Secret Shopper: Norwich

Secret shopper knew there was a good selection of shops in Norwich, but never expected to find East Anglia’s answer to Denmark Street. Here’s what he found…

Musicroom

For a shop of average size, this is another example of a Musicroom store that manages to fit an impressive amount of kit into a fairly limited space.
 
Once met by an assistant, I was given a very helpful run-through of what sets the Tanglewood Cove Creek model apart from some of the budget options and I was encouraged to have a quick strum myself so I could hear the difference in quality.
Service here was very good overall and after a bit of eavesdropping on another sale taking place, it appeared that it wasn’t just my assistant who was doing his job properly.

3/5
All the major sectors are represented here and you’ll be pleased with the service, but it did seem a bit cluttered.

Jack White

Having been blown away by the Ipswich branch, I had high expectations here. Everything was immaculately presented and I barely had time to look around before being seen.

Once again it was the wall of ukes to my right that caught my attention, as there were some fine models on display spanning a variety of price points. Each one I pointed out was given a detailed description and again I was handed a few to try out and was even shown how to play a few chords. Jack White’s acoustic guitar and digital piano offering is also excellent in both variety and presentation.

4/5
Represents each of its chosen MI categories brilliantly and you’ll be sure to get all the help you need to make the right purchase.

Cookes

The first thing I noticed here was the abundance of space that was available. In every room, except the upstairs drum section, there was plenty of space for further displays.

Declaring my interest in a Mexican Strat, I was shown a number of other possibilities by my jovial assistant, who went on to fill me in on some of the other Fender lines.

The acoustic and bass room had a pleasant feel about it, but the displays seemed a little under capacity. The second-floor drum department was fantastic though, offering all manner of kits and accessories, as well as an attractive world percussion section.

3/5
A large shop with some great brands on show and cheerful, quality service, but the open space needs to be filled to make it a true PMT challenger.

Anglia Drum Centre

This little shop might be the smallest in town, but it does well to fit as much as possible inside without coming across as overfilled. I was surrounded by cymbals as I walked in, so I decided to take a look at the Sabian display.

For a non-drummer, the differences between cymbals can be hard to grasp, but the very likeable guy who served me was happy to crash around on a variety of models in order to explain what separates them. All of my questions were answered without fuss and I left feeling that I had learnt a great deal, which I wasn’t expecting.

4/5
A charming little store with everything a drummer would need and a good range of choice and brands, but perhaps it is just a little too small to get full marks.

AW Cooke & Son

Even though pianos were clearly its specialty, I thought I’d ask about what this store could offer me in the entry-level keyboard category. I was then shown a small Yamaha display near the entrance.

Even though there were only one or two suitable, I was taken through to another room with more to choose from that were slightly higher up the scale. Despite them being above my budget, it was great to have someone take the time to explain some of the technology on offer and show me what I could get if I parted with a bit more cash, rather than try and get me in and out as soon as possible.

4/5
I was delighted with the level of service and the shop’s appearance, but it’s a shame there wasn’t one or two more starter keyboards to choose from.

PMT

Similar to the other PMT stores I’ve visited, the level of stock on show here is simply mind-boggling. You’d struggle to find a store with more guitars to choose from in the South East and the Roland Planet section is sure to attract the more ‘techie’ shopper.
 
I honestly could have spent all day wandering around this store and it was difficult to fault the sales skills of the lad who came to serve me almost straight away. Last time I visited a PMT store I left very disappointed with the level of service, but I was pleased to discover that that may have been a one-off.

5/5
More to choose from than you could ever possibly need, all immaculately presented in a modern, spacious environment. I was even given an ice cream. Spot on.

CONCLUSION

Having left Norwich, I am shocked that the city is not better known for its music shops. Aside from Denmark Street, I have not yet visited a street in the UK with so much instrumental variety and it definitely deserves recognition.

Amazingly, not one of these stores appears to be suffering from the level of competition Maybe it was because of the sublime weather, but it was great to be served with a smile, along with genuine dedication to make a sale.

PMT edges the contest mainly due to its unbeatable stock levels and financial clout, but they are all fine shops in their own right and good service featured in each.