It could have very well been the shop where most of us bought our first cassette tape or CD from.
But another sign of the times has hit an iconic music retailer that once had stores operating in several locations on the Sunshine Coast.
The enduring Australian brand Sanity has announced it will permanently close the doors of its many bricks-and-mortar stores around Australia after more than 40 years of operation.
The music retailer started with a lone store back in 1980 in Melbourne’s Doncaster, founded by Australian business heavyweight Brett Blundy.
The company was then purchased by Ray Itaoui 13 years ago.
Now, as we move more into a digital world and online shopping has become more prevalent when buying entertainment, Sanity will close its 50 remaining physical stores by the end of April, in line with their respective lease expirations.
Sanity stores were once located on the Sunshine Coast in suburbs including Noosa, Maroochydore, Kawana and Caloundra.
The last Sanity store left standing in the region is in Gympie.
“With our customers shifting to digital for their visual and music content consumption, and with diminishing physical content available to sell to our customers, it has made it impossible to continue with our physical stores,” Mr Itaoui said.
“Our online business sanity.com.au will continue to operate, and will service the many loyal customers the brand has continued to be dedicated to over the decades.
“Our priority right now is to ensure each of our team members knows exactly what this means for their career and employment future.”
“Our team is also working hard to ensure every customer receives all orders they have placed with us, including all pre-orders, which will be dispatched through our online business if the store is closed by the time their order arrives.”
Sanity did not comment when asked how many jobs would be lost in the closures.
Customers are encouraged to ask any questions about their orders by emailing enquires@sanity.com.au and all gift vouchers will also be redeemable online.
But despite the challenging and ever-evolving entertainment landscape, Mr Itaoui said the Sanity business had prospered and remained successful for many years.
“There is so much to be proud of,” Mr Itaoui said.
“With Brett Blundy building Sanity from the ground up in 1980 – going on to become one of Australia’s most respected and recognisable retailers – the Sanity brand became synonymous with the go-to place to get anything that mattered in the world of music: from vinyl, to CDs and DVDs, hardware, accessories, and of course face-to-face advice on everything musical.
“The business prospered and remained successful for many years, thanks to the dedication and commitment of our entire team.
“I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the Sanity team, past and present, and express my pride around their achievements, as well as thank them for their hard work, dedication and relentless commitment to ensuring they exceeded customer service expectations. Without this, Sanity would not have lasted as long as it has, and it’s this I am most proud of.”
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