JustMusic Berlin: Closed as of 18 March 2024
TL;DR: JustMusic Berlin closed as of 18 March 2024 after a long time without profit, under price pressure from online giants. From that date no new repair jobs are accepted, but legal warranty and guarantee cases are still handled via service@justmusic.de. I translated the German notice from justmusic.de into English.
On a personal note, and because I just discovered it today, I translated the German version from justmusic.de into English. Justmusic was always an amazing place to purchase everything around music, but also get a look and feel before you do. Online supermarkets like Thomann killed their margin, now they are dead. Its sad.
Why JustMusic closed
Despite a wide range of counter-measures and restructurings, JustMusic had not been operating profitably for quite some time. Our core business shifted more and more to a handful of online giants with far leaner cost structures. The price pressure they generated left us unable to compete, as an all-around, brick-and-mortar retailer in a major city, with the associated staffing and operating costs. Unlike those online giants, we could not offset steadily shrinking margins through sheer sales volume.
Even within local specialist music retail, a severe shortage of skilled staff had long been evident, preventing us from fully using the advantages we once enjoyed over online competitors. Other factors were also beyond our control. Government-mandated shop closures and restrictions during the pandemic, inflation, sharply rising operating costs, and a waning demand for the “luxury good” of musical instruments in uncertain economic times.
After many years of fighting back, and following the internal restructurings during and after the pandemic, which included closing our branches in Hamburg, Munich, and Dortmund as well as the Piano Galerie in Wilmersdorf, we saw no further way to reverse the downward trend.
A loss for Berlin
With JustMusic, the capital city has lost not only another department store, but also a meeting place for musicians and music lovers, an element of tradition and culture. Management and every JustMusiker did everything possible in recent years to secure the company’s future. We deeply regret that we did not succeed.
To all our customers and friends of the house we extend our heartfelt thanks for your loyalty and support. We likewise thank all current and former colleagues for their dedication and loyalty over the decades.
Important information on service and repairs
From 18 March 2024 we will no longer be able to accept new repair jobs. Service requests already received or in progress will, of course, be completed, and warranty cases already submitted will be processed. Fulfilment of statutory warranty obligations remains our top priority.
Even after 18 March 2024 we will fully honour our legal warranty obligations as well as justified claims under our voluntary JustMusic guarantee. However, we will no longer accept repairs that lie outside those warranty/guarantee commitments.
Warranty/guarantee cases that have already been registered, whether sent in or dropped off, will continue to be handled by our service team and partners. Once your instrument/product is ready, we will contact you. You may then collect it by appointment or have it shipped to you.
For all questions about service cases and repairs, please email service@justmusic.de and include your service-case number or repair-order number, along with a copy of the invoice for the product/instrument, a clear description of the defect/fault, the product’s serial number, and your contact details and a phone number so we can reach you if necessary.
Please understand that, for logistical reasons, personal complaints or in-person drop-off of repair items at our location will no longer be possible from 18 March 2024 onward.
For all other matters, please contact info@justmusic.de.