CALGARY — Employees arriving for their regular shifts at the Macleod Trail Future Shop on Thursday were met instead by “Closed” signs, security guards, and the news that they no longer have jobs.

The 30,000 square foot store — which opened in August 2011 — was one of eight Future Shops and seven Best Buy big box stores across the country that were closed by Best Buy Canada on Thursday.

“I’m a little bit shell-shocked right now,” said Alison Findlay, who was at her former workplace Thursday afternoon to collect her belongings. “We had no advance notice of this.”

As of Thursday afternoon, security guards were still on site granting employees final access to the building and handing out information to confused customers. Findlay, who estimates there were 100 employees at the store, said she and her colleagues have been given severance pay and put on a priority list for future hiring at other locations. Still, the unexpected news came as a blow to many.

“Some people are in tears,” Findlay said. “Others are already out there trying to find other jobs.”

In a release, Best Buy Canada said the closures are part of its effort to “reduce unnecessary costs, eliminate redundant operating systems and to optimize its real estate strategy to reflect a changing retail landscape.”

A spokeswoman said 900 employees nationwide will be laid off, representing less than five per cent of Best Buy Canada’s workforce.

Over the next 36 months, the company plans to open new Future Shop small-concept web stores as well as new Best Buy mobile locations across the country. These moves are aimed at helping the company reach customers in more locations and smaller markets nationwide.

Best Buy has been facing tough competition from discounters and online retailers, and has become a victim of what’s known as “showrooming” — when people browse in stores and then buy the products more cheaply online from competitors such as Amazon.

Of the Best Buy stores that are closing immediately, five are in British Columbia and two are in Quebec. The eight Future Shop stores closing immediately are in British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario.

The Macleod Trail Future Shop — which was unique because it was the only Future Shop in the city to sell musical instruments — opened just 17 months ago.

Best Buy Canada says it continues to operate more than 120 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile locations along with over 140 Future Shop stores across the country. The closure of the Macleod Trail location leaves six Future Shops, five Best Buys, and five Best Buy Mobile Kiosks in Calgary.

With files from the Canadian Press

astephenson@calgaryherald.com