Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Music retailer still hitting all the right notes for customers after 16 years
DUNDEE has no shortage of buskers and musicians, so it comes as no surprise that Kenny’s Music is still going strong 16 years after opening.
The shop was opened in 2008 by Kenny Graham. It has been a one-stop shop for musical instruments ever since.
The company is now owned by Alex Marten who took it over after Kenny retired in 2022.
Dundee was the first location and the company has expanded to Dunfermline, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
The city centre shop has endured while many other businesses have been forced to close. Its location on Castle Street means many locals walk by daily.
But what makes the shop retain success in an ever-changing high street?
Someone who has been with the shop from the beginning is manager Drew Innes.
Originally from Fife, Mr Innes moved to Dundee for the job and has been one of the core members of the business.
“I’ve been the manager since it first became Kenny’s Music, so since June 2008. I was one of the founder members of the company,” he said.
“The company kind of came about off the back of the demise of Sound Control.
“Sound Control was a company that ran for many years and they had stores UK-wide. And unfortunately they were a casualty of the 2008 housing market crash along with many other businesses.
“Kenny’s Music was born from that. I’ve been here the whole time and have no plans to go anywhere.”
The shop specialises in modern musical instruments and accessories.
Owner Mr Marten added: “We stock more big brands than any other retailer nearby. We’ve got
Fender guitars, Gibson guitars and Yamaha pianos you won’t see elsewhere.
“We’re also focusing more on pre-owned musical instruments. Partly because of the environmental considerations, but it also means we’ve got a wider range for people to view. And we can offer better prices.”
One aspect the shop takes pride in is how welcoming and inclusive it is to the local community.
The store looks to get involved with the musical community in any way it can.
Mr Innes said: “We recently sponsored a piano festival at
Dundee High School, so we took some pianos up for the kids to try. We’ve also been judges at Battle of the Bands competitions.
“Nowadays social media is a big thing as well. In Dundee, we have a thing called the Perpetual Open Mic.
“We have a small stage area set up at the front of the shop and anyone can just come in, grab a guitar and get up on stage.”
The shop then records the performances and promotes the musicians’ upcoming gigs, music and social media pages on their Facebook and Instagram.
Mr Marten added: “It’s all about supporting musicians. We want to be a central hub for the music community in Dundee. We respect that people support us by buying from us and we will repay the favour by supporting them.”
The store also partnered with Music Collective Scotland. This is an organisation that provides music lessons to young people. They currently rent the third floor of the shop for classes.
Mr Marten added: “I think music is all about community, so as a music store we’ve got to be right in the middle of that community.
“I think it’s really important because they’re the future musicians in Scotland.”
Like many businesses, Kenny’s Music has experienced the downsides of retail.
The current cost-of-living crisis means the business is seeing more competition with online shopping.
Mr Innes said: “There’s fewer people coming into the city as it is, and the introduction of the Low Emission Zone means that it might be difficult for people to visit.”
Coupled with declining footfall, they both believe the shop would benefit from support.
Mr Marten said: “I think it’s really important to keep business rates low for independent businesses like ours, so we can compete against online retail, which is our main competition.
“Our focus is on in-store, local business because musicians and beginners want to be able to touch, play and hear their instruments.
“I think the local council should be trying to minimise the costs of running a business in Dundee.”
He added: “We want to keep doing what we do and keep bringing people into the city. What we offer is so much more than you can get on a website.
“We welcome and encourage people to come in and try out the instruments, or just hang out.”