Piano Stores Continue to Close as More Kids Lose Interest in Instrument

Inside the Colton Piano Gallery off of Stevens Creek Boulevard, you may just find owner Dave Gatt playing β€œPiano Man.” It’s a song, sure, but it also sums up Gatt himself.

"If it has keys on it, it's part of my world,” Gatt said.

Gatt has played piano for 52 years, taught lessons, and has now sold the instrument for 30 years. Ask why he turned to retail and he’ll give you a free lesson – in business.

β€œIn today's market you've got to adapt, which means you have to run a much leaner and much meaner machine,” he said.

He once owned six stores across the Bay Area and now only has one in San Jose. According to the Associated Press, piano stores are shuttering across the country due to low sales numbers. Kids are turning to other activities, or buying electric pianos instead. Sales peaked in the early 1900s, but have plummeted this century.

β€œI think a lot of it has to do with disposable income product in a tough economy,” Gatt said.

So Gatt changed his tune. He closed struggling stores, and moved into one store across from the high-traffic Valley Fair Mall. He focused on internet marketing, and his profits increased each of the last two years.

Gatt also says the Bay Area's support of the arts has made his story of success a common one.

"It's still the same amount of competition I had 20 years ago," he said.

The new sales numbers could be troubling for many piano store owners. Gatt says if other shops adapt, the industry can survive.

β€œThis is something I think will always be there, and it's something that I will always do," Gatt said.

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