressed.

avguytx

03-23-2007, 12:44 AM

I'm always glad to see more big box stores close up and go away. It was nice when Ultimate shut all their stores down in Texas. That was a hoot! I think they just look at different markets that are dragging them down. Same goes with BB, CC, etc. They shut one down and pop a couple more up in some other stupid market. Maybe things like this will help the mom and pops to stay around longer...being that most of them know their stuff better.

iworkfortweeter

03-23-2007, 12:45 AM

ive been to best buy's magnolia, and left highly unimpressed.

mantis

03-23-2007, 12:54 AM

I wonder if Mantis and liv4fam are going to lose thier spots on the Board of Directors ??

BDT
Just can't help yourself can you??? :rolleyes:

Just to bust your bubble, Liv4fam opened his own bussiness and moved to AZ. He is doing extremely well for himself. I on the other hand still STILL work for Tweeter and I'm doing very well myself, thanks for asking:rolleyes:

shack

03-23-2007, 01:04 AM

ive been to best buy's magnolia, and left highly unimpressed.

Hey homer. Except for the fact they don't carry the LSi series....it is every bit as good as Tweeter...if not better.

TroyD

03-23-2007, 01:43 AM

Just can't help yourself can you??? :rolleyes:

Just to bust your bubble, Liv4fam opened his own bussiness and moved to AZ. He is doing extremely well for himself. I on the other hand still STILL work for Tweeter and I'm doing very well myself, thanks for asking:rolleyes:

Glad to hear it.....

I still think Tweeter blows.

BDT

TN_Polk_Lover

03-23-2007, 02:27 AM

I went to the Tweeter located in Nashville on West End Ave. (near Vanderbilt). They already had a big "Clearance" banner hanging outside the store in huge letters. There were signs everywhere saying 10 to 30% off storewide.

I talked to a couple of the sales guys there. They were both very nice to me, but you could tell that mostly what they had on their mind was where were they going to find another job. They told me that they were supposed to be open for 8 more weeks. One guy said that he would get one week's severance pay based on his short time there, but to get it, he would have to stay all the way until the end, and on top of that would have to take a pay cut, because, apparently, with the store closings they have restructured the salaries and some people are getting pay cuts.

I got the impression from them that the current stock of new stuff would not be replaced once it is gone in that 8 weeks. I would imagine, that toward the end of that 8 weeks is when you will see deals on the floor models. (They did not tell me that, I'm just guessing).

Anyway, all TVs and speakers are 10% off. Some other categories are 15% off and some others 30% off. I can't remember now what he told me about the 15 and 30.

Also, I asked him about the Hi-Fi Buys store in Nashville on Nolensville Rd. He said that Tweeter did not own that store. The Hi-Fi Buys that Tweeter bought were all in Georgia. The one in Nashville belonged to another group of stores based out of Indiana, and they were not bought when the ones in GA were.

I will probably go by there at least once a week to check for specials.

sucks2beme

03-23-2007, 06:01 PM

I talked to a sales guy today. He said ALL THE DALLAS area stores are closing. Most of the Houston stores will stay open. That leaves Fry's the only RTI/LSI source around here.
Their showroom makes Tweeter's look great.

MacLeod

03-23-2007, 10:22 PM

I think this sucks. I liked Tweeter.

Yeah they had bonehead salemen that generally knew a whole lot less than I did, but they still carried very good products. JL Audio, Focal, Alpine, Polk SR, Pioneer Elite, Martin Logan.

With them leaving, thatll leave NOWHERE within 300 miles that I can pick up or even listen to knew Polk gear. This blows big f**king time. Now, the ONLY place ANYBODY in TN, AL and GA will have access to Polk gear is the Monitor/DB line at Circuit City.

I kinda knew this would happen anyway. The market for high end gear just isnt high enough to support a big box chain retailer. Its like this guy I work with. Went out and bought a Westinghouse (yuck) LCD at BB and was just as happy as a clam. 95% of consumers out there will be perfectly happy with a Westinghouse LCD and Bose HTiaB system and the 5% of which we all belong, just dont have the purchasing power to support a big retailer like Tweeter.

I predict the entire chain will be gone before too lone.

I have a question for the Polk brass tho, with Tweeter being pretty much the sole retailer of their mid and upper end lines going tits up, is Polk going to let Circuit City carry them? I cant imagine theyre going to sit by while 2/3 of their product line is completely taken out of several states!

TroyD

03-23-2007, 10:41 PM

This is sorta the way I see it....

I think online sales (think Crutchfield) is probably going to be where it's at.

I think Tweeters' problem is that they were in a bad position. The big boxes own the low end and are attracting more and more folks that would normally shop at Tweeter. Add to that online sales continue to grow (and why not, the prices are better) and Tweeter has not gotten on that particular bandwagon. The real high end type consumer wouldn't shop at Tweeter anyway. So, I think Tweeter is dealing with a shrinking customer base and really hasn't done dick to address the main issues.

BDT

TN_Polk_Lover

03-24-2007, 12:24 AM

All 6 stores in TN are closing, and all stores in AL, but I think there will be some left in GA, at least a few in Atlanta, I think.

Robert

wingnut4772

03-24-2007, 11:16 PM

I got my letter today that Tweeter (Sound Advice) is closing it's West Kendall store here in Miami. They also sent me a 10% off coupon....Now maybe if it were 50% I would be motivated...

disneyjoe7

03-24-2007, 11:49 PM

States that Tweeter will keep 22 stores open out of 23 in Florida. Is this considered the one? Are Sound Advice considered Tweeter here in Florida? I know they are the same owners.

Another way of stating this are there Tweeter stores in Florida called Tweeter not Sound Advise?

wingnut4772

03-25-2007, 12:01 AM