Eisner said the decision to move came after years of deliberation amid changing business dynamics and new requests from customers.
‘‘I’ve noticed significant changes in my business over the last 10, 20, 30 years,” Eisner said. ‘‘We’re doing a lot more Internet business and e-mailing. ... A lot higher percentage of people use the Internet to find what they need.”
Eisner said online sales made up about 25 percent of his overall business last year, as opposed to about 10 percent 10 years ago, and he wants to expand the list of instruments he sells in order to meet the growing number of online requests.
‘‘We’re still very much a walk-in destination, but we need to do a better job addressing Internet sales,” he said.
At his new location, Eisner said he will continue to offer services such as instrument rentals, but also add several high-end brand names to his catalogue and create a new sound-engineering division of the business, to be called ‘‘Sounds Reasonable.”
The House of Musical Traditions offers a Monday night concert series, and Eisner also provides engineering for many regional events and festivals, including the annual Takoma Park Street Festival.
Eisner said he envisions a separate room for the sound division, as well as areas for the new lines of guitars, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, American Indian flutes and other instruments he wants to add.
‘‘The accordions might even get their own room if they behave themselves,” he added.
Roz Grigsby, executive director of the Old Takoma Business Association, described Eisner’s store as an ‘‘anchor of the Takoma Park business community” that has established ties in the music community and beyond by sponsoring local sports teams and providing services to public events.
‘‘He already has a strong following that draws from the whole region,” she said, ‘‘and people will follow him wherever he goes.”
She added that the new location should help boost the commercial strip on Westmoreland, which until recently was full of vacant storefronts. Earlier this year, The Tranquil Soul opened at 7014B Westmoreland and last week Echo Park Dance Studios held its grand opening in the adjacent storefront.
Bruce Levin of Keystar LLC, which owns those buildings and the house on Westmoreland that Eisner will lease, said he was happy Eisner chose to stay in Takoma Park.
‘‘We think he’ll be a great anchor for that identity we’re trying to re-resurrect,” he said.
Levin said the house at 7010 Westmoreland, which formerly housed Purple Mountain Organics acupuncture on the main floor and a design remodeling company upstairs, has been vacant for about six months.
John Mangan of Mangan Group Architects, which owns the site at 7040 Carroll Ave., said he does not yet know what will replace the House of Musical Traditions.
Eisner, who said he’s considering installing a corn-burning furnace at his new location, said he hopes whatever moves into his old site will be in line with the spirit of Old Town.
‘‘I’ve been there long enough where I have a sentimental attachment to the building,” he said.
