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RIP Parts-Express (as we knew it).

K

Ktacos

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Looks like PE was bought out by private equity. They closed the storefront and I heard they fired all the storefront employees who I had a pretty nice relationship with. Talks about ending the speaker competition. This is probably the beginning of the end for them so get your orders in, I give them a few years tops before they're gone. The Enshittification of everything continues. Shout out to the owners of the company who decided to take a fat check and kill their company.
 
Oh man, good prices, top service and easy access to a large variety of products. Horrible news.

Maybe there is a chance it will keep going....
 
Thanks, I hate it.
 
The person who owned the company decided to retire after running it for thirty-nine years. There was only one 'retail' location—which probably didn't make a lot of money—that acted essentially as a 'will call' desk. There is no information on the site about what's happening other than the mention of the store closing on the "Contact Us" page and this post on their forum about the sale and retirement of the owner.
 
I haven't bought anything from them in over a decade, but it was always comforting to know that they were there if needed
I hope they stick around. There is a real need for such a company
 
Sorry to hear that. I have been going to the showroom for years. Always went to the July 4th sale. Free hotdogs and pops! My go to for cables of all sorts. I still use the Titanic sub kit that I bought 25 years ago. Bought my first good set of headphones there many years ago too. (Sennheiser HD-25 II). Folks were always friendly. Found some good deals on the odds and ends aisle. Stinks.
 
Thanks for sharing and happy for the former owners.

They ran a successful business and have earned their retirement. Hopefully the rest of us will not suffer too much. :)
 
Guy starts business, works it for 30 years, sells business to enjoy retirement. This is how private business works. New owners will have an opportunity to earn/keep customers… or not and other businesses will take their place and earn their business. Businesses get sold, fail, and started every day.
 
The sticking point is that new owners now have the purchase debt to service. What this typically means is that the business revenue needs to increase and changes in the business model are implemented to speed up recovery of purchase price and return $$ to investors. It's possible we're already seeing this as PE seems to be moving towards becoming a retailer of completed products as opposed to parts and pieces. I imagine the margins in parts and pieces are increasingly hard to maintain, much less increase. Lots of directions it could go, but "business as usual" isn't in the cards for most private equity purchases.
 
This is indeed concerning news. I've just built a set of C-Notes (everything but painting), which sound great, and I'm already thinking about the next project. Who do we turn to now for affordable speaker kits? CSS? Madisound? Any other recommendations? I'm new so I'm assuming there are a lot of vendors out there I haven't heard of.
 
marlin said:
...Who do we turn to now for affordable speaker kits?
Click to expand...
Well, you probably have a few years. If they destroy the company, it's usually a pretty slow process.

The problem is the word "affordable". PE is the main (and exclusive in some cases) supplier in the US of Peerless, HiVi, Tang Band, Visiton, Ciare, Morel, Beyma, FaitalPRO, as well as their house brands Dayton Audio and GRS.
 
a4eaudio said:
Well, you probably have a few years. If they destroy the company, it's usually a pretty slow process.

The problem is the word "affordable". PE is the main (and exclusive in some cases) supplier in the US of Peerless, HiVi, Tang Band, Visiton, Ciare, Morel, Beyma, FaitalPRO, as well as their house brands Dayton Audio and GRS.
Click to expand...
Yes. "Affordable" is vague and highly dependent on monetary resources.
 
Mr. Widget said:
That is horrible news.
Private equity firms are gobbling up companies across America like some form of unstoppable plague fed by personal greed.
Click to expand...
what's-for-dinner-robert-shaw.gif

blimey does this parts express can be totally gone in few years ? need more dayton bass shakers
 
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