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VIDEO: Prince Albert surprised by Future Shop switchover

Mar 28, 2015 | 4:48 PM

Mike Campbell was upset and confused by a sign on Future Shop’s door saying it’s closed for a week after he headed there to pick up his daughter’s iPad, which he’d previously brought in to get repaired, on Saturday morning.

He’s not the only person who was caught off guard by the sudden closure of all Future Shop stores across Canada.

Prince Albert’s location is among the 65 Future Shops that are set to be reincarnated within a week as a Best Buy rather than closing permanently. Sixty-six Future Shop locations will remain shuttered.

“They don’t tell the customers really anything until the last minute,” Campbell said. “They shoulda given a heads up at least. People could not come here and waste their time.”

He said he understands that staff probably didn’t know this was happening until that morning.

Reports to the Canadian Press from staff at stores that are permanently closing confirm that to be the case – staff was just as dismayed by the announcement as customers were.

Future Shop is trending on Twitter, and #boycottbestbuy is gaining popularity throughout the day. This includes from Alex Milne, whose Twitter information reads “I’m a cell associate at the awesome Futureshop in red deer.”

The method by which its owning company, Best Buy Inc., let the public know left something to be desired for Saturday morning shoppers like Campbell.

Jackson Ashby and Chris Hopper found out about the closure as they walked by Future Shop.

“They’re both the same company, it wasn’t a surprise but this is kind of a shock that they did it this way. No warning, it was suddenly, ‘we’re closed, we’re reopening,’” Hopper said.

The change is welcome for Ashby, who says “Best Buy was always a better option.”

However, he is skeptical of how abrupt the change was.

“It kind of takes your trust in the company, you don’t know what they’re gonna do.”

Doug Patrick was drawn to the store that morning after his wife called him saying a security guard was in front of the store. That turned out to be true, as a guard was hired to only allow staff beyond the store’s automatic doors.

As an occasional Future Shop customer rather than a diehard, Patrick looked analytically at the sudden closure .

“It’s unfortunate to think that we’re getting a lot of businesses shutting down in Prince Albert,” Patrick said.

“It’s very tough, we have a lot of retail choices and there is the internet and there is the long store hours for the convenience.”

 

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I don’t think a Candle Lite vigil will do… Might have to call in a grief councillor.

Posted by Neil Headrick on Saturday, 28 March 2015

Future Shop/Best Buy Canada representatives have yet to confirm whether or not all jobs in Prince Albert will stay in place. They have only given out national numbers so far, with Elliott Chunn, communications manager with Best Buy Canada saying “Unfortunately, I don’t have the regional breakout.”

claskowski@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk