[Edison_Chen]

Best Buy Canada plans to close seven of its big box locations across Canada and close eight Future Shop stores across the country.

Best Buy has closed at least two stores in Quebec.Best Buy has closed at least two stores in Quebec. (Canadian Press)

As part of a restructuring plan, the B.C.-based retailer announced the plan to "optimize the company’s retail footprint" in a statement Thursday.

The company says the following locations are affected:

New Westminster, B.C. (Queensborough)
Nanaimo, B.C.
Victoria, B.C.
Langford, B.C (Westshore Town Centre)
Surrey, B.C.
Lachenaie, Que.
Sherbrooke, Que. (SmartCentres Sherbrooke).

The Future Shop locations set to close are:

West Kelowna, B.C.
Montreal (Forum Entertainment Center)
Laval, Que. (First Pro Ste-Dorothee)
Winnipeg, Man. (Regent Ave.)
Calgary, Alta. (Macleod Trail)
Ancaster, Ont.
Barrie South, Ont.
Mississauga, Ont. (Erin Mills)

As many as 900 jobs could be affected, or roughly five per cent of the company's Canadian work force.

The company told CBC News employees affected by the closures will receive severance support as well as access to employee assistance programs and career transition support.

A company spokesperson said all gift cards and repair contracts from closed stores will be honoured at other locations.

Best Buy said the store closures are part of an ongoing restructuring plan that will see the chain re-open a number of small-concept web stores and mobile kiosks over the next three years.
Changing retail landscape

Best Buy said the plan will allow it "to better serve its customers in both more locations and smaller markets across the country" while eliminating costs and consolidating real estate.

The chain has been hit hard by tough competition from discounters and online retailers and has become a victim of what's known as "showrooming" — when people browse in stores and then buy the products more cheaply online from competitors such as Amazon.

Employees arrived for their shift at the Sherbrooke, Que., location this morning and were met by security guards and closed doors. They said they did not receive advance notice of the closure.

Best Buy had announced last March, that it was closing 50 stores in the U.S. The company posted mediocre holiday sales.

Best Buy Canada Ltd. operates 139 Future Shop stores and 58 Best Buy Canada stores across the country.

15 Future Shop and Best Buy stores to be closed - Canada - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/01/31/business-best-buy-closure.html)

I've noticed the BB one at Queensborough, is pretty quiet. There's more employees than customers majority of the time.

[predom]

Thank god. I hate those stores. Ripoffs everywhere.
Posted via RS Mobile

[StylinRed]

can thank the cross border shopping for 1

hell the bellingham bestbuy has better deals

[jeedee]

Phew...the Futureshop I work at isn't closing :lol

[bartone]

Employees arrived for their shift at the Sherbrooke, Que., location this morning and were met by security guards and closed doors. They said they did not receive advance notice of the closure.

that is harsh....

[Manic!]

So they are closing the Best buy 1 minutes from my house? That means I will have to the Futershop 3 minutes away from my house according to Bing maps. according to Google maps it's 6 minutes away.

i know a few former BB employes that would be happy. About 2 years ago they cleaned house of most of the staff making over minimum wage and replaced them.

[Gridlock]

There is now a crap load of retail space availble in New West...IGA just announced they are closing the NW branch.

[oldsnail]

So they are closing the Best buy 1 minutes from my house? That means I will have to the Futershop 3 minutes away from my house according to Bing maps. according to Google maps it's 6 minutes away.

i know a few former BB employes that would be happy. About 2 years ago they cleaned house of most of the staff making over minimum wage and replaced them.

That list is all the best buy's on the island. alot of them are pretty new within the recent years. ie uptown and langford

[ScizzMoney]

The Futureshop here on Macleod in Calgary is always dead. Very shitty location.

[iamed]

nuuu queensborough bestbuy!! wonder what they'll reopen at the location

[punkwax]

There is now a crap load of retail space availble in New West...IGA just announced they are closing the NW branch.

Because New West.

:troll:

[StylinRed]

nuuu queensborough bestbuy!! wonder what they'll reopen at the location

target maybe? to compete with the walmart ;)

a Visions?


most likely parcel it down to smaller stores

[KO7]

nuuu queensborough bestbuy!! wonder what they'll reopen at the location

Best Buy washroom was my go-to public washroom when I go shopping at queensborough. :okay:

[!Aznboi128]

I opened those stores on the island....
:okay:

[Yodamaster]

That is what happens when you mark your products up by so much, that people would rather wait for shipping online than walk a couple blocks.

I mean, not everything can be dirt cheap, but what they charge at those places for the most basic shit is insane.

