Canon is shutting down its own e-commerce store so it can "support local retail partners"
(Image credit: Canon)
Canon's Australian branch has decided to shut shop – its own online shop, that is.
In a quiet announcement made earlier this week, Canon Australia has revealed that the local Canon Store will be closing on September 30. Whether this decision will be rolled out to other major markets in Europe, America and Asia are as yet unclear, but customers Down Under have until the end of the month to buy cameras, lenses or printers, redeem any Canon Store gift vouchers, and avail any discount currently being offered by the camera maker.
Canon Australia will continue to honour its 14-day Peace of Mind return policy until September 30, but its unique five-year warranty isn't going anywhere. The local branch will continue to offer that whopping warranty period as long as you purchase an eligible Canon product from an authorised retailer.
Payments for backorders have already been stopped and customers looking to buy new products aren't being added to any waitlists. If you've already ordered something and it arrives by September 30, Canon will fulfil its delivery promise, but anything arriving after this date will be eligible for a full refund or will be directed to a local retailer.
(Image credit: Canon)
Being supportive
Canon Australia says the decision to shut its online store is to help it "support local retail partners" who have been affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic, although it wouldn't surprise us in the least if it is to cut operational costs locally. Whatever Canon's motivations, being supportive of local retailers is always a positive thing.
The Aussie Canon Store was opened online in 2011 and has only ever accounted for 1% of the company's local consumer product sales. So it won't make a huge impact to Canon's Australian business.
There is no clear indication whether Canon Australia will reopen its online store again but, as of September 30, it will close "for the foreseeable future".
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In addition to looking after they day-to-day functioning of Digital Camera World in Australia, Sharmishta is the Managing Editor (APAC) for TechRadar as well, and helps produce two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under. Her passion for photography started when she was wandering the wilds of India studying monkeys (yes, life took a sharp turn somewhere along the way) and is entirely self-taught. That puts her in the unique position of understanding what a beginner or enthusiast is looking for in a camera or lens, and writes to help those like her on their path to developing their skills or finding the best gear. While she experiments with quite a few genres of photography, her main area of interest is nature photography – wildlife, landscapes and macro. She still prefers an optical viewfinder but is utterly fascinated with what mirrorless technology has been able to achieve.
With an ear to the ground in the Asia-Pacific territory, she is constantly on top of camera news and breaking developments in the Australian region, in addition to sourcing local deals during big retail events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday / Cyber Monday.
She’s also a skilled stargazer, always eager to share astrophotography tips such as photographing the blood moon without even using a tripod!
