Out of Curiosity....

[ElrytNamrogo]

A new music store opened in my area that I'm thrilled about....

Finally, a Palen Music Center opened last month in my area. This store carries a TON of stuff, both guitars and amp-wise, that hasn't been available to me, being most music stores here are smaller shops. Finding anyone doing any kind of Wood Library runs, let alone Private Stocks, was just not going to happen.

Palen Music, on the other hand, does this stuff and I'm really interested in seeing what they end up doing. They also carry brands like Knaggs, which, again, was not happening in the smaller shops. I will say, one local shop started carrying Patrick James Eggle guitars, which I thought would never come to my town.

Anyways, of course, I'm excited about the PRS possibilities at this new store. Talking with the manager, he stated that he was working with the PRS rep to get everything in order to start stocking PRS guitars ASAP.

What I'm curious about is how do PRS load up new stores with guitars? I'm assuming, along with built-to-order guitars, PRS also keeps a surplus of stock of the big sellers on hand to help stock up new locations? So, if a new store opens up, sales reps in any given city can help the retailers get in some PRS guitars to get the ball rolling?

Also, do these new dealers get any kind of choice in which guitars they're stocking? I'm assuming that they can pick models, and so forth...which ones they want, which ones they don't. But do they get, say a spread sheet via an online Dealer's Order sheet, to pick which specific serial numbers they want? Is that all determined on which rep they have working between them and PRS?

This is all stuff I just started kind of wondering when this new store opened in my area.

I'm super excited to see what kind of stuff they start getting in. Speaking with the manager, he said that he already has plans for Wood Library runs and a couple Private Stocks.

Anybody have some insight on this kind of thing? Dealers?

 

[RC Mike]

Given that it's another location in an existing chain/ownership group, I'd imagine that Palen would simply plan the expansion and order accordingly. I don't suspect that it was something that happened so fast that they couldn't plan/order for it, but if it were I'd guess they could pull inventory from their existing locations.

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

Given that it's another location in an existing chain/ownership group, I'd imagine that Palen would simply plan the expansion and order accordingly. I don't suspect that it was something that happened so fast that they couldn't plan/order for it, but if it were I'd guess they could pull inventory from their existing locations.

Yeah, I actually asked him about that...well, kinda.

He said that, being it's their first store in Kansas, that there was additional paperwork to get going in becoming an authorized dealer in my location. However, of course, if I saw something at their Liberty, MO store (about an hour from me) they could pull it down to the local store and I could check it out and sort out how to buy it.

My query is generally about how PRS stocks brand new stores....how much surplus they keep on hand at the factory for new locations becoming authorized PRS dealers, whether it's a big chain or small, locally owned store and the process of getting those guitars into the new stores. Of course, I'd imagine a bigger chain store will be able to purchase more and so on, but I'm generally curious in how these new stores acquire their new stock, and the process of doing so.

 

[RC Mike]

Yeah, I actually asked him about that...well, kinda.

He said that, being it's their first store in Kansas, that there was additional paperwork to get going in becoming an authorized dealer in my location. However, of course, if I saw something at their Liberty, MO store (about an hour from me) they could pull it down to the local store and I could check it out and sort out how to buy it.

My query is generally about how PRS stocks brand new stores....how much surplus they keep on hand at the factory for new locations becoming authorized PRS dealers, whether it's a big chain or small, locally owned store and the process of getting those guitars into the new stores. Of course, I'd imagine a bigger chain store will be able to purchase more and so on, but I'm generally curious in how these new stores acquire their new stock, and the process of doing so.

I have no facts, just supposition. Every guitar made at PRS is to fulfill an order. Assuming that to be the case, why would an existing dealer give up product they’ve ordered to fill a competitor’s inventory? I can think of a few reasons, but I’d assume it’s more likely that a new dealership places an order and then waits for their stock to arrive.

https://support.prsguitars.com/hc/en-us/articles/4412216929051-How-can-I-become-an-authorized-PRS-Dealer-

 

[ElrytNamrogo]

I have no facts, just supposition. Every guitar made at PRS is to fulfill an order. Assuming that to be the case, why would an existing dealer give up product they’ve ordered to fill a competitor’s inventory? I can think of a few reasons, but I’d assume it’s more likely that a new dealership places an order and then waits for their stock to arrive.

https://support.prsguitars.com/hc/en-us/articles/4412216929051-How-can-I-become-an-authorized-PRS-Dealer-

Ahhh...ok, that's what I was wondering/inquiring about. If PRS only built guitars based on order, or if, in addition to building to order, they also built to keep surplus - at least of the big selling models (standard production line, not Wood Library or Private Stock) - on hand to be able to fill orders for brand new stores, so they're not waiting months/years for their first PRS order to show up after opening.

To me, it'd make sense to at least keep some level of surplus on your big sellers in case you need to rush something out the door, in the event of unforeseen circumstances...i.e. large orders damaged in shipping, or new stores opening up that want to sell your products.

Curious if any dealers or PRS reps could answer definitively.

This is all completely out of curiosity in how new dealers acquire stock for their inventory, and the process of doing so. I'm not opening a store, or anything like that...just wondering is all.