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The first time I visited Canada was nearly ten years ago, and like everything else that is new and strange in a country other... Future Shop is Now the Past

The first time I visited Canada was nearly ten years ago, and like everything else that is new and strange in a country other than your own (bags of milk and drive through cash points spring to mind), it’s always nice to see something familiar. When I walked into the local Future Shop, I was pleasantly surprised to see something which looked remarkably like my local PC World back home.

So it has come as a slight shock to learn that the owner of Future Shop, Best Buy, is now undertaking the closure of Future Shop altogether. The electronics retailer will convert 65 of the locations into Best Buy stores within a week, and 66 others stores are going to close with immediate effect.

This new move is centred around an “ambitious plan” which includes more staff in stores and a strong focus around online sales, including orders that will draw from in-store stock. This new strategy may make sense in the long term, but apart from rubbing out an iconic brand name and eliminating choices, the consolidation leaves 1,500 redundant.

It looks like I will never again have chance to visit the PC World-esque store again. Never mind, next time I’m in the airport in Toronto I can pick up an iPad, or whatever else I need, from one of those Best Buy vending machines. Only in North America!

[Image via wikipedia]

SOURCE: Engadget