Sony to Down Shutters on its Online Electronics Store Starting August 28

Electronics giant Sony will be winding down its online store on August 28, the company has informed. While the reason behind the electronics major’s decision is not clear yet (Sony, for one, hasn’t explained the specifics behind this step), it is being understood that the company has plans afoot of offering its customers an improved experience going forward. The company has described this pipeline initiative as an “online product showcase”. 

The company’s online store sells an array of electronics such as gaming consoles, smartphones, cameras, home theatre equipment, tablets and televisions. But with the company deciding to down the shutters on its online store before the month ends, customers can only purchase the electronics before 4pm (Eastern Time) on August 28, 2015. The announcement of the Japanese electronics giant’s decision to shut its online stores was made via an email sent to all customers of Sony Store. The email informed customers about the day and time before which the last purchase could be made.

Sony’s latest launch, the Xperia, has received positive reviews from customers. However, the company has still not been able to make much progress as far as reaching out to customers in the United States goes. As compared to the market share commanded by rivals Apple and Samsung, Sony’s share still remains meager. This could possibly be one reason why Sony has decided to try to traditional method of reaching out to its customers directly rather than relying on online channels and middlemen. 

While Sony has performed well across most other product segments in the last quarter, the same doesn’t hold true of its mobile phones business, which dipped by 16.3% in the latest quarterly results. Market analysts also cite the lack of brand awareness as another reason surrounding Sony’s dismal performance in the smartphone domain. If the buzz is to be believed, Sony will now be stressing on improving sales of products that are already faring well and scaling down products and departments that are not in line with expectations.