Audio and video equipment retailer Bose will close all 199 of its physical locations in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia over the next several months as the company pivots to e-Commerce sales, according to CNET. However, all 130 brick-and-mortar stores in China, India, South Korea, Southeast Asia and the United Arab Emirates will remain open for the time being.
The decision was prompted by “a dramatic shift” to online shoppers, according to the company. Shoppers will still be able to purchase Bose products in-store at other retailers.
“Originally, our retail stores gave people a way to experience, test, and talk to us about multi-component, CD and DVD-based home entertainment systems,” said Colette Burke, VP of Global Sales at Bose in a statement. “At the time, it was a radical idea, but we focused on what our customers needed, and where they needed it — and we’re doing the same thing now.”
The company acknowledged that there will be job losses as a result of the change, but didn’t reveal how many employees would be affected. Bose plans to make severance payments and help laid off workers find new employment.
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