[AVS_Racing]

^^ considering what kinda deals they had during boxing day I'm not surprised.
Posted via RS Mobile

[hal0g0dv2]

shitty for the workers

[belaud]

Hell, It's about time. - YouTube


Talking from experience working there as well as shopping there, I can attest to the lack of product knowledge as well as ignorance in the staff, who cares more about selling the massive rip-off of a warranty, than letting you know the difference between LED VS LCD, more often than not, just telling you its better "because" trying to push you out the door as fast as possible.

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=76884&vpn=02G-P4-3651-KR&manufacture=eVGA

vs

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/zotac-zotac-geforce-gtx-650-ti-2gb-ddr5-pci-e-video-card-zt-gc2g-650ti-zt-61102-10h/10234992.aspx?path=2484eaf15025916481bd0f0da5aa927 fen02%22]http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/zotac-zotac-geforce-gtx-650-ti-2gb-ddr5-pci-e-video-card-zt-gc2g-650ti-zt-61102-10h/10234992.aspx?path=2484eaf15025916481bd0f0da5aa927 fen02

The difference in pricing doesn't help either.

[Nintensity]

Thank god. I hate those stores. Ripoffs everywhere.
Posted via RS Mobile

They offer the Online Price Match Guarantee for both BBY and FS if you do find a canadian competitor that sells the same item for cheaper. They match the competitor pricing + an extra 10% off.

[wingies]

extra 10% off on the difference

[willystyle]

The problem with FS and BB is that as much as it's written in their policy that they will price match their competitors. In my personal experience, the sales person would give u a tougher time in honoring the price match especially if it's a bigger ticket item (as it eats into their commission). I have much better experience price matching at NCIX and MemoryExpress.

[iEatClams]

^ it's also this type of misleading advertising that annoys customers.

it's 10% off the price difference, not 10% off the price.

[FN-2199]

I know a few people that worked at these stores. When they hopped into work today, they were greeted by security guards who informed them that their stores were closed. Best Buy also provided on-site counselors for all those canned employees. :heckno: This move today actually marks the end of their fiscal year.

[kevin7352]

That's a dick move if I ever saw one...

[Mr.C]

I know a few people that worked at these stores. When they hopped into work today, they were greeted by security guards who informed them that their stores were closed. Best Buy also provided on-site counselors for all those canned employees. :heckno: This move today actually marks the end of their fiscal year.

When I read that I though "wow, that's scummy".

I was laid off in June, and at least I got to sit down with the GM and hear it from her.

I'm much better off now, it's a... difficult... place to work at if you're not a part-timer, let's put it that way... Right Aznboi128? :p

[twitchyzero]

I feel bad for those getting layed off...even though I badmouth your typical FS/BB employee a lot

I also feel bad for the company...I know BB USA in the last 2 holidays have been offering such killer deal (or perks like free shipping for ALL orders) but Amazon/Newegg will only get bigger and squeeze them out like Circuit City. I was reading how Amazon was pushing for "showrooming" these retail stores by allowing some app where when you compared prices in a BB store you get XX% discount off lol.

But yeah it's idiotics ti have such monstrous retail space...they should be operating the at half of their size and only keep popular items in stock.

Let's hope they stick around...i like to keep my pricematching options (let's be real...Memory express has very limited selection)

[RRxtar]

Employees arrived for their shift at the Sherbrooke, Que., location this morning and were met by security guards and closed doors. They said they did not receive advance notice of the closure.
This happened in West Kelowna this morning. That store opened October 2011 and was the anchor store in a brand new strip mall.

Im not surprized by it closing tho. There is a Future Shop in Kelowna and within a couple months of eachother, they opened a huge Best Buy a block away that was a massive expansion into the mall, and then West Kelowna got a Future Shop. No one thought Kelowna was big enough for 3 of the same store plus all the local A/V stores plus london drugs etc.

[Verdasco]

Thank god. I hate those stores. Ripoffs everywhere.
Posted via RS Mobile

but how can u hate those stores when they give jobs?

[Roach]

IMO, an absolutely classless way of dealing with their staff.

Won't be giving them my money anytime soon.

Kev

[notjustforshow]

IMO, an absolutely classless way of dealing with their staff.

Won't be giving them my money anytime soon.

Kev

Agreed, really not classy.

I think they should have planned it better, however they probably wanted a hard close like this to prevent any looting/stealing. If the employees were told ahead of time, some may take the opportunity to get some "insurance."

