How would you run an audio salon?

A lot would depend on the cost of floor space, but a I have sometimes thought about a variation of Pedrillo's idea:

Arrange a store with all equipment on display (on wheels/rolling stands) in a large area as you walk in. Two or three different sized, but treated, listening areas sit empty in back. move gear as necessary for a demo.

As a practical matter, more affordable gear may be arranged in standard fashion in another room. I realize that this idea is space/time intensive and won't work in Manhattan, but maybe Manhattan, Kansas?

I wonder if an in home store for high quality two channel sound would work. If there were more stores with lower overhead it could be that more people could be introduced to hi end audio. Friendly personal service always is a key to building a customer base.

Alot of great ideas!
When I mentioned the one speaker/system in a room- I forgot to mention there would be a couple of rooms.
What I am trying to say is: since my experience has shown me that when entering an audio salon never blew me away with amazing sound when what I have at home is so much better why not have a business with a couple of rooms but in each of the room with a different flavor of course have it set up with components that match very well and produce an incredibly realistic sound like never heard before.
Just think about how the trickle-down technology has led the mid-fi equipment to sound pretty damn good. When I walk into bestbuy I am surprised at how good the lesser expensive stuff sounds, it is so good for the money, really. The audiophile salon has to really blow the peoples minds in that amazing presentaion. That is more likely to happen when the room is dedicated to one set up with no other idling speakers there to resonate when a demo is given with the other speaker playing.
And I would treat that room with acoustical traps and diffusers to get it perfect, who cares if you risk scaring off the customer with too much ancillaries, chances are they will not notice it but the music will defenitely be noticed!!
One system but amazingly impressive, downright explosive, head-turner, shockingly amazing. And all this with each room at different price points.
When we audiophiles go to expos, don't we seek out the rooms known to be as the best in the world, are we not there to hear what could be the best sound possible to discover what potential could be had.
I went to a couple shops in nyc recently, and I can only think of the one system that was set up properly, it even beat out the wilson sophias, maybe because one was digital and the other analog. But as you can see, the wilson are one of the highly recognized companies but verity fidelios sounded better to me at least. JMHO. But it wasn't just the fidelio's, shindo and gerrard may be the key players.
That's the way in my mind to run an audio salon, leave a lasting impression.
I still believe the source is significant, and if the prospective customer can't afford the $ tag of the whole system the salesman can remind them it's a steping stone, and that a temporay solution can be used such as this: the first step would be sell the speakers/amp as a package and a cd/preamp combo as a temporary source. And later on the better preamp and cd player or turntable can be purchased to bring up to snuff the sound in the customers home to match what was heard in the showroom.

The in home idea is a good one. Back in the late 70's we had a guy here in Las Vegas that set up a system in his home and sold by word of mouth. I can't remember all the components but the Sequarra Pyramid speaker system still stands out in my mind.

The model has already changed in the UK, High street stores have disappeared with a few exceptions. People work from home or small lock ups, consultations by appointment. It may be because the market is shrinking, but do you really need to cater for a passing trade? Do people walk pass and say "darn it, I knew there was something I needed, a $200,000 HiFi system". No obviously they do'nt. If you have appointments only, it can be a one man and his wife band. Many work from home only, with very long suffering wives. You save on staff and High street fixed costs, rent and taxes
You can provide a personal service which can include:
Dems set up for the customers particular needs
Home dems and home problem solving with accessories/room treatment
Loaners
Taking in part exchanges, a good selection often attracts me to a dealer
Skilled services, particularly turntable set up and a good engineer who can repair onsite.

It is not news that the High End is contracting round the world, but that brings opportunities too. Small scale, skilled retailers and cottage industry manufacturers. Look at the range of excellent new small scale producers, particularly in the US, K&K audio, Daedalus, Ridge Street, Tyler and many more. They can undercut the biggies by direct selling, no advertising, marketing budgets, but selling by word of mouth, as it should be.