Best Buy shutting down Merced location after 17 years

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Best Buy has been a staple in Merced for the past 17 years, and customers we spoke with say they still enjoy shopping here as opposed to buying items online.

"I come and buy electronics here. I bought my X Box and ear pods and all that, my laptop, here so I'm a loyal customer," says Miguel Rios.

Says Tenea Wallace, another customer, "Computers, ink, TV's, projectors. I got my security camera through them."

The store is now preparing to close when its lease expires in March because company representatives say they were not able to reach an agreement with the landlord.

About 25 full-time employees will be affected, but Best Buy is hoping to find a new location in Merced before the holidays.

"When the announcement was made, we had a number of callers stating we would love to host them in our facility so a new location won't be a problem should they go that direction," says Economic Development Director Frank Quintero

The departure of Best Buy is not the only change coming to this shopping center.

The Pier 1 next door is also closing when its lease expires in late February.

A listing from LoopNet.com shows that Party City is in lease negotiations for that space, Work World is in negotiations for the spot next to Big 5 Sporting Goods, and Ashley Furniture is set to take over Best Buy's location.

Quintero says the shopping center is in a highly desired area and that Ashley should be a good fit for the city.

"If you look at the fact that we had a record number of single-family permits that were built, increasing number of families moving into the community, a furniture store is going to be a welcome addition to the community."

Best Buy's lease is set to end on March 7 so shoppers have just over a month to visit the current location.