Sony to close all 14 Canadian stores within 2 months

Sony is closing all14 of its stores in Canada over the next sixto eightweeks, the company announcedin a statement today.

Approximately 90 jobs will be affected, aspokesman for Sony Canada told CBC News.Sony Canada is not saying why the stores are being closed.

According to information on the Sony Canada website, there are14official Sony retail locations in Canada:

• Three in Alberta.
• Three in the Greater Vancouver area.
• Five in the Greater Toronto Area.
• One in Ottawa.
• One in Montreal.
• One in Quebec City.

In a statement, Sony said it was encouraging its Canadian customers to buy Sony products at third-party retailers across the country, through its online storeor by telephone.

The statement said Sony would support authorized Sony retailers, enabling them to continue selling itsproducts and providing support forcustomers.

Sony said it will reach out to previous Sony store customers in order to provide details about warranties and technical support in the future.

Company in stormy waters

Sony was once a leader in consumer electronics, giving the world the Walkman personal music player, the PlayStation gaming console, and a slew of popular video camcorders. But the Japanese company has struggled of late, cutting fiscal forecasts time and again.

Most recently, Sony Entertainment was the victim of a cyberattack over the controversial film The Interview, in which hackers crippled the Hollywood studio's operations and posted confidential emails, financial data, and personal information online.

Sony is considering an exit from some of its core businesses in an attempt to reverse its fortunes, according to a recent report by Reuters. That report cited company sources who said Sony was considering selling off its TV and mobile segments in the face of stiff competition.