The Source's sole remaining store in North Bay is no more and its staff has been let go.
In January, nearly 300 The Source locations in Canada were told they would learn their fates by the end of February after Best Buy Canada and Bell Canada announced a partnership to rebrand and revamp 165 of those stores.
The Northgate Shopping Centre location has been emptied and there is a sign affixed to the front window confirming its closure. Northgate Shopping Centre was home to both The Source and a standard-sized Best Buy outlet so the outlook appeared grim for the store in the framework of the partnership.
Bell spokesperson Rachel Jaskula confirmed the stores not chosen to be rebranded would close this year. "This transition will take several months," she said.
"Bell is winding down operations at The Source headquarters in Barrie, which is happening in phases over the next several months," Jaskula confirmed to Village Media's BradfordToday and InnisfilToday.
The exact timeline for the Barrie facility remains unclear as does how many employees based there are affected by the announcement.
The Source's North Bay Mall outlet on Lakeshore Drive closed in 2018. The Source chain of electronics stores has been in business for over 40 years in Canada, initially as Radio Shack and later as The Source by Circuit City.
The Source, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell, will be rebranded as Best Buy Express, with locations expected to start opening in the second half of 2024. Best Buy and Bell will invest in updating the stores, outfitting them with an expanded assortment of products.
The small-format stores will offer consumer electronics as well as wireline and wireless services from Bell, Virgin Plus and Lucky Mobile. Best Buy Canada president Ron Wilson said in a press release the partnership will expand the electronics store's presence across the country.
— With files from The Canadian Press
