UK music retail titan GAK has been acquired by Gear4music for a sum of £2.4 million.
On Tuesday, March 25, the famed yellow GAK store on Brighton's North Road blinked out temporarily, displaying a message: "Closed for maintenance. Apologies for the inconvenience." That initial shutdown was just a foreshadowing of the tough times ahead for GAK enthusiasts.
The once-thriving GAK brand, famously known for Guitar, Amp, Keyboard, was established back in the 90s by the original owner, Gary Marshall. Over the years, the company expanded its brick-and-mortar store and forayed into mail order and online sales in 2002[3]. By 2021, it passed to new owners, Max McKellar and Ian Stephens[1].
They optimistically told the local paper The Argus about the new opportunities, stating that "GAK and the music industry have encountered and overcome challenges in recent years, we are now perfectly placed to take advantage of both short and long-term opportunities."[1]
However, in the days following that ominous notice in their window, the company's website and Reverb stores shut down. Suspicions arose, and one customer who ordered a guitar online received an email stating that "due to unforeseen circumstances, the shop is closed and we're unable to do any trading for the time being."[1]
Things took a turn for the worse when The Argus reported a listing on Business Sale Report offering "a musical instrument retailer and supplier in the South East of England, with a turnover of £20,364,000" for sale[3]. It seemed that the GAK game was over.
Fast-forward, it appears that the company has new owners—the popular online Gear4Music chain. Announcing via their website, they revealed that the company has purchased the remaining stock, websites, trademarks, and commercial data from the Administrators of GAK.co.uk Ltd and The Guitar, Amp & Keyboard Centre Ltd (together, "GAK")[2].
Although they've taken over the stock and assets, Gear4Music clarified that they "are not acquiring any part of GAK's trading business, nor any other assets or liabilities, and have no current plans to use the GAK trading name."[2]
Unfortunately, the closure of the physical store leaves employees like Connor Wyatt, a Brighton-based staff member, facing redundancy[1]. After weeks of uncertainty, Connor has attached a poster to the storefront providing his contact details for repair services[1].
The good news lies in the financial benefits for Gear4music. According to The Business Desk, their shares increased by 19 percent following the purchase deal, amounting to £1.8 million in value[2].
The demise of GAK in the UK follows a series of struggles faced by music equipment retailers such as the wind-up of Dutch retailer Bax Music and the US-based Guitar Center chain being marked as "distressed"[4]. Evidently, the industry is facing challenging times, with rising costs, shrinking margins, and changes in consumer behavior due to the cost of living crisis[2].
References:
- The Argus
- Gear4music
- Business Sale Report
- Moody's and S&P Global Ratings
- Enrichment data
Enrichment Data:- The overall situation shows that GAK, a music retailer in Brighton, ceased trading in April 2025.- Gear4Music acquired GAK's stock, websites, trademarks, and commercial data following GAK's closure.- Gear4Music did not continue the GAK brand as a physical store, implying that GAK as a retailer in Brighton ceased independent operations.- The acquisition of assets by Gear4Music represented a financial benefit for the company, with shares increasing by 19 percent in value.- The demise of GAK is part of a broader trend of struggles faced by specialist music equipment retailers, characterized by increased costs, shrinking margins, and changing consumer behavior.
The company, GAK, known for its Guitar, Amp, Keyboard retail business, faced numerous challenges, leading to the closure of its physical store in Brighton and its online platforms. Despite Gear4Music acquiring GAK's stock, websites, trademarks, and commercial data, the GAK brand in Brighton has ceased independent operations, leaving employees like Connor Wyatt jobless. The struggling music equipment retail industry, with rising costs, shrinking margins, and changing consumer behavior due to the cost of living crisis, seems to be facing challenging times.
