Instrument/vintage retailer closes Gay St. shop, reopens in North Knox
For the first time in nearly six years, downtown Knoxville’s main thoroughfare is devoid of an instrument store. The good news, however, is that the business which vacated the premises at 411 S. Gay St. is far from defunct. The Parlor, which offers vintage clothing, records and collectibles in addition to an impressive array of high-end musical equipment, has relocated to its former location at 726 Chickamauga Ave. and reopened at full operation on Aug. 17.
When asked about what precipitated the move, owner Josh Sidman cites myriad factors, chief among them escalating rental prices in the downtown sector. When prodded if he will miss living and working downtown, Sidman takes a long pause before replying, “Honestly, not really.”
To be fair, had the opportunity to merge his business with an existing Gay Street store owned by his friend, Matt Morelock, not arisen two and a half years ago, the erudite shopkeeper likely would have avoided downtown altogether. Self-admittedly “not the world’s best salesman or people person,” Sidman acknowledges that managing the store in that location proved challenging on multiple fronts. But the chance to run a turnkey operation at a relatively low cost was too attractive to pass.
Eventually, though, what initially had been a very reasonable leasing fee for the space rose to market price and then beyond. While online sales continued to be strong – Sidman about a year ago implemented an effective social media marketing strategy which involves Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook – foot traffic, most of it from tourists not interested in purchasing big-ticket items, didn’t yield numbers that justified the high cost of rent.
The fact that upwards of 70 percent of the Parlor’s revenues was generated through its website (theparlorknoxville.com) was not lost upon Sidman, an exceedingly astute businessman with a solid economics background. But it was a chance encounter with another local entrepreneur who visited his physical shop and who profoundly altered how he viewed traditional brick-and-mortar establishments. The individual in question was Dereke Ashe, proprietor of the vintage t-shirt company Wax and Threads, who conducts his business solely through eBay.
“I was just blown away that he is earning a full-time livelihood [that way],” says Sidman. “That fact just opened my eyes to the inconceivably large market that’s potentially available on eBay and online in general.”
Their conversation is what spurred him to shift his focus almost exclusively toward online sales, to create an eBay outlet (stores.ebay.com/theparlorknoxville) and to greatly expand his stock of collectibles. It’s also ultimately what led him to let go of the downtown shop.
Explaining the move, Sidman says that he has never really considered the Parlor to be a local business, primarily due to the fact that the main source of his revenues is the high-end instruments he ships to collectors all around the world. As such, he feels “guardedly optimistic” that the concept can flourish regardless of location.
Gay Street’s loss is yet another gain for North Knoxville, which continues its rapid growth from the downtown corridor up through Happy Holler and into Fountain City. Funnily enough, Sidman had tried for years to sell the property on Chickamauga. Fortunately, though, there were no takers.
“I’m glad at this point that that’s how it worked out because I’m excited being back here,” he says. “I think there’s a lot of great energy in North Knoxville, a lot of good businesses. I’m optimistic about the area in general.”
Although he clearly relishes the change in scenery, Sidman also is quick to acknowledge that the downtown store was instrumental in enhancing awareness about the Parlor. Still, in spite of now being somewhat off of the beaten track, he says, “I think that the people who are genuinely interested in what we do, those will be the ones who will make the trip to our new/old location.”
Sidman is enthusiastic about further enriching two aspects of the business that have thus far earned it such an excellent reputation: the luthier shop and the musical education program. As he points out, the demise of iconic stores like Broadway Sound and Pick ‘n’ Grin has left a noticeable hole in the local market for competent repair work and teaching, and he wants to be able to fill those needs. He believes that having his working and living spaces in the same building will free him up to do so.
“Instrument repair is something I’m absolutely fascinated by. I have over time gained a pretty good understanding of the process, but I have barely even scratched the surface in terms of developing my skill set,” he says, “The same goes for teaching, which I love and want to do more of.”
As far as the collectibles are concerned, they will continue to be sold online, and Sidman wants to give them a fair shake in the physical store, too, at least at first. “I do want to see if we get enough foot traffic to make it worth devoting floor space to that stuff,” he says, though he then deadpans, “How many pairs of used cowboy boots are you going to sell in a market of 150,000? Not that many.”
When told that it seems like the decision to move has been well-planned and that the positives far outweigh any conceivable negatives, Sidman responds cheekily, saying, “Well, check in with me in a year’s time and we’ll see if theory and reality are intersecting.”
If the owner’s quick wit and measured outlook are any indications, the Parlor should be thriving in its new environs for many more years to come.
