Sad news for old school music lovers, movie geeks and gamers: All the Musica stores in South Africa will be closing down after 29 years in retail. Retail Group Clicks (who own Musica) has announced this (after several years of decline).
More info about Musica
Clicks acquired the brand in 1992 and was the leading South African entertainment brand for decades. Musica has closed 19 stores since the start of the 2021 financial year and is currently trading from 59 outlets. The remaining stores will be closed as leases expire over the next four months when the majority of leases terminate. The full closure of the chain will take effect from 31 May 2021.
The chain has been operating in a declining market for a few years. This is owed to the structural shift globally to the digital consumption of music, movies and games from the traditional physical format. The digital consumption was accellerated, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clicks has released the following statement
“In the stores which have been closed since September 2020, the Musica staff have been absorbed into the group’s expanding health and beauty store network. Management is committed to accommodating the remaining staff within the group where this is operationally feasible.”
“Further detail on the financial and operational impact of Musica’s closure will be communicated to shareholders with the release of the group’s interim results in April 2021.”
RIP Musica. I will miss browsing around your stores for CDs, DVDs and cool gadgets that enhanced my entertainment experience. I will miss the thrill of finding that long lost Nirvana album or DVD that I couldn’t find anywhere else. I will still be spending bucks at Clicks to help those ex-employees who are now working there.
Watch this space for updates in the Music News category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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