I've seen people get laid off at my work, and it is always a quick goodbye to prevent theft of company secrets etc. There are tactful ways to do this, such as provide a good severance, reference letter, and exit interview etc.

[Verdasco]

IMO, an absolutely classless way of dealing with their staff.

Won't be giving them my money anytime soon.

Kev

agreed, people showing up to work to later finding out the place closed down :okay: breaks my heart, especially seniors doing this

[parm104]

I know employees who have worked with the company for over 10 years (FutureShop) that were let go last week because they did not have enough room for them anymore. These people have built a livelihood at FutureShop and probably have devoted a fair amount of loyalty to a company that couldn't care less about them.

I worked at Future Shop before...I knew the atmosphere of the store and the way the employees were treated...you were just a number and at the end of the day you had no job security. I had worked there for 5 years and saw people come and go (fired) in high positions and low. Managers, GM's, DM's, LP and HR reps. All for no reason, simply because they needed to go a new direction. Never treat a job like that as a livelihood. Give to a company like that, only the same amount that you receive back. I say this because companies like these try to swindle as much energy and time from you and compensate you with the bare minimum. They don't deserve your respect or loyalty.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Haen't been shopping there at FS or Best buy for ages.
Last time I went to buy a HDMI canble FS was selling for $20... went to crystal mall and they sell it for $10.

[dark0821]

man, i feel bad for the employees, honestly though, the only time I go to BB is for their "clearance" blurays and/or checking out an item that I will purchase online later. Just to feel the real thing in my hand before pulling the trigger. Its unfair as I understand the mark up of prices is due to the running cost of a huge store space/demo products. But until I am ballin I guess I will stick with my cheap asian tactics lol. As I know FS is commission based, I feel bad for wasting their time lol.

[Harvey Specter]

The BB on SW Marine drive is pretty dead as well and it just opened up a few months ago. I know BB down in the states has been in trouble for a while now so I guess it's spread up here.

[jeedee]

Its been a problem with BB/FS for years now.

After the Christmas season, stores across the country are dead.

[Ch28]

I know employees who have worked with the company for over 10 years (FutureShop) that were let go last week because they did not have enough room for them anymore. These people have built a livelihood at FutureShop and probably have devoted a fair amount of loyalty to a company that couldn't care less about them.

I worked at Future Shop before...I knew the atmosphere of the store and the way the employees were treated...you were just a number and at the end of the day you had no job security. I had worked there for 5 years and saw people come and go (fired) in high positions and low. Managers, GM's, DM's, LP and HR reps. All for no reason, simply because they needed to go a new direction. Never treat a job like that as a livelihood. Give to a company like that, only the same amount that you receive back. I say this because companies like these try to swindle as much energy and time from you and compensate you with the bare minimum. They don't deserve your respect or loyalty.

There was a mass firing at HQ on Wednesday. The VP of Expanded Assortment got fired as well. That's huge news because Expanded Assortment (all the non-electronic stuff you see on the site) is just starting to take off right now.

[KingDeeCee]

The employees don't know anything. Hell, even the managers have no idea what's going on. I've went in every time they had a T&S promotion on their blurays and every single time, I've had to wait at least 15 minutes at the CS desk for someone to find out what the heck I was talking about.

[GLOW]

The problem with FS and BB is that as much as it's written in their policy that they will price match their competitors. In my personal experience, the sales person would give u a tougher time in honoring the price match especially if it's a bigger ticket item (as it eats into their commission). I have much better experience price matching at NCIX and MemoryExpress.

Ya PM'ing there has been like pulling teeth I don't bother with them anymore. Too frustrating wasting my time arguing with one employee while it works with another

[dinamix]

I dont feel bad for the employees.Working at bb and fs is a garbage job. Stay in school kids.

[OTG-ZR2]

There is now a crap load of retail space availble in New West...IGA just announced they are closing the NW branch.

New Westminster can go Fu k its self. If it turned into a 3 lane hwy both directions I'll be slightly less irratable every time I pass through.
Posted via RS Mobile

[FerrariEnzo]

They offer the Online Price Match Guarantee for both BBY and FS if you do find a canadian competitor that sells the same item for cheaper. They match the competitor pricing + an extra 10% off.

thats if they say they dont have stock.. haha

Few times i went into BB and tried to price match, only to hear them say,
Sorry we are out of stock, only Opened box items in stock.... Then my mom goes in to buy at "their" price and they suddenly have it :suspicious:

[parm104]

I dont feel bad for the employees.Working at bb and fs is a garbage job. Stay in school kids.

