We have some sad news for traditional retail fans: The ABC has announced the closure of all of its stores as it moves to an online retail model. From now on, you’ll need to buy your Doctor Who paraphernalia elsewhere. Sniff.
ABC is set to close all its brick and mortar retail stores in Australia to concentrate on online sales. ABC Shops around the country will be phased out and closed over the next few months, resulting in the loss of around 300 jobs. The mass closure will encompass all 50 stores in operation as well as 78 smaller ABC Centre outlets.
The broadcaster will instead focus on digital sales through ABC Shop Online and retail partners such as David Jones. As expected, the decision came down to flagging sales in the face of increased competition from subscription services, downloads and online retailers.
“It is no longer possible for the ABC to sustain a large network of leased stores, traditionally reliant on DVD and CD formats,” the ABC said in a statement.
We’re of two minds about this announcement. On the one hand, ABC’s retail stores were always overpriced. They were also kind of twee and stuffy.
On the other hand, they were great when you needed a gift for a geriatric relative at the last minute. Grabbing DVDs of As Time Goes By, One Foot In The Grave and Keeping Up Appearances will now be a little bit harder.
See also: Beware Of These Pricing Tricks Retailers Use To Fool Your Brain
[Via ABC News]
Comments
13 responses to “ABC Is Shutting Down All Its Shops Across Australia”
This must have been kept from staff until very recently. A friend was just employed at a Perth store last week.
So yes, very recently.
A phased exit will probably involve some shops being open for a while yet, and they still need people to run the place in the meantime.
How is it harder? A lot of JB stores have a BBC section which is where a lot of the series you mentioned come from.
And if you plan ahead, you can easily get said content via Amazon.co.uk for even cheaper.
True, but JB Hi-Fi only carries a few copies of niche ABC titles and they are slow to replenish stock. As I said above, it only makes things harder if you’re shopping at the last minute. (Which obviously rules out online.)
If you’re searching for niche gifts you shouldnt be doing it at the last minute.
True dat, but buying a gift for auntie #3 who you never normally see rarely involves advance planning.
Growing up in the late 80’s and early 90’s, when the original Doctor Who series ended and merchandise was less plentiful than now, the ABC Store was a magical place.
The ABC store is the same to me as National Geographic. Lots of cool overpriced stuff I’ll never buy.
Possibly ‘Australian Geographic’??
LOL. Yeah, that’s the one.
EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
Thanks Obama
It’s a shame, ABC actually has decent merch – if somewhat overpriced. Hopefully they do some other deals with retail channels to make it easy to get their stuff.