Sony Closes 11 ‘Style' Stores

By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 4/4/2011

San Diego - Sony Electronics has closed 11 Sony Style stores in as many states.

The closings, conducted on March 20, leave the chain with 45 direct-channel locations, including 16 outlets and a new Sony Store prototype that opened to the public last week in Century City, Calif.

Sony operated some 44 Sony Style stores at their peak in 2008, with plans to expand that number to 60. No additional store closings are planned.

According to a Sony spokesperson, the closings were "a result of our ongoing evaluations and careful review of our future direction. Sony continually evaluates all areas of our retail business to ensure that we are offering the best consumer experience while maximizing profitability."

In a statement, Sony Corp. global sales and marketing officer Kiyoshi Shikano described the new Century City concept store as "a significant step in building a blueprint for future Sony stores, both in the U.S. and around the world," but did not provide a timetable for the build out.

In the meantime, branding for all of the company's stores and websites worldwide will transition from Sony Style to Sony, and the U.S. outlet stores will be renamed Sony Factory Outlet.

The list of last month's closures includes stores in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.