president of Robert M. Sides Family Music Centers in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, said he’s seen firsthand how rising costs are creat- ing serious concerns, not only for retailers, but also for families, schools and music students. “The worst effect has been the hit to con- sumer confidence caused by the uncertainty in household budgets,” Sides explained. “The hesitation from consumers, unsure of where their finances stand, is my biggest concern. Just like wholesale or retail businesses, families and schools need to make decisions based on the best information available. When that information is unreliable or constantly changing, people ‘freeze,’ cut back or simply do nothing.” For Sides, communication with both staff and customers is essential, even when the full picture isn’t clear. Transparency, he be- lieves, helps to alleviate the uncertainty that customers may be feeling. He also pointed out that certain items, like serialized goods, instruments and stands made of steel, have been particularly hard-hit by the tariffs. “We’ve had some orders canceled here
and there, but we’ve been ordering heavily over the last few months,” Sides explained. “We’re in a good position for the next six months, at least. That said, I cringe thinking about container prices once shipping resumes, especially when there aren’t enough ships or containers to keep up with demand out of China.” Menchey Music, also headquartered in Pennsylvania, is feeling the B&O strain. Joel Menchey, company president, said he’s con- cerned about how these inflationary pres- sures will impact not just his business, but the MI industry as a whole. While his stores have yet to experience major disruptions to the supply chain, Menchey said the warning signs are impossible to ignore. “We’re starting to see some levels of tariff- driven price increases that are beginning to be untenable in the current consumer envi- ronment,” Menchey said. The biggest red flag for Menchey lies in the B&O sector, and while supply chain disruptions haven’t hit his stores just yet, he’s bracing for what could become another cascading crisis.
“If this goes on for another month or so, whether resolved or not, the MI industry will start to see COVID-level delays in the supply chain,” Menchey said. Menchey warns that whether products are hit directly by tariffs or forced into costly domestic production as a workaround, the impact will be felt across the board. “Even at reasonable levels — and most of the tariffs are far from reasonable — the tariffs or domestic production of foreign- made products will be inflationary for all consumer products, including musical in- struments,” he said. “This could impact not only the affordability of our products for end-users, but could impact business models which could result in job losses for our customers,” Menchey said. For now, Menchey said he’s staying proac- tive — keeping stock levels strong, planning ahead and preparing his staff and custom- ers for whatever may come. Still, he said he knows the road ahead may be tough. MI
This is a developing story that Music Inc. will continue to report on in future issues.
JUNE 2025 I MUSIC INC. I 17
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