That's one of the the dumbest thing I've ever heard...You think these are all just "kids" that work there? People who have plenty of options? Men and women who had the luxury, yes LUXURY of going to post-secondary school? Many of these people have made a commitment to this company 10-15 years ago and have been making a decent living for themselves. Prior to this, they were at the very least, able to put food on their tables for their families. As we know, many of these people were/are older(aged) immigrants. Now they don't have jobs and you don't feel for them because they didn't get a proper education? You're talking some grade A, uneducated garbage right there my friend. I feel sorry for you and your poor attitude towards other people who weren't as fortunate as you and I to have a higher degree of education.

[iKayChow]

hope these employees didn't get completely jewed over.. hope they atlease got a termination pay or severance pay since it was short notice well no notice. maybe the amount is enough temporarily to find a new job

[melloman]

Yeah really not surprised they have to close abunch of stores..

Like said above, they JUST opened a new BB on Marine Drive at Ontario..

I will be interested to see what goes up at the Queensborough location, as there are a decent amount of smaller outlets there already.

[GLOW]

locking out the doors with zero notice is pretty cold, i guess companies believe they need to protect themselves this way. gone through something not to that extent but was a day where 1/3 of the staff was abruptly tapped on the shoulder, handed papers and escorted out. straight b-line to the front door. you had to come back another day to pick up a box of stuff they boxed for you...my PC was left on and running.

[Lomac]

I dont feel bad for the employees.Working at bb and fs is a garbage job. Stay in school kids.

you do realize that the majority of employees ARE students, right?

[Great68]

If Futureshop/BB is trying to go after more online sales, they won't get any cash from me.

The very first (and only) time I tried to buy something online from them they lost my order (It never got shipped, Canada Post never received it) and it took me almost 2 months to get my money back.

[RacePace]

Phew...the Futureshop I work at isn't closing :lol

Yet

[Mr.HappySilp]

man, i feel bad for the employees, honestly though, the only time I go to BB is for their "clearance" blurays and/or checking out an item that I will purchase online later. Just to feel the real thing in my hand before pulling the trigger. Its unfair as I understand the mark up of prices is due to the running cost of a huge store space/demo products. But until I am ballin I guess I will stick with my cheap asian tactics lol. As I know FS is commission based, I feel bad for wasting their time lol.

Just wait till they go bankrupt like H&M and like Blockbuster then you will have no where to test out the product before you buy onine:fullofwin:

I feel bad for them. What Best Buy/Future Shop needs is smaller store front (they don't need all that empty space and they certinaly don't need to stock all thier stuff on site just popular items). Improve their online store with special promo every week to attract customer, provide local pick up if possible.

[SaviorSelf_666]

This happened in West Kelowna this morning. That store opened October 2011 and was the anchor store in a brand new strip mall.

Im not surprized by it closing tho. There is a Future Shop in Kelowna and within a couple months of eachother, they opened a huge Best Buy a block away that was a massive expansion into the mall, and then West Kelowna got a Future Shop. No one thought Kelowna was big enough for 3 of the same store plus all the local A/V stores plus london drugs etc.

West Kelowna employees got zero warning which kinda sucks for them. West Kelowna is brutal and I've seen about 9-10 businesses open and close within the same year. It is too small for what they have at the moment, especially with the massive Superstore, Walmart and London Drugs they already have. Our slowest store is in West Kelowna and is barely paying it's bills.

[Gridlock]

New Westminster can go Fu k its self. If it turned into a 3 lane hwy both directions I'll be slightly less irratable every time I pass through.
Posted via RS Mobile

That's a little harsh.

New West is working hard on becoming a cool little city again. There is a LOT of work to do...trust me, we curse some of the trash every couple of days. The property values are good, and the rents are increasing, which is driving out the shit.

It's one of the few cities that actually has a "downtown". It's starting to look really good down there. A few of the shitty money mart places were torn down, those high school kids are working on closing the paramount :troll:

I like it here...flaws and all.

[parm104]

Let's be honest here, we go to stores like FutureShop and BestBuy because they're convenient. They're the Starbucks of electronics...there is one around every corner. We don't go to these stores because we like spending more money or because we enjoy dealing with salesmen...it's just easier and immediate, most of the time.

For the record, just before Christmas, FutureShop/BestBuy did change their price matching policies to allow price matching of online stores including NCIX and Amazon.

Also, 10% of the difference is an INDUSTRY STANDARD...every store is the same in the lower mainland.

As far as shipping from online sales goes, FutureShop implemented an ONLINE STORE in their major retail locations. I don't see this being a profitable move but it's supposed to help people with online sales.

