Best Buy store in Toronto permanently closes

The Best Buy location on Yonge & Eglinton in Toronto permanently closed its doors for business on Friday.

Best Buy confirmed the closure on their website as well as on the store's voicemail message, warning shoppers that Feb. 12 was the last day they would be open for business.

Best Buy told blogTO that they decided to not renew their lease for the Yonge & Eglinton location.

"We do not take a decision like this lightly. We consider our employees, customers, values, and our overall long-term business strategy. This decision in no way reflects the abilities and hard work of the team at this Best Buy store. All employees at this location have been offered positions at Best Buy stores nearby. Our priority right now is to support them through this change."

However, the news shows that while the Canada-wide electronics giant may be a massive brand, they're still susceptible to hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mina Soares, a local in the area, told blogTO she went to return batteries to the location on Saturday and was shocked to find the store had closed down.

"I went there on Saturday to take dead batteries as they dispose of them and the windows were all covered in brown paper," she said. "No notices were posted. Nothing to indicate why they closed."

There are still eight Best Buy locations in the GTA, though, so you're not completely out of luck.