Bose starts 2020 with the closing down of all retail operations in Europe, N. America, Japan and Australia. The reason? You might have guessed this correctly since it is, as the company puts it, "the dramatic shift to online shopping."
"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," a statement from the company continues. "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."
In total the closures affect 119 "remaining" outlets around the world, leading to the layoffs of an undisclosed number (but possibly in the hundreds) of employees. However Bose will keep 130 other stores in China, UAE, S. Korea, India and SE Asia open, probably due to the fact online shopping remains less of a factor in such markets.
So what next for Bose? According to the statement, the company will further push online retail operations, as well as retain a localised mix of channels tailored for a country or region. However, customers will no longer have a space where they can test out the experience of a full Bose home audio setup.
Go Bose