Also, if you've had a shipping error or lost a package in the mail from an order from FF/Best Buy, it's probably safe to say that it is an anomaly. This company would be using the same shipping practices as any other company plus they have warehouses locally. So technically, their shipping should be more efficient. I bought a chair from Futureshop.ca on boxing day and received it at my house on the 28th of December. Not bad....

We can easily hate on these stores but every store has its flaws and at the end of the day, we want to get the best deal. Each has its own pros and cons. Buy online, wait a little longer for the product and perhaps deal with a slightly harder return/exchange process. But, you save money.

Point being, there is more to this closure than just consumer habits. Poor corporate decisions, poor leadership and lack of vision will be Best Buy/FutureShop's downfall.

[twitchyzero]

they've always pricematched amazon and ncix
NCIX is difficult because 99% of its sale says limited quantities or stock
I just really hate it when FS/BB employees (the online dept) say that it isn't on their list of approved competitors

like where in the hell in the policy did it say there's a "list of competitors" ...as long as its canadian and meets all the stipulations give me my damn deal D:

[Matsuda]

my brother worked at a futureshop in surrey, he was stocking shelves and management brought him in and laid him off. This was about a week or so ago. We went to the best buy by queensboro bridge yesterday and the doors were closed and security outside. We saw a bunch of employees standing in the parking lot and I'm guessing they showed up to work and got a rude surprise =(

[Hondaracer]

Not surprised at either Lower mainland store, every time I went to both they were completely dead, horrible locations and qieensbourugh landing is a pretty sad attempt at an " outlet" mall itself
Posted via RS Mobile

[Tapioca]

Cheapskates over the internet are celebrating the closure of these stores, but there's a price to be paid for everything.

Online shopping is great if you know exactly what you want and it works, but returns, exchanges and service leave a lot to be desired. Moreover, shipping in Canada is slow and frankly, not everyone has the time to go down to Blaine/Point Roberts to save a few bucks.

But, if Amazon has 50 4.5 star reviews, the product has got to be good right? Let the suckers down south take the risk and buy a new product before I take the plunge myself.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Hondaracer]

The returns I've done on amazon were easier than taking things back to a FS/BB although I've only done it once it was seemless, was very impressed

I think there is alot to he said about "window shopping" or whatever the term is for looking at a product in person then buying it for cheaper online, this past weekend I was in the market for some sunglasses, sunglass hut had the pair I wanted at $165 amazon had the same pair for $120 free shipping, asked the salesperson at the hut if they could price
Match, they told me no they are already at the lowest price, online isn't reliable, etc

Where is the incentive to buy in-store any more outside of items that are too large/heavy/expensive to have shipped? There is none

Hell even Flea markets are overpriced compared to online

Posted via RS Mobile

[TPMarko]

they've always pricematched amazon and ncix
NCIX is difficult because 99% of its sale says limited quantities or stock
I just really hate it when FS/BB employees (the online dept) say that it isn't on their list of approved competitors

like where in the hell in the policy did it say there's a "list of competitors" ...as long as its canadian and meets all the stipulations give me my damn deal D:

not necessarily true. they have declined some NCIX price matches to me before stating they are "OEM" retailers and they don't match those.

[FerrariEnzo]

People will shop at where ever is cheaper, period.

[dinamix]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Best_Buy_Express.jpg

[Simplex123]

The Source experienced “positive momentum in 2012,” plans to build 20 new locations this year
BARRIE, ON, Feb. 1, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Source today announced plans to open 20 new stores across Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland in 2013. The expansion builds on The Source's positive momentum in 2012, when the national retailer added 67 locations across Canada to bring its current footprint to more than 700 stores.

"The Source's 'small box' format is really meeting the needs of consumers looking for electronics and mobile products," said Charles Brown, president and CEO of The Source, a Canadian company headquartered in Barrie, Ontario. "The pace of change in the industry is so fast that it can make the buying experience feel complex. Our easy-to-shop store format and team of knowledgeable associates are hitting the mark in providing a very accessible and intimate shopping experience that is resonating with Canadians."

The Source also plans to renovate 50 of its existing locations in 2013. The renovations focus on modernizing the look and feel of the stores to better merchandise and showcase key categories like mobility and accessories, streaming audio, DSLR Cameras, portable audio, laptops and Smart TVs. With these renovations, by the end of 2013, The Source will have opened or renovated more than 200 locations as it continues to expand and refresh its network of consumer electronics and communications retail stores to better serve Canadians from coast to coast.

