Amsterdam loses maestro store
mainThe century-old Broekmans & Van Poppel store, where maestros bought their batons and scores, is closing down.
Rents are up and business is down. The family can’t afford to keep the store open next door to the Concertgebouw for musicians to drop in all day long. They are moving out to Badhoeverdorp, near Schipol airport.
Now there’s nowhere left to buy music in central Amsterdam.
Willem Mengelberg used to shop at B&VP. And Jacques Brel.
That is really a shock, and demonstrates the pressures culture is under, in NL. This sort of business will not florish near Schiphol either. Literacy on all levels, in all fields, appears to be diminishing.
The shop in Utrecht will not close…and Broekmans & Van Poppel is still selling online. But I agree, it’s not the same as browsing in the real shop, it will be dearly missed…
It’s sad to see this happening. However, probably internet sales have become far more important than in-store sales, and lower rent will be helpful to the bottom line. They are certainly not the first store making such a move.
The same situation happened when Patelson Music House closed in mid-Manhattan, one block from Carnegie Hall.
Actually right across the backstage door.
Patelson’s in NYC is not quite the same situation. They were NOT forced out because of higher rent. The Patelson family owned the building – they could have stayed there as long as they wanted. I believe that in that case, the younger generation/members of the family were not interested in continuing the business and the head of the family decided to just call it a day.
I think it was the son that ran it with little interest. There was no stock, service was poor, you couldn’t order or ask questions on-line or via e-mail. (everything was done via snail mail), they still used an order pad to take orders or queries in store. And this was when Amazon was already in business. It showed in how crowded the store was. In the old days it used to be packed and they usually had stuff in stock.
Sad that the brick & mortar store is closing next the Concertgebouw. When I was there in 2011, I found the place quite interesting.
They are moving, not closing. At least the city will still have stores. Unlike Philadelphia, which has NONE. Not even in the concert hall building.