Bose To Shutter All Retail Stores In North America
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (CBS) – Bose says it is closing all 119 of its retail stores in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia over the next few months, citing "the dramatic shift to online shopping."
Bose opened its first U.S. store in 1993. These days, the company says its products are increasingly being sold online.
"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 Bose vice president of global sales Colette Burke said 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."
There is currently a Bose store at Folsom Premium Outlets.
Bose isn't saying how many employees will be affected by the closures, but the company is offering outplacement assistance and severance.
About 130 stores in Asia and the Middle East will remain open.