Treppendorf, Germany (April 28, 2025) — Thomann Music, one of the largest music retailers in the world, has been a family business since its founding just over 70 years ago in 1954. Located in the small village of Treppendorf, Germany, the company has grown to become a global leader in the music retail industry, with over 1,800 employees and a thriving online business. In an exclusive interview, CEO Hans Thomann shared insights into his journey in the music retail business, the company’s phenomenal growth, the secrets to their customer-centric approach, and his vision for the future.
Hans Thomann’s start in the music retail business began in his childhood. His father founded the music shop, Musikhaus Thomann, in 1954. “Don’t tell the Labour Standards Office…I started “working” in the shop when I was just a kid,” Thomann said. “I really loved working with my father and with great pride, I remember selling my first instrument around the age of seven or eight.”
In his late teens and into his twenties, Thomann witnessed many innovations in the world of audio and musical instruments. “There was so much innovation in the MI space, with whole new classes of electric instruments, synthesizers, PA gear, and more coming onto the market. What an exciting time to be involved in the industry!” he recalls.
Thomann’s ability to anticipate trends and connect customers with the instruments they loved proved crucial to the company’s early success and in 1990, he took over as CEO, a role he continues to hold today.
Hans Thomann credits their early adoption of their profitable mail-order and then online sales, recognizing their potential before many competitors. The company’s forward-thinking approach to these channels has been a key driver of its exponential growth and international reach.
“We realized that as a small music store in the countryside, we couldn’t rely on customers coming to us, and the only way to grow was to take steps to go out and find them,” says Thomann. “Our competitors and even some of my friends thought I was certifiably mad when we started sending our “Hot Deals” catalogues to customers. Their belief at the time was ‘No one is going to buy something as personal as an instrument by mail.’ Well, look at where we are today!”
All the emphasis on establishing the Thomann catalog business laid the groundwork for their rapid adoption of the Internet. “The jump into online sales was not as much of a conceptual challenge for us as for other retailers. We could easily adapt what we were already doing in catalogue form to this new sales channel,” Thomann explains. “And luckily, everyone on our team were on the same page. There were no fights between old-guard traditionalists and ‘upstarts’ — we ran both catalogue and online sales side-by-side for many years.”
At the heart of the success of Thomann Music is a deep-rooted passion for music and a strong commitment to customer satisfaction. ” We love music. Just like when my father started the company, music is our passion. I truly believe it is as simple as that. Most people who work at Thomann are musicians; they know what they’re talking about because they truly understand and care for our customers,” he adds. “Sure, we sell instruments, but we also know what those instruments and music can truly mean to people. It’s always been more important to us that our customers get the instrument that they really need and which will truly make them happy, rather than the one with the highest profit margin.”
Their customer-centric approach extends beyond the initial sale to include unparalleled after-sales service, money-back guarantees, and a wealth of online content to support musicians’ growth.
This support extends far beyond the retail environment, Thomann is deeply committed to giving back to the community and ensuring that music is accessible to everyone. In 2012, he launched the Hans Thomann Foundation to support the adoption of music, particularly by children from disadvantaged backgrounds. “Many young people find themselves in similar situations to my father, who had to pull himself up as a musician with little help from his family.” Thomann shared. “Many young people don’t even have the chance to encounter the joy that music can make you feel in their kindergartens and schools anymore. The Hans Thomann Foundation supports projects and scholarships that make music accessible to more people, and I think my father would be proud.”
As Thomann Music looks to the future, Thomann remains focused on maintaining the company’s core values while adapting to a rapidly evolving industry. He anticipates the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and believes the company is well-positioned to leverage this technology for the benefit of its customers.
To ensure the continuity of Thomann Music’s legacy, Thomann has taken significant steps, including establishing a strong C-level executive team and creating a foundation that now owns the company. This foundation is tasked with upholding the Thomann spirit and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the business.
“I am getting on in years and I’ve been thinking about how we can ensure that the Thomann spirit will continue even when myself and the others who’ve built the company from the ground up no longer work here,” he said. “To that effect, a few years ago we introduced a strong team of C-level executives over various areas of the business so that everything doesn’t depend on a single person.”
With a rich history, a dedicated team, and a commitment to innovation, Musikhaus Thomann is well-positioned to continue its success story for generations to come.
Click here to read the complete interview with Hans Thomann on the Celestion Speakerworld blog.
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