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Future Shop now a thing of the past for Langley shoppers

Electronics giant on Langley Bypass has closed its doors permanently, Target store at Willowbrook mall to close in early April
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The windows of Future Shop's Langley store have been papered over and a sign announces that the business has been closed permanently. On Saturday, the electronics retailer announced it has closed 66 stores while another 65 stores will reopen as Best Buy.

The future for big box retail in Langley and across Canada isn’t looking so bright this week, with Langley’s Future Shop closing its doors abruptly on Saturday and Target to soon follow.

Future Shop, an electronic retail store, papered up the doors and closed for good at the Langley Power Centre on 200 Street and the Langley Bypass, joining 130 stores across the country. Employees were given no notice of the plan to close the stores, according to some media reports.

The signs on the door say the store is permanently closed. However, the voice mail message for the Langley location says it will re-open as Best Buy on Saturday, April 4. Best Buy already has a store in Langley at 20202 66 Avenue.

Best Buy, which bought all the Future Shops in 2001, made the sudden announcement that is was shutting down 66 stores and turning another 65 into Best Buys across Canada.

There are an estimated 1,500 job losses to go along with the closures. But Best Buy  is honouring all Future Shop returns, warranties, gift certificates and services, the company said on its website page. It also plans to fully pay all existing lease payments on stores that will not reopen.

In the same mall, the Mexx clothing store is papered up. That retail company shut down all its Canadian stores a few weeks ago.

Just a short distance away at Willowbrook Shopping Centre, Target shoppers have a week left before that retail store closes for good.

Target is closing all 133 stores it opened across Canada less than two years ago. Most Targets in Metro Vancouver are anchor tenants and are connected to large malls, as is the case in Langley. Here, Target took over an existing Zellers store and did extensive interior and exterior renovations before opening in the spring of 2013.

Target has already closed some B.C. stores, in Chilliwack, Cranbrook and Maple Ridge. There is no word on what might replace the Target store at Willowbrook.



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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