As someone who used to shop at Our Price Records (pre WHS acquisition) on the King’s Rd near Sloane Square, I trusted the people behind the jump far more when discussing records than I did paper & mag reviewers.
A knowledgeable (sales) person is often what’s needed.
Not sure that’s true. I think one problem is that many people find hifi shops intimidating and would be reluctant to step inside one. We are all geeky hifi lunatics here but not, I suspect, representative of the full range of potential buyers. My nearest JL is close to a very wealthy part of Cheshire and I can well imagine a customer going for an Atom + speakers bundle who would never step inside a traditional dealers.
Roger
So are they going to teach JL staff to solder NACA5? Those small plugs that are supplied with the Atom are a bitch to solder well, and some Naim dealers can’t even do it properly.
I’d guess that the bundle probably includes a pair of 3.5m cables already terminated? Like you say I can’t see NAC A5 being cut to length and soldered in a JL store.
Potentially a good move by Focal/Naim provided they handle it right with JL in particular.
Given that hi-fi dealers do seem to be moving away from town centres, are not particularly conducive to walk-in shoppers, and still I think, have more than a whiff of the “Not the nine o’clock news” hi-fi dealer sketch about them, the decision to place products in stores with a potential for high footfall with the chance of looking at something without being immediately hassled may prove profitable.
JL, whatever its’ current woes is still seen as appealing to a wealthier demographic .
However, I would hope and suggest that Naim run some product training sessions however and wherever feasible this may be, or they will risk damaging the brand if JL customers run into problems with the gear (see all the queries in the streaming section) and the JL staff are seen to be clueless.
Richer Sounds and entry-level Naim is also a potential winner. Julian Richer has always had a strong emphasis on the customer, and a positive attitude towards his employees, which is reflected in the many staff who have worked for him for a good while in an industry which is renowned for staff "churn
If they aren’t already, Naim really are missing a trick not having these bundles set and sold in the Bentley car show rooms. £3k is probably less than a couple of options on Bentley so one of systems would look a complete bargain.
Lewis is probably associated with another audio brand so he couldn’t be seen with it unless Naim actually paid him to endorse their products. Wouldn’t be cheap though.
Looking at the top-end TVs John Lewis sells (bloddy hell!), I wouldn’t be suprised at all, if these customers left a few £K in JL for a good looking and good sounding music system. They might have a multi-channel system for their “home cinema”, but maybe something “small” and “pretty” for the open-plan kitchen/family space in the back of the house?
Having priced each item up individually (assuming NacA5 @ 35.00/metre x 2x 3.5 metre lengths) the bundled package equates to a saving of close to a grand. Unusually, in my experience, thus is not only a very decent saving, it is also a genuine saving.
We all like to think we are getting a deal. This package, from genuine “hifi” manufacturers should any decent sales person an edge.
As I have said above, it really depends on how John Lewis in particular are going to handle this and what Focal/Naim are proposing to do in conjuction with JL to get it to work. Our local JL is at Blue water, and it is really not well set up to demonstrate their Muso, let alone the Atom package.
Its interesting to see everyones viewpoints on this move to sell some Naim items at JL. My view is simple, Naim is in the business of selling as much HiFi as they can, whilst at the same time maintaining “exclusivity”. So, JL seems a good fit, as per Bentley. More units sold via this outlet equals a stonger Naim business so hopefully more high end items will be developed for us HiFi nuts!
I also support the view expressed by some that a percentage of JL customers would not even blink at shelling out £3-4 k on a music system and I am not really sure they really want a full in-depth demo either…its just small change item. Oh to be so lucky myself 
ROTFLOL !!!
That has made my day Lolol
That’s the key word.
Strange Naim don’t include some WAF flexible loudspeaker cable, A5 will become the dealbreaker for non-audiophiles.
I suggest the new very thin Chord (Sarsen ?)
He’s seen wearing a watch where ever he goes. Unless he’s carrying that Nova under his arm I don’t think Naim would get that much exposure compared to IWC.
Do you use it? Just so happens that’s what I use with my Atom / Iotas. I have a some spare NACA5 and tried that at first but it’s just too stiff for wall mounted Iotas. Sarsen is much more flexible and almost disappears which is desirable for wall mounts.
Roger
Been a relative newbie back into this world. Many moons ago Back in the early nineties I owned a Linn Axis, audio lab 800a and some Tannoys . Fast forward some decades to about 5 years ago, wandering round some large well known retailer I come across the Muso, wow I think look at that beautiful construction and that volume control and its a Naim !!! Fast forward to about 6 weeks ago I now own a star purchased from a very helpful dealer. The Muso, in a large retailer re-ignited the flame.
I suspect as a few people have mentioned that the average JL customer will either have never heard of Naim or visited, or even think about specialist hifi retailers. The atom is a snazzy bit of kit which would definitely attract customers attention and I can see them selling a few. I would also be hopeful that when they hear what it can do that it may then prompt a bit of research into ‘what else do this Naim brand make?’ …
That is when the specialist dealers may well get a phone call or visit (and sales) and very likely the forum a few new members… 
Admitedly I don’t know many people, but at least 99% haven’t heard of Naim until they see my Muso and Lite at home.
They like how it sounds, but wouldn’t consider such items due to cost, but would spend thousands on cruises, homes, cars, motorhomes etc.
They’ll only get chance to hear what they can do if they’re set up properly in the stores. Naim could nail it if they can have an input on this.
As well as setting one up in the usual electronics section, why not install one in the sofa/seating section where you’d normally have it anyway? JL have multiple sofa/room set ups for each range, so Muso in one area, an Atom/Chora in another. Go as far as Muso QB in the Kitchen section.
I should be in marketing… 