When Best Buy Canada and Bell Canada announced a partnership last month to rebrand and revamp 165 stores under The Source banner, it led to many questions.
In particular, what does this mean for the Barrie-based headquarters on Bayview Drive in the city's south end?
The answer to the question is a permanent closure.
"Bell is winding down operations at The Source headquarters in Barrie, which is happening in phases over the next several months," Bell spokeswoman Rachel Jaskula has confirmed to BarrieToday.
The exact timeline for the Barrie facility remains unclear, however, as well as how many local employees are affected by the announcement.
"We’re transitioning 165 The Source stores to Best Buy Express with the remainder closing in 2024, as part of this transition," she added.
Jaskula has previously said there are currently just under 300 locations under The Source name, and the stores not being rebranded will close.
The building on Bayview Drive has been serving as a headquarters for the company for decades, going back to its previous iterations as The Source by Circuit City from 2004 to 2009, and Radio Shack Canada before that from 1986 to 2004.
The companies say The Source, which is 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.
The small-format stores will offer consumer electronics as well as wireline and wireless services from Bell, Virgin Plus and Lucky Mobile.
