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'End of an Era Moment': Music Retailer Sam Ash to Shut Down After 100 Years in Business The retailer currently has 42 locations across the U.S.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

It's the end of a century-long era for the iconic music retailer Sam Ash, which announced on Monday that it's shutting its doors for good.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce that effective May 2, 2024, all Sam Ash Music Store locations will begin store closing sales," the company penned on its website. "This unfortunate news also presents a fantastic opportunity for great deals across our premium selection of musical instruments & pro sound equipment. We will also be offering specials on samash.com during this time. Thank you for allowing us to serve musicians like you for 100 years."

The company currently has 42 locations across the country in New York, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Nevada.

Related: Bon Jovi, Darius Rucker Warn About AI Tech in Music Industry

Sam Ash was originally founded in 1924 by Sam and Rose Ashkynase, Austrian immigrants with a love of music. According to the company's website, Sam and Rose pawned her engagement ring for $400 and took the cash to open the first-ever Sam Ash store in Brooklyn in 1924.

Derek Ash, the great-grandson of Sam and Rose, Derek Ash, told the New York Times that it's been tough to compete with online shopping and that it was a "necessity" to shut down the brick-and-mortar stores.

"A lot of this has been the move to online shopping," he told the outlet. "There are so many choices, and to maintain a store with that much selection is very difficult."

Social media users posted about the retailer's demise.

Related: Top Musicians Scored $200 Million in Pandemic Taxpayer Cash

All Sam Ash locations will shutter by July, while some will close as early as the end of May.

The retailer earned the title "The World's Favorite Music Store" for its motto "Come In and Play," which encourages musicians to use and test out the equipment inside any of the company's stores.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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