Future Shop stores shut down

[langway05]

Future Shop stores shut down

The chain’s parent – Best Buy Canada – announced that it is consolidating its Best Buy and Future Shop stores and websites under the Best Buy name.

“They told me I could come in today to get my replacement TV,” Allan Bardsley, a customer at Future Shop’s Bayer’s Lake, Nova Scotia location told Global News. “Obviously that’s not going to happen now. I was surprised because I was literally talking to the someone in the store an hour before they closed last night. I imagine there’s a lot of people caught off guard by this.”

The company says 65 Future Shop locations will be closed for a week and re-opened under the Best Buy name. Another 66 stores that are located close to current Best Buy stores will be closed permanently.

The company says 500 full-time and 1,000 part-time jobs will be eliminated.

“Currently, 80 per cent of our customers are within a 15 minute drive to a store and this won’t change,” said Ron Wilson, President and COO of Best Buy Canada. “We will continue to have a strong store presence in all major markets in Canada.”

 

[Iceman]

Tough times in Canadian retail it would seem. Lot of stores shutting down.

 

[99goals]

So sad. Economy is suffering.

 

[TanguayFan]

It's a wonder it didn't happen sooner. Best Buy is the only company I know of who was competing with itself.

I enjoyed browsing at Future Shop, and used to buy a lot of games there, but when they scaled back their trade in promotions, it all but sealed the deal for me. I prefer to buy my electronics such as TV's from a non-chain store where I get better service, better pricing and more knowledgeable staff, so that didn't leave too much for me to buy from stores such as Best Buy and Future Shop. The one upside to Future Shop was the fact that they didn't chase you around the store like they do at Best Buy. I believe they paid better wages at FS as well. It's a shame for all the employees.

 

[chadsexington]

Coming from a home where one works for Best Buy/Future Shop corporate, and one who holds a blogging contract with Best Buy, I'm interested in seeing what comes of this. The strange thing, the contractor (me) probably has a better lock in keeping his job since I'm contracted to BB technically, even though I'm a dual brand editor.

 

[quincy]

This is neither a surprise, nor unwelcome news. I have consistently found Future Shop's culture - irrespective of location - to be unwelcoming to customers. Staff seem to find it an imposition to deal with potential buyers, product selection has dwindled over the years, and this overlooks the idiosyncratic "just plain stupid" behaviour that I seem to find without fail.

Best Buy, on the other hand, has a wholly different atmosphere and is a comparative treat to shop at. Good riddance to Future Shop.

 

[Andreswright]

Yes really sad news.