Look & Listen shutters Web store

The retailer has announced that from next Tuesday it will no longer allow consumers to make purchases from it online. By Craig Wilson.

Added by Craig Wilson on 7 February 2013.
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Retailer Look & Listen has said that from next Tuesday, 12 February, it will no longer offer consumers the option to make purchases of either physical goods or digital downloads from its website, reversing a trend by bricks-and-mortar retailers to online sales.

The company published the announcement on its website lookandlisten.co.za on Thursday. It says consumers will still be able to do product research online and keep up to date with new product promotions and competitions, but that online sales will no longer take place.

Those customers who have funds in a virtual wallet with Look & Listen can choose to convert these to a virtual store-based gift voucher accessed via an SMS. Alternative, they can get a refund. Those customers who have an item on paid preorder will still receive it when it arrives.

Look & Listen CEO Darren Levy says that when it comes to physical items like CDs, DVDs and videogames, the online market is “not big enough”. He says the retailers will “continue to stay focused on traditional retail”.

Levy says the website will stay up for advertising and promotional purposes and to allow users to find information on Look & Listen stores and browse the retailer’s catalogue online.

The decision to cut digital downloads in addition to physical product sales was motivated similarly, says Levy. “We were the first legitimate site to offer downloads locally, but once again it’s a scale issue in this market. There is a small number of people paying for digital downloads and they’ve got lots of other options now.”

In addition to the website, Levy says Look & Listen’s Facebook and Twitter accounts will be kept so that consumers can communicate with the company using social media.

“We’ve pushed online sales hard, but businesses have to make money,” he says.  — (c) 2013 NewsCentral Media

Share this article

  • Cedrik

    It’s because there selection is small and overpriced – anyone who buys from L&L is a fool! Good riddens to them, you find me on kalahari and amazon instead

  • Yolo

    It would be interesting to see how long the stores still last.

  • coolkudu

    Absolutely. L&L is over priced and the store staff sucks. No help at all. I always wonder who buys from L&L

  • Biscuit1018

    Didnt even know L&L had a web store. Kalahari is ok as a local store. I am told that Takealot is also decent (although never tried)

    The Amazon UK store still works for me in a lot of cases

  • Rob Lith

    Next the bricks and mortar will be shuttered

  • http://twitter.com/mysehnsucht Vanessa

    L&L is one of the only local retailers who stock a decent selection of BBC shows and non-mainstream music, so there are some of us who like shopping there.

  • Notmyrealname

    You have much better options to choose from on the web than L&L – on average, they charge 15% to 20% more and their selection is still useless. Non-mainstream music? Don’t make me laugh!

  • http://crazysexycool.co.za/sticker-blog MonkeyMarcel

    Dear Look&Listen, your online store sucks and that is the only reason why your online sales sucks. Maybe your current approach is not profitable, so scale down and make it profitable. By simply not competing for the online market’s spend you will lose out.

  • Brett

    This is absolutely hilarious, 12 million people online in SA ie via desktop and it is too small for them. Somebody should show them how to do business online, a “build it and they will come” strategy only happens in movies. Would love to know who built their online store as that is pretty average too

  • coolkudu

    You probably dont have a computer and internet connection.

  • Eddie

    Some people want the physical CDs or DVDs or Blurays. It’s just the way they prefer. And I agree with Vanessa, L&L still stocks a better selection of music and DVDs than other “major” multimedia retailers do not stock. And if they don’t have it, they will try their hardest to find it.

  • Eddie

    L&L staff in the stores are a lot more clued up than the staff from other “similar” retailers. They actually know what the customers are talking about and what the customers want.

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