Bombardment

I don't even know if bombardment is a word, but it is what Guitar Center has been doing to me, and probably to you, too.

If you are one of their customers, you know that they have been relentlessly hurling ads your way.  I have received them in print and online.  The online variety come just about daily.  Surprisingly, the print ads are at least once a week, sometimes, twice.  

This escalation in advertising me causes me to wonder whether things are so good, in the industry, or so bad.   The online advertising doesn't cost anything over their already employed media people's time and expertise.  The print advertising, offering flash sales, used gear, workshops, enumerating their near future podcast topics etc., are a little harder to fathom.  

Have you been to your local Guitar Center lately?  Was it busy?  I'm in an area where there are several Guitar Centers, a few independent guitar shops and I'm just a short ride from Mandolin Brothers, on Staten Island  and the multiplicity of guitar stores in Manhattan.  My local Guitar Centers are buzzing from November until January, with the gift giving season, but when I drive by or go into them, there isn't much traffic.

In all fairness, I get ads via the web and snail mail from other major retail guitar outlets, too.  However, none of them are as unceasing as Guitar Center. I know they are celebrating 49 years in business, but if they don't moderate the   constant shilling, I'll be left no choice but to remove myself from all their lists.