Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson (NSDQ: ERIC) is planning to shut down its flagship retail store located in London’s swank Kensington neighborhood. Apparently, the two-year old 3,500 square foot outlet, a JV with mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse, has never turned a profit. Mobile Today reports that at its opening, a senior SE exec had said that the store was intended as “a showcase,” though it was not meant to be “a money pit.” Still, with Kensington rents and SE’s struggles, that’s exactly what the store’s become. SE won’t be opening any more retail outlets in the UK, or in Western Europe anytime soon, since as retail marketing VP Lianne Norry said market conditions in Western Europe “don’t make it appropriate for us to open stores here.” She also blamed the tight hold that big chains and operator stores have in the UK in the market as making it difficult for SE to sell directly to consumers. The struggling handset market, now fifth largest in the world, plans to concentrate its efforts in Asia, where it has 200 stores. It plans to take that number to 290 and is looking in particular at India.