J&R Opens Musical Instrument Store

By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 6/17/2009

New York — J&R Music & Computer World, the 37-year-old independent specialty dealer, has added a musical instrument store to its block-long retail emporium in lower Manhattan.

The new concept shop occupies three levels within the company’s 33 Park Row storefront, with each floor dedicated to a different area of musical products and services.

J&R said the store will cater to both amateur and professional musicians, and is staffed by sales representatives with musical backgrounds. Featured brands include Fender, Yamaha, Roland, Samson, Pearl, Vox, Serato, Washburn, Seagull, M-Audio, Tascam and Marshall.

The retailer is celebrating the grand opening with promotions, giveaways, performances and vendor demos June 18-21.

The move follows Best Buy’s year-long test of musical instrument departments and facings across the country.

Founded in 1972 by Joe and Rachelle Friedman, J&R Music and Computer World sells more than 400,000 SKUs of A/V products, computers, cameras, entertainment software, small appliances and now musical instruments in its sprawling, 300,000-square-foot megastore, and online at www.jandr.com. The company ranked 34^th on TWICE’s annual Top 100 CE Retailers Report, with $405 million in electronics sales last year.