As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the retail sector where, with populations in mass lockdown, COVID-19 has claimed another brand scalp with Radio Rentals to permanently close their 62 appliance stores. 

The news will be bitterly disappointing for people like Vic Vinegar who has been renting various radios to stay informed on wartime updates. 

“Back in the old days, they used to provide emergency messages during the war through the radio so I’ve always kept one on in the kitchen in case of an emergency,” said Vinegar. 

“The best thing about renting a radio is that you can take it back and get a different one if anything ever goes wrong.”

In a statement released to the ASX, parent company Thorn Group (ASX: TGA) notified the market that its 62 Radio Rental stores and selected warehouses would stay closed permanently, blaming the “coronavirus-driven downturn in the retail sector”.