The Official Letter from Gibson ( no internet pics )

Recently you received a letter from Gibson regarding significant changes in the company's web policy. Gibson's intent is to drive more customers into your store, thus making your store a destination location. It has always been Gibson's desire to have sales of their instruments be done on a personal level, not on a "point and click" shopping cart level. It is only when the end consumer interacts with your sales staff can the "Gibson story" be told, and an instrument be truly matched to that individual consumer's personal needs.


Pursuant to that goal, and effective immediately, all authorized Gibson & Epiphone dealers are expected to comply with the following:

Internet sales of all new Gibson Brand instruments and products, including Gibson USA, Gibson Montana, Gibson Memphis, Gibson OAI, Slingerland, Tobias, Gibson Custom/Historic, Epiphone, Valley Arts, Gibson Strings and Accessories are to cease immediately.
All authorized GMI dealers will be allowed to advertise that they are an "AUTHORIZED GIBSON DEALER" and link to the Gibson website, www.gibson.com.
Photos of "in-stock" instruments currently in dealer's inventory will not be allowed to be published on dealer's website.
Consumers are to be encouraged to actually visit the store to purchase instruments, or contact the store regarding a purchase via phone or email. Authorized GMI dealers will be allowed to email consumers photos of specific guitars in dealer's inventory.
Specific artwork and advertising templates for authorized dealers will be made available for dealer's use on their websites. These materials will be made available for download on Gibson's internet press site, www.gibson.com/press.
Advertising outside of dealer's immediate market area as specified in the Gibson Dealer Agreement will not be allowed. This includes (but not limited to) any printed materials such as catalogs, flyers, etc. If there is a question as to your specific market area, please contact XXXXXXXXXXX at Gibson, XXXXXXXXXXX, XXXX.
Sales of new Gibson brand instruments at guitar shows, music events, concerts, music festivals, etc. outside of dealer's approved market area are not allowed

THAT is total bullshit.

I wonder which MBA jackass thought THAT one up... Henry...?

Looks like they are doing it to help the Mom an Pop shops??

I know a mom and pop shop that exists because they have sold more using the internet...


F*ck that.

"The Gibson story be told?" By a kid at GC who doesn't know a P90 from a guitar case?

Gibson, you're really making a HUGE mistake.

Visiting our GC is like going to a scratch and dent sale. Forget about the right case and paperwork.

My boss just bought a Cordoba Gypsy King with the wrong case and no documentation.

TT

The mom and pop shops can afford to be Gibson dealers less and less, no? I thought that the fee for being a Gibson Historic dealer was just increased. I suspect this is to get people into Guitar Center.

It looks like this means that MF, zzounds, etc. can not sell Gibson guitars online, and can not advertise Gibson models in their print catalogs (aside from saying "call us for Gibson guitars") except in the region of their brick and mortar stores. Interesting.

I suspect that many smaller stores have complained that they cannot compete with internet prices. Gibson may have lost some dealers due to the internet intruding on their designated sales area. I mean, we've all walked into shops, seen a high price and said "I can get one cheaper on the net"...

Just went to Guitar Trader. Go and click on their Gibson and or epi links. No listings. None. Zip, zilch, nadda. Fender stuff is still up, so it ain't the website.

Boy, MF, Amercian Musical et al. are going to LOVE this.

Yeah, this is to drive volume. By eliminating the moms and pops, they drive volume into their larger dealers. Fewer "customers" (meaning dealers) means less paperwork, reduced accounting, simplified sales management, etc. And, theoretically, the same -- or greater -- number of guitars sold, meaning increased margins for Henry and his pals.

HHB said:

It has always been Gibson's desire to have sales of their instruments be done on a personal level, not on a "point and click" shopping cart level. It is only when the end consumer interacts with your sales staff can the "Gibson story" be told, and an instrument be truly matched to that individual consumer's personal needs.

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What a load of crap! :nay :nay :nay :dead:

Sorry Gibson, the internet is here! If you don't like it, you lose!

You've lost another customer here. I'll be sure to tell your local authorized dealer that because of your dumbass policy I won't be buying Gibson products from them.

Man ... this is HUGE. No pictures on the internet and no dealers reaching out beyond their territories. The internet sites had the good prices and the larger stores probably complained.

Really bad move IMO, a backward step.

Yeah, this is to drive volume. By eliminating the moms and pops, they drive volume into their larger dealers. Fewer "customers" (meaning dealers) means less paperwork, reduced accounting, simplified sales management, etc. And, theoretically, the same -- or greater -- number of guitars sold, meaning increased margins for Henry and his pals.

Click to expand...

How is this going to elimiate Mom and Pop stores? .. I would think it would actually increase their business. No more net sales means more people walking into the shop. Whether or not the plan works is yet to be seen though. But if MF/GC can't sell online, that means more people head to local stores.

So as I look at it they don't want to sell more guitars. This is only gonna hurt sales. What a horrific move by gibson.

This sucks. I predict that their sales will actually drop as not everyone has a Gibson dealer in the neighborhood. What a bunch of crap!

Post your concerns and opinions on the CS forum. Let them know how you feel.

TT

Nowhereman said:

How is this going to elimiate Mom and Pop stores? .. I would think it would actually increase their business. No more net sales means more people walking into the shop. Whether or not the plan works is yet to be seen though. But if MF/GC can't sell online, that means more people head to local stores.

Click to expand...

'Zactly.

Maybe it has become too easy to surf for the perfect top, color, weight and price while leaving too much residual NOS to move, or maybe legitimate protected territories through dealer agreements have been inadvertantly trounced by the growth of internet sales. I am most curious as to who initiated the changes to the web policy --- mom and pop, big box or Gibson --- and how they will measure the success of the new policy. If it doesn't resolve whatever the issue(s) may be, it will be easy enough to revert to status quo. It is a rather curious move that the official letter doesn't really address to my total satisfaction.

MF is still selling Gibsons with the prices published. :wtf

This is going after the Mom and Pop stores to cut them out of any customers outside their "territory". They were probably cutting into MF and GC sales. Less competition = less selection, more hassle and higher prices - short term.

Long term, pissed off Gibson buyers = lower volume and bigger supply. Dumb.

Where can we complain? There is nothing Gibson can do to make me buy guitars from GC. All Gibson is doing is alienating the very shops that keep their customers happy with a great purchasing experience.