Japanese electronics and gaming company Sony opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Kyiv’s Blockbuster Mall on Feb. 26.
Before that, Sony would just sell its hardware and video games online or through local retailers like Foxtrot, Comfy and Eldorado. Until now, support and repair of Sony hardware would also take place only through its official distributors — not Sony directly.
In Kyiv’s Sony Center, Ukrainians can buy TV sets, headphones, cameras, memory cards, video games and gaming consoles. PlayStation 5 consoles, Sony’s latest gaming platforms released in November 2020, won’t be available for sale immediately. But Sony says Ukrainians can at least test the console at its Kyiv store.
Sony’s latest-generation consoles are out of stock around the world. One of the reasons is the global semiconductor shortage. For now, gamers can only pre-order the gaming console or buy it from unofficial distributors for nearly $1,100, while its actual price is around $500.
The official opening of Sony Center seems to be great news for Ukrainian gamers who play popular video games by Sony, including “The Last of Us,” “Spider-Man” and “Mortal Kombat.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, more Ukrainians started to play video games to relax or kill time, according to a survey by analytics company NielsenIQ. On average, Ukrainians spend up to $18 a month on video games but prefer to play for free.
That may be the reason why most locals game on their laptops or smartphones, which have access to more free games, while only 15% own gaming consoles like PlayStation or Microsoft’s Xbox or Nintendo.
Games and gaming hardware brought Sony $20.8 billion in revenue in 2019, making it the company’s largest business segment.
To celebrate the opening of the store, Sony Ukraine is offering discounts. For example, customers can buy a second pair of headphones with a 50% discount, while the owners of Sony cameras can buy camera lenses with a 15% discount.
At the new store, Ukrainian customers can also test the company’s products like headphones, camera lenses and TV sets in special zones dotted around the store.
Sony won’t sell its smartphones in Ukraine because this business is not profitable for the company, according to its financial reports.
