Former Bose flagship Camberwell Junction shop not affected by mass closures

With Bose’s mass shop closures, the former Camberwell flagship Aussie store owner explains why the tech giant’s move is not a bad outcome.

The Bose store — which is now Sight + Sound Galleria — was located at Camberwell Junction.

Australia’s flagship Bose store used to hold centre stage at one of Melbourne’s busiest intersections.

The prominent building at Camberwell Junction was home to the high-end audio giant from 2003 to 2017.

But in an ever-changing retail landscape, the independent family-owned business changed tack to broaden its offerings by moving away from its Bose deal and changing name to Sight + Sound Galleria.

And it is the same ethos which leads Galleria partner-owner William Stevenson to believe Bose’s decision to shut down 119 stores across Australia, Japan, Europe and North America is not a negative outcome.

“It’s not a huge issue,” he said.

“It might be an issue in the US, but definitely not in Australia.

“Bose isn’t a retailer — it’s a manufacturing company.”

Bose is shutting down 119 stores around the world.

Mr Stevenson said there was only one Bose-owned store in Australia — in QV — and the closures were not because of poor performance, but simply “a new direction”.

He said when the family business earned the right to trade under the Bose name in 2003, “it was a totally different marketplace”.

“People had to travel to Camberwell just to get their (Bose) products,” Mr Stevenson said.

“Now they are available at places like JB Hi-Fi.

“These days Bose is a household brand. One of the things (Bose founder Amar) Bose always wanted was to get one Bose product in every home — they are almost there.”

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Mr Stevenson said the closure wouldn’t change anything at Galleria and they were reflective of where consumers sourced their products.

“A lot of people are going back to nice speakers and amplifiers,” he said.

“People went to the convenience of something small, but now they are going to more premium sounds.

“They are going away from MP3 players and towards streaming at high-res. For the first time in a few years, sound quality is actually improving again.”

Bose will retain 130 stores in China and the United Arab Emirates, as well as in India, southeast Asia and South Korea.