Music retailer Sanity to shut all its Australian stores

The company, which sells CDs and DVDs, will close its bricks and mortar assets by the end of April, to concentrate on online sales.

"With our customers shifting to digital for their visual and music content consumption, and with diminishing physical content available to sell to our customer, it has made it impossible to continue with our physical stores," Sanity owner Ray 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."

The first Sanity store opened in 1992 in Doncaster, Melbourne.

The outlet became the most popular music retailer in the country and at its peak was said to have more than 150 stores.

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There are about 50 remaining.

Mr Itaoui said the dedication of the staff was why Sanity stores had survived for over 40 years.

"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," he said.

"Without this, Sanity would not have lasted as long as it has, and it's this I am most proud of."

This news comes soon after figures revealing that for the first year ever, vinyl outsold CDs.

Around the globe, vinyl sales are set to outstrip CDs this year, thanks in large part to Taylor Swift's new album Midnights which broke international sales records.

According to ARIA, vinyl album sales in Australia made up the biggest segment of physical music sales in 2021, at $29.7 million, compared with $24.9 million for CD albums.

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.