Wellington's Music Stores Keep Disappearing - Kapiti Coast Now Has None

Another one bites the dust. Kapiti Music in Paraparaumu has shut down, and with it goes the last music store serving the Kapiti Coast. The little shop on Amohia Street couldn't make it work anymore, with the owners saying "the recession finally got us" in their farewell post.

Kingdom Music's Short-Lived Experiment

Making things worse, Kingdom Musicworks tried to set up shop in North City shopping centre in Porirua over the Christmas holidays, but that lasted all of a few months before they pulled the pin.

If a Musicworks store can't make it work in Porirua, it's pretty clear the writing's on the wall for regional music stores.

What's Left: Wellington City and the Hutt Valley

So where can you actually buy a guitar these days? Here's what's still operating:

Wellington Central

Music Planet on Vivian Street
Rockshop on Cuba Street
Music Works on Ghuznee Street
The Guitar Gallery on Cuba Street (for higher-end instruments)

The Hutt Valley

Kingdom Musicworks on High Street, Lower Hutt
Rockshop on Margaret Street, Lower Hutt

Why This Keeps Happening

Multiple factors are hurting music stores:

Online Takeover

Online sales - The first and biggest hit to physical stores
Online product research - Videos and other online material make it easier to buy without testing products in person

Distribution Models

Traditional distribution - Relies on exclusive agreements where distributors control which retailers get access to which brands, often excluding independent stores from premium brand partnerships

Market Changes

Digital gear revolution - High quality amp and effect modulation units, plus software and audio interface + computer based rigs replacing physical hardware
Direct-to-consumer brands - Companies completely bypass the traditional distributor system, selling direct online and shipping worldwide without needing local dealers. NZ/Australian brands like Artist Guitars and Ormsby offer direct sales with lower shipping costs and no import duties, while international brands like Kiesel (US) and Solar (Spain) ship from overseas. For customers, you just order online, pay any applicable import duties, and often get better value than what local stores can offer

Economic Pressures

Current economic pressures - People spending less on non-essentials
Geographic reality - Small towns don't have enough customers to keep independent shops alive. There's only enough demand for a few stores, and the chains have an advantage
Convenience factor - It's not that hard to drive into Wellington or the Hutt if you really need to try before you buy

The Barriers for Independent Stores

The big chains control everything, making it nearly impossible for independents to compete:

Distribution Control

Rockshop: 25 stores nationwide, market leader since 1986
Music Works: 34 stores, controls exclusive distribution for brands like Yamaha
Direct Imports (NZ) Ltd: Locked up Fender distribution for over 40 years
These massive players aren't rushing to help independent shops compete with them

But it gets worse - some brands are exclusively tied to specific retailers. Fender, for example, is exclusively distributed by Direct Imports (NZ) Ltd, and they only sell to Rockshop and The Guitar Gallery. So even if you had the money, you still couldn't get Fender guitars for your independent store because the distributor won't sell to you.

Massive Buy-In Costs

Music shops need to hold high amounts of inventory in general - guitars, amps, drums, accessories
Want to sell Fender? That'll be 6 figures just to get started - for a small shop, that's basically betting the farm on one brand
Big chains can spread that risk across dozens of stores

The Vicious Cycle

Half the customers ask for Fender Strats or Gibson Les Pauls
Without dealer rights, you're constantly saying "nah, we don't stock those"
Customers walk out the door
After enough of those conversations, you can't justify dropping $100k+ on a dealer agreement

Pricing Disadvantage

Chains buy in huge volumes
An independent might pay more wholesale than Rockshop sells for retail
Impossible to compete on price

So what's left? You're basically stuck selling whatever brands the big distributors don't want to push through their own stores, or trying to survive on repairs and accessories. No wonder so many independents have thrown in the towel - they're fighting with one hand tied behind their back from day one.

It's pretty rough out there for anyone trying to run a proper independent music store these days.

What This Means for Kapiti Musicians

If you're living somewhere like Pukerua Bay, new guitar strings is a trip to Wellington or the Hutt Valley. There's also Kings Sound Centre in Levin, about a 30-minute drive north from Paraparaumu, but that's still a proper expedition for something as simple as picking up picks or strings.

It's a real shame because music shops aren't just about buying stuff - they're where you'd bump into other musicians, get advice from someone who actually plays, and discover gear you didn't even know existed. Some of my best memories as a kid were in these stores.

Whether this trend stops here or keeps going is anyone's guess, but for now, Kapiti Coast musicians are learning to live without a local music store.