Bargain hunters have until March to snap up discounted books, DVDs and other goodies direct from the website play.com before it closes its retail business and becomes an online marketplace.

The Jersey-based online retailer is running a clearance sale to sell its remaining stock.

Play.com is the go-to website for many Maltese shoppers because it delivers to the island for free, unlike many of its competitors, including Amazon.

In a statement on Wednesday, the company said: “Moving forward we are intending to focus exclusively on our successful marketplace, which is our main business area, and to phase out the direct-retail part of our business.”

As a marketplace, play.com will be a website where other companies can sell their goods.

The Times visited the play.com marketplace (www.play.com/rakuten-merchants.html) yesterday and found free delivery was still offered on pro-ducts available for shipping to Malta.

“Many of our merchants will deliver outside of the UK, including to our Maltese customers,” a play.com spokesman said.

“We currently have no plans to change our free delivery and we are committed to ensuring customers will continue to enjoy great levels of customer service on the play.com marketplace.”

Contract of purchases made through the marketplace is with play.com.

The marketplace was launched in October last year.

Play.com attributed its changing business model to the ending of low value consignment relief (LVCR), which allowed items costing below £15 to be sold to the UK VAT-free from the Channel Islands. The UK Government closed the LVCR loophole in April 2012.

All 147 play.com employees in Jersey will be made redundant, as will 67 in its Cambridge and Bristol offices.

Play.com was sold for £25 million last November to Japanese com-pany Rakuten.