Has GAK gone? One of the UK’s biggest music retailers has closed its physical store and taken down its websites

Could the UK be about to lose one of its biggest and most colourful music instrument retailers? That’s the situation currently unfolding in Brighton as the GAK brand increasingly disappears from both its physical retail store and any online presence.

Initially announced via a sign in the window of the shuttered store stating "Closed maintenance. We apologise for the inconvenience” on Tuesday 25 March, the closure has been increasingly under scrutiny these past few days with local newspaper, The Argus, leading the investigation into the venerable Brighton-based institution and unearthing increasingly distressing news.

The GAK brand – which stands for Guitar, Amp, Keyboard – grew to prominence under the stewardship of Gary Marshall who started the business in 1992 and built it from a market stall to a full, famous, brightly coloured, bricks-and-mortar store on the city’s North Road.

Soon Marshall was able to build the brand being one of the first retailers in the UK to offer a mail-order service, and then expanding to offer online sales in 2002.

The brand was then acquired in 2021 with the aim of expanding the business and its online presence.

GAK’s apparent troubles became outwardly visible earlier this week when the shop failed to open on Tuesday 25 March with the shop normally open seven days a week.

After failing to open the following day too, fans of the store and those with deposits for music gear currently yet to be delivered, noted that the brand’s website and Reverb store had also closed, with both URLs being taken offline.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances…"

According to The Argus, one customer who ordered a guitar from the online store received an email stating: “Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances the shop is closed and we’re unable to do any trading for the time being.”

Meanwhile, after questioning local traders, the Argus reported that neighbouring shops “expressed confusion” about the store's unannounced closure – a surprising move considering that the brand has been a Brighton staple for over 30 years – and were successful in speaking to staff inside the shop, but who said that they could not comment on what was happening.

Currently, the store is listed as “permanently closed” on Google Maps, although – at the time of writing – its social media channels remain active.

In additional Argus reporting the newspaper has found a listing on Business Sale Report – “the UK’s leading marketplace of small and mid-market businesses for sale” – offering “a musical instrument retailer and supplier in the South East of England, with a turnover of £20,364,000” as being for sale.

The ad reads: “An exciting opportunity to acquire one of the UK's largest and most trusted musical instrument retailers. Offers are invited from serious buyers. Initial offers are to be submitted by 5pm on Friday 28th March 2025, with best and final offers to be submitted by 5pm on Monday 31 March 2025.”

At the time of their acquisition, current owners Max McKellar and Ian Stephens told The Argus: "While 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.

“We also have an exceptional workforce and very experienced and talented management team."

As present the future of the store remains uncertain with no official comment from the store’s owners and no promises being made to those with cash currently being held by the brand.

We've reached out to GAK for comment and will update this story with further news as it breaks.