"In spite of the cautious economic forecast, we continue to see strong consumer demand in categories like mobility, headphones and home entertainment with strong brands like Apple, Monster, Nikon, Samsung and Sony helping to drive traffic for us," added Mr. Brown.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1107915/the-source-expands-with-20-new-stores-in-2013

:fuckthatshit:

[Great68]

Also, if you've had a shipping error or lost a package in the mail from an order from FF/Best Buy, it's probably safe to say that it is an anomaly. This company would be using the same shipping practices as any other company plus they have warehouses locally. So technically, their shipping should be more efficient. I bought a chair from Futureshop.ca on boxing day and received it at my house on the 28th of December. Not bad....


My experience might have been anomoly, but when it happens the FIRST FUCKING TIME it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Also, It took me 2 months to get my money back because after I had filed a lost shipment claim (a week after I was supposed to receive my product) they LOST THE CLAIM which caused me to have to re-file it and start the process over again.

[willystyle]

Sale Prices at The Source is actually quite competitive to online prices, though I am unsure of it's price match policy.

[Lomac]

I do understand the mentality behind not warning employees ahead of time that they're closing up shop. If you think about it, BB/FS carry some very expensive items. Telling your employees that you're closing up shop in, say, two weeks or a month, may very well initiate some of these items to suddenly disappear. In the grand scheme of things, it's cheaper to payout your minimum wage employees by laying them off rather than have your Loss Prevention department go through the entire store and write-off a bunch of high ticket items that were smuggled out.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying all employees would do that, but I'm sure enough people would at least consider doing it. I'm sure many of them would think something along the lines of, "What are they gonna do, fire me?"

Just food for thought.

[RRxtar]

People will shop at where ever is cheaper, period.
Untrue. Once I started making real money and grew up, it doesnt come down to money anymore. I have no problem paying for convenience to a certain point.

If my TV blew up tomorrow morning, and I wanted to watch the UFC PPV tomorrow night, Im going to price out and research TVs online from local retailers (BB, FS, London Drugs, Costco, Visions, Brick, etc), pick a TV and go buy it at wherever has it in stock. Im not going to wait a week for it to show up to save $200.

Also, as far as buying from the states, I live 2.5 hours from the border (and we have shipping receivers like you guys do at PR/blaine) so shipping to a receiver across the border essentially costs me 1 day plus fuel. My personal point where the savings offset the time is at minimum like $300. I do tons of buying from the states for big ticket items like tires, Jeep lifts, truck parts, bike parts, etc, but I would never purchase electronics or something that has a high chance of being defective or needing warranty as a return or exchange becomes a nightmare.

[Mr.C]

There was a mass firing at HQ on Wednesday. The VP of Expanded Assortment got fired as well. That's huge news because Expanded Assortment (all the non-electronic stuff you see on the site) is just starting to take off right now.

Got details on this? I'm curious to know who got canned.

[bloodmack]

futureshop and bestbuy are like 5 minutes from each other on the same street in abbotsford. And the bestbuy here SUCKS, hard as hell to find an employee that will help you and its still relatively new.

[Lomac]

futureshop and bestbuy are like 5 minutes from each other on the same street in abbotsford. And the bestbuy here SUCKS, hard as hell to find an employee that will help you and its still relatively new.

Lots of cities and towns have BB and FS within spiting distance of one another. Here in Langley they're separated by a mere three blocks. Plus they have a ton of other stores to compete with (London Drugs, Wal-Mart, The Source, etc., etc)... and they're all within the same three/four block radius.

[Anjew]

Untrue. Once I started making real money and grew up, it doesnt come down to money anymore. I have no problem paying for convenience to a certain point.

If my TV blew up tomorrow morning, and I wanted to watch the UFC PPV tomorrow night, Im going to price out and research TVs online from local retailers (BB, FS, London Drugs, Costco, Visions, Brick, etc), pick a TV and go buy it at wherever has it in stock. Im not going to wait a week for it to show up to save $200.


Technically to a certain degree you are still price shopping from the local variety. However I understand what you are getting at tho.

[Hondaracer]

the central city locations are litterally side by side, maybe 20 steps between each front door?

[AVS_Racing]

I think another thing is the types of goods they sell are pretty durable. Its not like someone will go to FS or BB every week to buy a new computer or tv. Most of these things ppl tend to research around and think before they buy these big ticket items and will try to look for the best bang for the buck.

I literally had nothing that I NEEDED during christmas sales. I might want xx but when I compared the local sale prices and online I was like MEH turns out not really much of a sale and passed on the deal.

[mercyboy]

economy down....feel sad for all those people losing there jobs!!!!

