Future Shop pulling out of Regina

REGINA – The Queen City’s only Future Shop location is closing its doors permanently on Monday.

In a statement, the company said the Victoria Avenue East building lease was expiring, and it chose not to renew it.

Instead, the company will focus efforts on its other venture, the nearby Best Buy store. Future Shop says all warranties for services will be honoured at Best Buy stores, or at any other Future Shop locations in Canada.

The electronics company said all current employees will be able to apply for positions at Best Buy. Future Shop would not say exactly how many employees will be affected.

Its statement reads, in part, “Our goal is to keep as many of the employees as we can. Regular full-time and part-time employees who do not secure a position at another location will be paid severance.”

Shoppers heading into the store were surprised by the closure.

Outside of the store Saturday afternoon one customer said, “I thought they were doing good business. Future Shop is long known to be an electronics store. On the other hand, I guess Best Buy is close by and they’re owned by the same company.”

Global News also spoke to a father and son who said they visit the store on a weekly basis and bond over the latest video games and electronics. Saturday marked their last trip to the store.

“We feel really saddened by it. It’s not good at all. Now we’ve got to find a different place to go.”

The YMCA is planning on taking over the lease and opening its third location in Regina later this spring.