Standing in the rain holding a severance package in an envelope, Lyle Sayers heads to his car in disbelief.
The Langford father of three is left without a job after the Best Buy at Westshore Town Centre shut its doors, today (Jan. 31).
He was the multi-media senior staffer at the West Shore location, one of three stores on the Island that abruptly closed.
“I didn’t even get a phone call, I was supposed to work from 2 to 10 p.m.,” said Sayers. “I think it’s really sad, I have a mortgage, but it’s the benefits that are really freaking me out. It’s a bit of a panic.”
A handful of employees stood outside the store where the doors were monitored by two security guards. Sayers said a Best Buy human resource worker was inside handing out severance packages and a councillor was there if anyone needed to talk about the situation.
Bruce Copp stood with a few former co-workers talking about their disappointment and how they heard the news.
The Best Buy in Langford employed between 80 and 90 people, Copp said.
“This is kinda crappy from a corporate standpoint,” said the father of two who has worked at the store for more than two years.
Copp ran the Geek Squad at the store and is hoping he’ll be able to find work in the same field somewhere else.
“I found this out from social media, it would have been nice to have some notice,” Copp said.
As the news began to sink in for the newly-unemployed the group slowly began to disband with “nice working with you.”
Nationwide eight Future Shop and seven Best Buys stores closed on Jan. 31.
Over the next three years the company plans to launch Future Shop Small-Concept web stores and new Best Buy Mobile locations across Canada.
“The move was based on an extensive review of Best Buy’s retail footprint in Canada in an effort to reduce unnecessary costs…, ” stated a Best Buy press release.
The Gazette was unable to contact the Best Buy communications officer Danielle Jang, despite phone calls and email requests.