[LSF22]

Lots of cities and towns have BB and FS within spiting distance of one another. Here in Langley they're separated by a mere three blocks. Plus they have a ton of other stores to compete with (London Drugs, Wal-Mart, The Source, etc., etc)... and they're all within the same three/four block radius.

lol at least its 3 blocks... here in richmond its all in the same damn mall.... one at a corner and one at the other :fuckthatshit:

[q0192837465]

Lansdowne mall rent is probably pretty cheap so they can afford to do that.
Posted via RS Mobile

[skiiipi]

Lansdowne mall rent is probably pretty cheap so they can afford to do that.
Posted via RS Mobile

Lansdowne mall futureshop is also one of the #1 performing future shop in Canada....guess all the fobs don't bother with online shopping
Posted via RS Mobile

[Geoc]

Business models are only part of the problem. The stagnation of the technological development of the big ticket items such as TVs, HTs have all pretty much hit a standstill.

10 years ago, we were emerging from SDTV to EDTV and HDTV. We had jumped through several generations of display technology in a matter of 6-7 years.

We had rear projection, projection LCD, DLP, Plasma, and flat panel LCD. Running from 800 for a 32 inch all the way to 5000-6000 for a 50 inch.

And good lord were they unreliable, optical block failures, convergence modules burnouts, color wheel wear outs, plasma burn-in and dim outs, and not to mention standard wear and tear of projection bulbs that run upwards of 200-300.

Nowadays, flat panels are cheap, and reliable. And technology development hasn't changed much, 120hz? 3D? Most consumers don't care about that. I have a flat panel from 2007 and it still going strong without a hitch, and the Canucks on HD still looks as good as ever on it, why should I fork out 1k+ for a new display?

They need to push out some 4k displays along with 4k content if they are planning to drive sales back up soon.

[Tapioca]

Nowadays, flat panels are cheap, and reliable. And technology development hasn't changed much, 120hz? 3D? Most consumers don't care about that. I have a flat panel from 2007 and it still going strong without a hitch, and the Canucks on HD still looks as good as ever on it, why should I fork out 1k+ for a new display?

They need to push out some 4k displays along with 4k content if they are planning to drive sales back up soon.

My Panasonic plasma from 2006 is still going strong.

Is there even the bandwidth to support 4K?

[Geoc]

My Panasonic plasma from 2006 is still going strong.

Is there even the bandwidth to support 4K?

hdmi 1.4 does

[RRxtar]

That is a good point from 10-5 years ago was the emergence of the newer generation of tech. HDTV, Blueray, even full adoption of DVD was hardly 10 years ago, cell phones, smart phones, mp3 players, digital cameras, the explosion of dSLR. plus all the related accessories to go along with all of that. And all of them came out with big price tags with huge markups and large commissions. Couple that with the economy steam rolling and everyone in an attitude of spending lots of money on consumerism and needing all new stuff to 'get with the times'. It was a fantastic time for retail.

Fast forward to the last 5 years, not much has changed. TVs are about the same, except cheaper, home theater is about the same, a 5 year old digital camera is going to do almost everything a new one will so people arent upgrading, cellphones dont really have a big profit for retailers... plus everyone is still in debt for the shit they bought 5-10 years ago. People just arent spending money like they did.

[twitchyzero]

i dont think it has that much to do with technological stagnation
what did they rely on before the DVD and Sony Wega that dominated the living room?
How did they survive the economic slump in the 80's?
it just isn't necessary to have sucha large B&M retail space when you are competiting against online sales

[RacePace]

Lansdowne mall futureshop is also one of the #1 performing future shop in Canada....guess all the fobs don't bother with online shopping
Posted via RS Mobile

More face if they're seen publicly buying a huge TV of course

[static]

I bet they chose this method of terminating employees to stop any potential internal theft.

[Mr.HappySilp]

We still have our big ass Rear projection TV that we had over 10years ago that we use in the kitchen. The only reason we got a new TV last year was because the old one was too bulky and still in letter box.

I been using my desktop for well over 2 years and have no plans to get a new one till it dies. Pretty much all the desktops and laptops in my house have been at least 2+years with no signs of them breaking up.

Why spend the extra money on something when it is still in working conditions. I think for an average person it doesn't really matter much.

There are people who still uses just basic cable with no digital receiver or only have a digital receiver. Economy isn't all the great these days and people aren't spending as much as before.

