Slow sales sound piano store’s coda

Playing a real piano isn’t exactly a dying art, but selling the instruments has become too much of a challenge for one venerable Hawaii retailer, Sanders Piano Co.

The Honolulu business announced Tuesday that it will close after 42 years once it liquidates its inventory of about 100 pianos in its store at 1500 S. King St. in Pawaa.

Company founder William Sanders said trends affecting piano sales — including electronic keyboards, online retailers and diminishing music education in public schools — were factors in the decision to close. Sanders also recently turned 80.

"It’s probably time for me to do something different — you might call it retirement," he said in an interview.

Brianna Kendrick, a piano teacher and Hawaii Pops Orchestra music librarian, said she was saddened but not surprised to hear about Sanders Piano.

"It’s really a shame," she said. "Playing a real instrument is really incomparable."

Kendrick, who bought a used grand piano from Sanders in 2011, said most students or parents of her students were interested in buying alternatives to real pianos for reasons such as cost, maintenance and space.

"Nobody wanted to invest in a real piano," she said. "Pianos aren’t considered as part of household furniture like it was a couple generations ago. They are often looked at as more of a burden."

Sanders established his business in 1972 after moving to Hawaii in 1959 and working for a piano store owned by his uncle Ed Jeffrey. After Jeffrey died, Sanders founded his own company on Keawe Street in Kaka­ako.

The business today has three employees. At one time Sanders Piano had three stores in Hono­lulu, Windward Mall and Pearl Highlands Center. The Windward Mall store closed about six years ago, followed about three years later by the Pearl Highlands store, called Piano Outlet.

Sanders said a sluggish economy and lower levels of discretionary income have hurt traditional piano retailers.

Sanders said he will be cutting prices "to the bone" on pianos in his store, where new and used pianos range in price from roughly $3,500 to $70,000.

"We’ve got quite a bit of inventory," he said. "We want to sell that through."

Sanders said he is keeping his options open for alternate business opportunities, and will continue to honor and service existing warranties.