Sony to close two-thirds of US stores

Sony says it is closing about two-thirds of its US stores as part of its previously announced restructuring that'll see a total of 5000 jobs go.

Sony is closing about two-thirds of its US stores as part of wide-ranging company restructuring. (AAP)

Sony Corp says it is closing about two-thirds of its US Sony Stores as part of a wide-ranging company restructuring it announced earlier in February.

It also said on Wednesday that 1,000 of the previously announced 5,000 job cuts would come from its Sony Electronics unit, mainly in the US and Mexico. The cuts are to take place before March 2015.

Sony Electronics president Mike Fasulo said, in a statement, the moves were "extremely tough" but were necessary to position the company for future growth.

The closures affect 20 Sony Stores in several states, including five in California and two in Virginia. It is keeping open 11 Sony Stores including its flagship store in New York, and several stores in California, New York and Florida.