[vitaminG]

i wouldnt be complaining if i got this

Employees at the Nanaimo store were offered eight weeks' pay as severance, plus one week for each year they had worked

Nanaimo Best Buy employees arrive at work to find doors closed (http://www.theprovince.com/news/Nanaimo+Best+employees+arrive+work+find+doors+clos ed/7906773/story.html)

[skiiipi]

i wouldnt be complaining if i got this



Nanaimo Best Buy employees arrive at work to find doors closed (http://www.theprovince.com/news/Nanaimo+Best+employees+arrive+work+find+doors+clos ed/7906773/story.html)

Not bad at all
Considering most companies for part time employee is 2 weeks
Posted via RS Mobile

[Nintensity]

extra 10% off on the difference

^ it's also this type of misleading advertising that annoys customers.

it's 10% off the price difference, not 10% off the price.

Whoops my bad. It just shows how little I know about the company I work in ahah.

They may not be doing well in-store, but i'm sure they have a better vision and goal towards the online presence as the ecommerce department is growing and that they're doing well.

[smaggs]

I live in the area of the one that closed in Surrey and got an email a couple days ago with a deal to get a $10, $20, $50 or $100 gift card with a $50+, $100+, $250+, or $500+ purchase respectively at either Langley or Surrey Best Buy....not too bad of a deal. I'm still annoyed it closed though

[iEatClams]

i dont think it has that much to do with technological stagnation
what did they rely on before the DVD and Sony Wega that dominated the living room?
How did they survive the economic slump in the 80's?
it just isn't necessary to have sucha large B&M retail space when you are competiting against online sales

maybe the people buying those TV's on line of credits are now maxed out and cant afford more electronics? BC and Canada has some of the highest unsecured credit in the world.

maybe high housing prices and high mortgage/shelter costs are eating away at peoples disposable income and there cant afford to spend freely on electronics and gadgets as before?

maybe high dollar allows consumers to go to the US to buy goods?
maybe high cost of real estate forces rents to increase and increases costs?
maybe people buying things online? . . . theres tonnes of possible reasons out there or a combination of all.

[AzNightmare]

I didn't realize this until I got a FS gift card from a staff draw at work.
But I never go to Futureshop anymore.

[q0192837465]

Consumer debt in Canada is at an all time high. Even higher than before the US crashed. I believe many more ppl r realizing this and r spending more time finding better deals if they decide to buy big ticket items.

Plus the strong dollar doesn't help as ppl just flock to the US. I'm guilty of that too but a dollar saved is a dollar earned.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Great68]

I could never understand buying stuff like electronics on credit.

It was kind of funny getting a Best Buy flyer in the local paper on Friday. Pretty useless when there's no more Best Buys on the island.

[Anjew]

I could never understand buying stuff like electronics on credit.

It was kind of funny getting a Best Buy flyer in the local paper on Friday. Pretty useless when there's no more Best Buys on the island.

my mom bought my first computer when i was grade 8 on credit :QQ:

[Presto]

my mom bought my first computer when i was grade 8 on credit :QQ:

And she just finished paying it off last month :troll:

[twitchyzero]

went to Futureshop at Metrotown today not knowing it's closed but it wasn't part of the 15 locations listed.

Are they gonna be reopening close by? The staff at that location are so miserable but it's the closest location to me

[lilaznviper]

station square is being torn down for condo's and stuff last time i heard, so FS closed. There is still the bestbuy down the block

[Nintensity]

FS Metro Is one of the highest profitiable locations in the lower mainland (and is also the smallest sq. ft. space). They had to close due to the renovations happening in that area, but will probably re-open with a larger store space once the renovations are over. It wouldn't make sense for FS Metro to permanently close.
Posted via RS Mobile

[twitchyzero]

yeah I know they are redeveloping station square...i thought save-on and futureshop would still be opened though.

[extracrunchie]

To be blunt, I have never had good service at Futureshop or Bestbuy................I prefer Memory express for my computer needs and their price match system is way better imo.

[Anjew]

To be blunt, I have never had good service at Futureshop or Bestbuy................I prefer Memory express for my computer needs and their price match system is way better imo.

When i went back to return an asus transformer a couple years ago i was met with some resistance. The lady said the box was opened and so it was not returnable. I had to get the manager to tell her to just do it. That's not going to stop me from purchasing from memory express.


Minor service issues i can tolerate if i'm saving a few bucks. Major service problems is a different story.

[Soundy]

When I read that I though "wow, that's scummy".

I was laid off in June, and at least I got to sit down with the GM and hear it from her.
Yeah, but that's mainly done so they can tell you WHY you're being let go... when the doors are locked to everyone, it's pretty obvious.

Plus, it would be impractical for the GM to sit down with *every employee* in a situation like this.