Dedicated workers mourn the closure of music and video store Sanity, with one former manager revealing he loved the store so much he completed a shift after surviving a heart attack – before being hospitalized afterwards.
The last two Sanity stores closed on March 27, prompting hundreds of employees and thousands of customers to share their memories from the store floor.
These employees can now freely think about their time since the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that CEO Ray Itawi imposed on January 4 against the employees expired by closing all 50 stores.
Nick White, a “mental health nerd” and former manager of two of the top-performing department stores in the country, delivered a moving eulogy online after his “life-changing 10 years” with the company.
Nick White (pictured), a “nerd” and former manager, delivered an endearing eulogy online after “changing 10 years of life” with the company
The former employees are now left with nothing but memories and name tags as the brick-and-mortar store has moved online
After nearly a decade with the company, Mr. White said he’s grateful for the relationships and opportunities his time in the store has provided him with.
I moved interstate, visited and helped out at a few different stores, and even survived a heart attack and went to work the next day before being admitted to the hospital.
And it was all worth it.
“I am also proud to say that I did my best every day to deliver on the Sanity Customer Promise that is hung in every store.”
Sanity’s customer promise declared that employees would always satisfy the customer—whether by figuring out which movie a scene came from or finding the song a particular line came from.
Other employees left Sanity with mixed opinions about the retailer.
One former staff member, who asked to use the pseudonym Bruce because of their NDA, told Daily Mail Australia that although the staff were fantastic, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows.
“We learned about the closures the same day as everyone else did,” Bruce said.
Channel 9 called my boss before Ray (Itawi) sent the NDA email. “
All employees were subject to non-disclosure agreements as part of their employment contract, which Mr. Itawi reiterated via email on January 4 after the closure was announced.
She said, “It was fortunate for them that they trusted their instincts and told reporters that they could not discuss it or it would be a bad day.”
Some employees found it difficult to say goodbye to regular customers, who saw some employees as close friends with whom they could discuss popular culture.
Sanity’s customer promise says employees will always please the customer – knowing which movie a scene came from or finding the song a certain line comes from
Sanity has announced that it will close all of its physical stores on January 4 (pictured, Sanity employees in Mount Gambier, SA)
During the final weeks of trading, the stores went through phases of sales, starting at 50 percent off and going up to 75 percent off.
Bruce said the staggering number of customers rushing through the store to get a deal made time fly by, with people literally waiting two hours in line.
“Some clients used to come in and talk all day about their favorite show, which was great if we weren’t busy,” said Bruce.
They were pretending they wanted to pre-order something just as a disguise so they could talk about other shows, or make recommendations for things to watch or listen to.
You can tell that they have lost a large part of their life by not having the opportunity to go down to the store and browse through the things on the shelf.
The CD and DVD retailer closed the doors to its last two physical stores in Queensland’s Browns Plains, in south Brisbane, and Bundaberg, in the north of the state, on Sunday.
Sanity has been a staple in most Australian shopping centers for over 40 years, boasting over 200 storefronts across the country in its heyday.
Sanity (above) closed its last two stores in South Brisbane and Bundaberg on Sunday after more than 40 years in business
Atawi said the shift in strategy was driven by consumers’ recent preference to forgo physical media in favor of digital downloads
